It may have surprised some industry observers that connection ‘management’ has not been a bigger part of mobile broadband up until now, but 3 has taken the plunge and announced restrictions during peak periods for its mobile broadband customers starting from November 16th.

Official sources have revealed that peer to peer networking will be the only online facility managed under the new rules. Although there are no figures relating to the number of mobile broadband users who download files using P2P networks, the number must be significant enough to warrant the enforcement of such limitations.

It is understood that only the most congested mobile broadband cells will be subject to the limiting of P2P downloads, which means urbanised areas and city centres during peak time will suffer the most. The purpose of the management is to provide a better service to all customers rather than allowing P2P users to consume excessive bandwidth to the detriment of download speeds across the network.

Observers believe that a combination of falling mobile broadband package prices combined with more generous data allowances may be spurring on users to download files via P2P networks. It is also anticipated that many more mobile broadband providers will jump on the connection management bandwagon as mobile broadband use continues to grow. Low package prices in conjunction with deals such as the Orange mobile broadband free laptop could see mobile congestion and peak period throttling becoming more commonplace.

Experts have expressed some doubt as to 3’s plans to manage P2P traffic, explaining that many P2P users will simply switch to other methods such as file sharing sites and VPNs run by businesses to continue to download larger files via mobile broadband. There are also fears that the newly implemented connection management system may have some growing pains to endure before it operates correctly.

According to a broadband expert, it is unlikely that fixed line broadband connections will ever be replaced or superseded by the mobile broadband alternatives. The comments were made by Edd Dawson, the editor of a UK broadband specialist site, although Dawson is not alone in questioning the viability and sustainability of mobile broadband services.

The reasoning behind the argument is that consumers will continue to purchase mobile broadband only as a supplementary connection to their existing fixed line service. This is because mobile broadband costs are comparatively higher than fixed line equivalents, whilst real speeds have been revealed in a recent survey to be far lower than most manufacturers are willing to admit.

Dawson likens the continued relevance of home broadband to the fate of desktop PCs, which in the face of stiff competition from laptops and netbooks are still managing to sell well. Laptops, like mobile broadband, are considered to be ideal for casual and occasional use, but not as a replacement for a powerful desktop PC with a fast home broadband connection.

It is believed that the same theory can be applied across the whole spectrum of users, with home owners as well as businesses sticking with the reliability and availability of fixed line broadband whilst complimenting this connection with the roaming capabilities of mobile broadband.

The future of mobile broadband as a primary connection has been further brought into question due to the wider availability of cheap cable broadband in the UK. Cable has several advantages over both ADSL and mobile broadband and with its faster and more consistent connection speeds it is likely to continue to grow in popularity.

Cheap cable broadband may also become more widely available as BT develops its fibre networks, in competition with the current kings of cable, Virgin Media.

The future is, of course, hard to predict as anyone who remembers similar reservations directed at car phones in the 1980s will attest.

For anyone considering making mobile broadband part of a Christmas present, the news that Vodafone has unleashed a new laptop on its pay monthly packages will be most welcome. There is nothing to pay up front and the bundle includes a free laptop and free Vodafone mobile broadband USB dongle to get users online wherever they are. You will need to commit to a 24 month contract, but the specifications of the new laptop make this an attractive package.

Unlike other free laptop deals, the Compaq Presario CQ60 which is included is not a lightweight, low-powered netbook. With a large 15.9 inch high resolution screen, a powerful processor, 2GB of RAM and Windows Vista pre-installed it will be able to deal with all of the latest software and tasks that you could reasonably require of it. There is even a limited subscription to a security software suite included, as well as 60 days access to Microsoft Office straight out of the box.

As you might imagine, the CQ60 is far from feather light; indeed at nearly 3KG it could give you quite a workout if you are going to lug it around all day, but that is the price you invariably pay for a more powerful and versatile system. A DVD writer and a built-in card reader round off the package, making it ideal for multimedia playback and image storage on the 250GB hard drive.

The CQ60 may come with built in wireless connectivity, but you will still need to plug in the Vodafone mobile broadband USB dongle if you want to connect to the mobile broadband network. Current Vodafone customers will be able to take advantage of a lower monthly cost than new customers, which means that if you have a Vodafone mobile contract or an existing mobile broadband deal with the company then this offer becomes even more appealing.

The increasingly popular route to getting your hands on a free or cheap laptop by signing up for a mobile broadband contract has got 2 additional options thanks to O2 Mobile.

