A deal has been struck between mobile broadband network provider O2 and telecoms giant BT which will see the maintenance and development of O2’s networks placed in the hands of its former owners.

You will have to cast your mind back nearly a decade to when O2 was known as BT Cellnet in order to see the links between the two firms in their entirety. It was in 2001 that O2 was born from a variety of subsidiaries of BT and later bought out by Spanish firm Telefonica in 2006.

Mobile phone and mobile broadband packages have always been O2’s main products, but after first offering home broadband and then proposing home telephone deals, O2 looked as though it would be competing directly with BT for the same audiences.

But relations between O2 and BT are clearly healthy, as the pair have just signed a five year contract that will be worth millions of pounds and will commit the BT Wholesale division to overhauling O2’s mobile broadband network.

Well publicised performance hitches with the current 3G network operated by O2 are likely to have prompted the inception of the partnership and the large volume of mobile data traffic that O2 has had to handle as a result of its growing iPhone user base is also a contributing factor.

O2’s Nigel Purdy said that the deal was indicative of O2’s desire to keep its networks and products relevant well into the future.

Simple Broadband’s Simon Gerrard added “O2 is clearly taking on board any criticisms that have been levelled at its mobile broadband service in recent times. With Orange mobile broadband free laptop deals making headlines and its rivals offering wider network coverage, O2 will really be looking to maximise its network capabilities in the future and BT will help to make that a reality.”

Mobile broadband provider Orange has come out on top once more in a recent survey carried out by YouGov which compared all of the mobile broadband operators in the UK based on real user experiences.

YouGov, which is an independent organisation, compiled data relating to various key areas in mobile broadband and Orange came out at the top of 9 of these lists.

The survey revealed that customer satisfaction is one of Orange’s many strong points, along with the reliability of its mobile broadband connections. Orange was also top dog when it came to upload speeds, which few consider when comparing wireless broadband prices and its mobile broadband products are also deemed to be easier to use than some other providers.

The last YouGov survey of mobile broadband providers was published back in October 2009 and it also found that Orange was generally considered to be one of the best mobile broadband operators in the UK at the time.

Orange’s broadband’s Asif Aziz said that he and his firm were glad to have been voted to the top of the mobile broadband charts once more and that it was representative of the hard work that had been put into their products and deals.

Mr Aziz also said that Orange put its popularity down to the quality of its mobile broadband networks in combination with the high levels of customer service that it attempted to offer to all of its mobile broadband users.

Simple Broadband’s Simon Gerrard commented “Orange is leading the way in terms of customer service, spreading the good word about mobile broadband. Other providers may offer faster download speeds, but it is clear from this new survey that a significant proportion of customers are interested in quality and not quantity when comparing wireless broadband prices.”

All 3 Mobile Broadband contracts have had a dongle upgrade! They have replaced the ZTE dongle with the new, sleeker Huawei E1750. The E1750 is no available, free of charge, on all contract tariffs, although pay as you go mobile broadband packages will still include the ZTE MF627 dongle.

The Huawei E1750 is a “next generation” dongle, and is typically twice as fast when uploading files such as photos and large email attachments. It is also 50% faster for general website browsing. It is compatible with both PC’s and Mac’s and has a plug & play design, making it incredibly easy to use.

If you are due an upgrade now or are looking to make a purchase, it is worth bearing in mind that another new dongle is due to be released in March, the Huaweu E122. This promises to offer even fast speeds, so is definitely worth keeping an eye out for in the coming months.

Competition in the mobile broadband market does not seem to be slowing down, as O2 has just laid down yet another gauntlet in the price wars by halving the cost of some of its mobile broadband deals in order to attract new customers.

Users looking for a free laptop to accompany their mobile broadband package are in luck, as O2 has cut the cost of certain deals in half, resulting in packages that previously cost £50 now setting you back just £25.

For your money you can choose one of Asus’ popular Eee PCs, which are compact netbook computers that favour portability over high-powered software. You can also connect to the internet at up to 3.6Mbps using O2’s 3G networks and there is a 3GB monthly data allowance for this particular bundle.

For those looking for a little more power to go with their mobile broadband, the £35 a month deal that includes a Samsung R519 with the same download speeds and data allowance might be more suitable.

