Mobile Broadband & WiFi Routers

Why this can help

Mobile Broadband WiFi Routers work well if If you want to give someone better access to the internet but don’t want them to have to change the sim card in their phone. They are also suitable if you want to provide data for a whole household without having to top-up multiple devices. The routers work with SIM cards that have a data allowance. It’s recommended that you purchase a data-only SIM card for use with a mobile broadband WiFi router.

• Mobile Broadband WiFi Routers (sometimes known as 'dongles') create a WiFi Hub for other devices (phone’s, tablets, laptops) to connect to 
• USB Dongles are plugged into a Laptop, PC or Tablet

Mobile Broadband WiFi Routers come in a range, depending on the download speed required and number of people & devices which will be accessing the internet from the WiFi Router.

Working out how much data you need

To save money, it's important to understand how much mobile data you need. uSwitch have useful guidance to help understand the potential data you might use.

uSwitch recommend the following as a good guide:

• 1 hour zoom call - 2.4GB
• Streaming one hour of video on Netflix, iPlayer or Amazon Prime – 644MB
• Streaming a two-hour movie in high definition – 4.2GB
• Gaming online for an hour – 43MB
• Streaming an hour of music via Spotify or Apple Music – 80MB
• Browsing through 60 web pages – 140MB
• Download one song – 4–8MB
• Download a film trailer – 60–100MB
• One hour of driving while using Google Maps – 5MB

1000MBs make 1GB, when you're looking for deals - deals that have GB instead of MB can be more preferable if your client uses data for video calling and entertainment.

Where to purchase

Value can vary significantly across each mobile provider, so it's important to shop around to find the best deals for you

Argos sell routers that include a SIM card loaded with data, which can be convenient.

You can also purchase the Mobile Broadband WiFi Router and SIM card separately. Other retailers which sell Mobile Broadband WiFi Routers are:

• eBay
• Amazon
• Currys

A number of organisations that we've spoken with recommend the mobile provider Lyca, which works well for their clients.