The maths for these mobile broadband and laptop offers is interesting. The monthly costs for a contract with a laptop is higher than a ’standard’ contract and it does require a two year commitment. However, the incremental charge can be of the order of £250 over the term of the contract (although it can be more, so do the sums) – £250 or so for a laptop is a not a bad price but its notional cost being spread over the course of 24 months is what makes these offers rather attractive.

The latest deal from O2 mobile broadband is for either an Asus 1005H laptop or a Samsung R519 laptop with a 24 month contract – whichever option you go for there is a £29.38 charge for the laptop. The monthly charge is then £24.48 (3Gb download limit) or £34.36 (10Gb) for the Asus 1005H and £34.26 (3Gb) or £44.05 (10Gb) for the Samsung R519.

These types of mobile broadband and laptop offers are becoming more widespread and will appeal to a wide range of mobile broadband customers but particularly those who wish to avoid the upfront costs of a laptop. Students are a clear target here but in times or recession where poor cash flow affects many people these deals will have wider appeal.

Increased competition from alternative broadband providers has triggered BT to jump on the bundle-deal bandwagon. The telecoms giant will be offering new customers the chance to sign up to several of its home broadband and landline phone packages with the incentive of 3 months free. This is in response to the widespread market acceptance of similar deals from providers such as Virgin Mobile. Virgin recently offered customers 2 months free service and it seems that BT is determined to go one better in its attempt to win back previous subscribers.

BT will be offering the deal in partnership with its Starter home broadband package, which integrates the home phone service with inclusive weekend calls to UK landline numbers and a subscription to the BT Vision digital TV service. Customers will be provided with free equipment including the BT home hub, as well as free internet security software.

It is expected that the extended BT broadband options which fall under the terms of this offer will not be available for too long. As such, consumers are being encouraged to sign up before Christmas if they wish to make the most of the limited time offer. In line with common industry practice, the multiple services included in this package require a minimum contractual term of 18 months and there is line rental to pay on top of the monthly package price.

Incentives such as reduced monthly costs, as well as the lure of bundle deals, have significantly changed the way in which broadband has been marketed and sold in recent months. BT broadband options which include broadband, home phone and digital TV in a single monthly package offer the consumer potentially significant savings whilst giving BT more control over multiple services. The added convenience of having to deal with a single provider when issues arise is another key selling point of home broadband bundles.

3 Mobile Broadband is offering a voucher code that gives £3 per month off to customers signing up to their a 5Gb Mobile Broadband 18 month contract. This 3 Mobile deal is not available on the high street.

To take advantage of this 3 Mobile Broadband deal here’s what you need to do…

• Click this link to get to the 3 Mobile website
• Select ‘Mobile Broadband’
• Pick the ‘5Gb Mobile Broadband 18 month contract’ (£15)
• Pick your modem (choice of one!)
• Click ‘Buy Now’
• Enter 3MBB3OFF in the box marked ‘Got promo code?’
• Check out

The expiry date for this offer has not been announced so it is probably best to take it up quickly, before 3 Mobile change their mind on this deal!

Don’t forget, you will still get a free USB modem and free pay-as-you-go SIM for a friend, as with the standard 5Gb deal, there is no change to that – other than that you get £3 off every month!

You get the standard 3.6Mb connection, and 5Gb usage is plenty for surfing the internet on your travels. Sign up here for this 3 Mobile Broadband deal.

Sign up to a mobile broadband deal with Orange and get a free laptop! A selection of laptops are available, they are either free or very cheap depending on the package which you choose. For example, a Samsung N310 with Orange 5Gb mobile broadband on a 24 month contract would be free!

Click here to find out more about the Orange Free Laptop Offer.

If you do not want a long contract there are many other options with short contracts on our mobile broadband comparison table.

Orange Broadband doing its best to woo the ever growing number of students with an attractive offer of a £20 HMV voucher for those  signing up to one of their mobile broadband deals with either a dongle or a laptop. With prices starting at just £9.79 per month this looks like a good opportunity for students who are already looking for broadband on the move.

Click here for more information on the Orange mobile broadband HMV offer. And if you were thinking of pretending to be a student to get the HMV voucher you will not get away with this as you need to enter your NUS number to qualify!

It has been announced that Vodafone has joined Orange and O2 as a reseller of the universally adored iPhone. The UK is the only major country which has more than one network offering the iPhone and, while the exact terms are not known, this newly created competitive market must only be good news for the consumer.

From today the Virgin Media is offering free installation on all its packages worth – this is a saving of £35. This offer is a great deal and represents a good saving for those who can access cable broadband.

Virgin Media offers packages for the home broadband user with speed options of up to 10Mb, 20Mb or an amazing 50Mb. These speeds combined with unlimited downloads, free internet security and a free wireless router make them one of our recommended broadband suppliers for home use.