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.”