Both of these packages can be augmented with an additional data allowance for £10 more a month, giving you a total of 10GB usage.

Given that current statistics indicate that more people are interested in free laptop deals than ever, these price reductions could really help to bolster O2’s customer base.

Simon Gerrard, Simple Broadband’s Communication Manager noted that “O2 has really upped the stakes here by cutting the prices of its mobile broadband packages. Currently every major provider is scrambling to grab new customers and with the price of Vodafone mobile broadband USB deals falling, alongside the cost of other packages, there are now plenty of ways in which to get online without breaking the bank.”

A new survey by a leading UK broadband website has found that a significant number of consumers choose their mobile broadband deals based upon the added extras that are included. This means that less emphasis is being placed on the speed or the data allowance of a given package.

30 per cent of respondents to a survey said that inclusions such as free laptops or USB dongles were the most important factor that would help in determining which mobile broadband package was right for them.

More than 1000 people participated in the survey and it emerged that 25 per cent privileged the download speeds of a mobile broadband package above all else, whilst only 20 per cent were actually looking for the cheapest mobile broadband in UK networks’ line ups.

This survey shows that the free laptop deals are performing particularly strongly in the current market and for consumers this means that they are getting good prices as well as excellent added extras with the average package.

However, some experts believe that the news will vex mobile broadband providers in the UK, as competition in the domestic market has already resulted in the UK having cheaper mobile broadband tariffs than anywhere else in the EU. Consumers are used to getting freebies with their mobile contracts and the same expectation has been carried across to the mobile broadband industry.

Some providers have not taken to offering free laptops as keenly as others, but the growth in demand for such deals is clearly not going to slow down in the near future.

Simple Broadband’s Communications Manager Simon Gerrard added that “This survey shows that consumers in the UK are always on the hunt for a bargain and they realise that there are some great deals to be had on the mobile broadband market at the moment. We can only hope that this trend continues.”

Although the availability of 3G networks is fairly high if you live in built up, heavily populated areas, being stranded in a so-called ‘not-spot’, where coverage is limited, is not uncommon. Thankfully a new technology is being introduced by Vodafone that will help to provide mobile broadband for those in dead zones.

For just £50 you can get yourself a new product called the Vodafone Sure Signal. This is a small box based on femtocell technology and it plugs directly into the back of your home broadband router.

Once you have the Sure Signal turned on, it will act as a miniature mobile base station, generating a short range 3G network which can be accessed by your mobile broadband enabled devices. It will also allow for better network coverage for voice calling and will ensure that you are always available.

The obvious issue with the technology is that it requires that you already have a home broadband connection provided by a landline. If this is the case, most people will already have Wi-Fi or Ethernet access to the internet, making the mobile broadband enhancements of the device a little redundant.

However, the femtocell technology will prove to be particularly useful for business and enterprise customers, as not only will it make mobile broadband available to them, but it will also provide mobile network coverage for phone calls and mobile browsing.

If you are a Vodafone customer and you have been unable to effectively compare wireless broadband prices and explore options including Vodafone in your area up until this point because there is inadequate 3G coverage in your area, then this will be an excellent product to pick up. And if you are not signed up to a Vodafone contract, but are thinking about switching loyalties, then now could be a great time to compare wireless broadband prices and get a better deal.

New information suggests that the current range of mobile broadband bundles that include a free laptop computer as part of the package could soon be improved when the latest laptop technology is added by mobile broadband providers.

At the moment there is a wide selection of technology on offer, with small netbooks with basic hardware sitting alongside full sized notebooks sporting dual core processors and multimedia capabilities. These deals, which are aimed at those looking to get online from scratch, are gaining popularity amongst mobile broadband customers from all walks of life.

However, at present, the majority of mobile broadband deals that include free laptops require the addition of a separate mobile broadband dongle which must be plugged into the laptop to access the internet. Once the new range of laptops is made available, this could all change.

Experts predict that mobile broadband providers will begin to offer free laptops which come with the 3G mobile broadband modem built into the body of the device, which eliminates the need for a separate mobile broadband dongle. This will be supported by other traditional connectivity options such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and will vary depending on the manufacturer and network you choose.

The inclusion of 3G connectivity with new laptops is seen by some as a sign that computer manufacturers are buying into the mobile broadband phenomenon and are anticipating continued growth within the industry that gives these new laptops a unique selling point.

If you are looking to compare wireless broadband prices in the next few months you could see a shift in the type of laptops that are being bundled with mobile broadband deals if these predictions are realised. Most providers are constantly updating their range of free laptops in order to remain competitive, so there is a high possibility of this occurring.

Good news for people thinking of signing up to a mobile broadband deal – the trend of offering a free laptop for new sign-ups seems to be continuing.

Orange are offering free laptops to any new customer signing up to two of their offers. Customers signing up for the £35 USB mobile broadband can help themselves to a free Compaq CQ61 notebook laptop. It has a 15.6″ screen, Windows 7 Home Premium and a massive 250Gb hard drive! For more information click here.

Any customer signing up to Orange’ £25 mobile broadband deal can take home a free Asus 1005HGO laptop, which has built-in mobile broadband, so you don’t even need to worry about remembering your dongle! For more information click here.

You are still able to get a Compaq CQ61 notebook on a cheaper tariff, but this does incur an upfront fee for the laptop. For example, on a 24 month, £25/month contract, the laptop is available for purchase for £130.

Why not take a look at our mobile broadband comparison page, to see which deal might be best for you?

Wireless broadband prices are set to drop even further after announcements by both Orange and O2 that they will be reducing the cost of several mobile broadband tariffs in both the pay monthly and pay as you go ranges.

O2 is now going to offer new customers the chance to sign up to a 24 month mobile broadband contract that comes with a 3GB data allowance each month for just £10 for the first 4 months. This deal will also included unlimited access to a huge network of Wi-Fi hotspots around the UK, which means that the data allowance will not be constraining customers of this service.

If you are looking for a mobile broadband deal that does not require the lengthy commitment period of pay monthly contracts, then you will welcome the news that O2 has also cut the price of its standalone USB mobile broadband dongle by a third to just £20. Again unlimited Wi-Fi is included for all pay as you go customers and top-ups cost from as little as £2 a day for half a gigabyte of data allowance.

Orange is also taking to reducing the initial cost of its mobile broadband packages by giving new customers three months at half price. That means a 3GB monthly allowance on an 18 month contract is only £7.50 for the first three months and the 10GB tariff is just £12.50.

All of these contract deals from both O2 and Orange still include a free USB modem, so you really will be able to take advantage of the new lower wireless broadband prices. Simon Gerrard, Communications Manager at Simple Broadband added that “these are both limited time offers aimed at securing new customers before the end of January, so you will need to act fast if you want to take advantage of the savings on offer”.

The popularity of pay as you go mobile broadband deals is likely to increase exponentially over the first few years of the decade, according to a report authored by market analyst firm Tariff Consultancy.

It expects that over 300 million users will choose pay as you go packages globally by 2013, with Asian customers making up the most significant proportion of the total, followed closely by consumers in the USA.

It is believed that pricing strategies will influence how this growth progresses and the UK mobile broadband industry is seen as one of the most advanced when it comes to offering customers a good deal. Data allowances for users on pay as you go mobile broadband contracts in the UK are often parallel to or slightly better than those offered to customers who choose a pay monthly service if the cost of each gigabyte of data is taken into account.

Other networks in different regions are taking longer to alter their pricing strategies, but Tariff Consultancy’s MD suggested that if trends in the UK continued, many network providers would be looking to shift a majority of their mobile broadband business away from pay monthly and towards pay as you go.

Unlike other reports, this latest analysis of the market is focused specifically on mobile broadband for use by PC and laptop owners, rather than including all mobile phones with 3G connectivity in its focus. This allows for a more accurate picture of the future of mobile broadband tariffs and trends.

Simple Broadband’s Simon Gerrard added that “although pay as you go deals are certainly falling in cost, it is a little too early to completely discount the power of the mobile broadband pay monthly deal as yet. With the savings potential of start-up deals such as the Orange mobile broadband free laptop packages around, there is still good reason to consider a fixed term contract.”