People looking for shorter minimum contract periods in the mobile broadband market will be able to take advantage of a new pay monthly package from Vodafone.

For £15 a month you will get a 3GB data cap and there is a 12 month minimum contract to cover. However, your money also bags you a free USB dongle to help you get online.

Vodafone offers a similar package for people who want a rolling contract similar to a pay-as-you-go scheme. The monthly price and data cap are identical, but with a one month minimum contract you will need to pay £19 for the dongle.

Whether you like the sound of this Vodafone package will depend on how you respond to wireless broadband prices. If you know that you will need the service consistently for at least 12 months, then it is a good deal as you will save the £19 fee for the dongle.

Vodafone has undercut its closest 12 month-offering rival Orange, which has the same data cap and free dongle deal costing £18 monthly. Orange gives you the option to upgrade the USB dongle to a premium edition that comes with a free microSD memory card and the claim of offering a better connection, but you will have to pay £20 for the privilege.

By looking at these latest deals it is easy to see how much mobile broadband prices have fallen over the last year. Data caps have virtually trebled in this lower price bracket and a pay-as-you-go mobile broadband contract is nearly as attractive from a financial point of view as a fixed term option.

Simple Broadband’s Communications Manager Simon Gerrard added “Vodafone now offers its users some of the most competitive mobile broadband packages out there, along with fast download speeds.”

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.”

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.

The Ford motor company has produced a new and unique system for its range of future vehicles which integrates mobile broadband to create a broadband connection for drivers wherever they roam.

The SYNC system is one of the most advanced communications systems as yet to be installed in a car, capable of using a 3G mobile broadband receiver to connect the vehicle to the internet. In addition the SYNC system will broadcast a Wi-Fi signal, producing a wireless hotspot on wheels.

Obvious applications of mobile broadband whilst driving include the ability to receive live traffic updates, as well as accessing entertainment functions including music and video streaming to keep the driver informed and the kids happy.

The mobile broadband connection will also allow the driver to make voice calls without needing a mobile phone with them and when stationary they should also be able to browse the internet, check emails and even instant message.

The SYNC system has avoided the one major pitfall which it could have faced by allowing users to plug in their own mobile broadband dongles to get connected, rather than tethering them to a single provider with an expensive built-in connection.

Ford President Mark Fields spoke of the conveniences that the SYNC system would offer. He gave the example of a family driving to a grandparents house, with one parent at the wheel whilst the other shopped online for the groceries and the kids were kept busy by talking to their pals online.

The SYNC system will be made available to customers in the US purchasing new vehicles some time in 2010, although news of its migration to the UK is not yet forthcoming.

Simple Broadband’s Communications Manager Simon Gerrard added “this is a very interesting development from Ford and once SYNC is available in the UK, we should expect that a Vodafone mobile broadband USB dongle could be used to get online whilst on the road.”

Industry regulator Ofcom has revealed figures which show that the price of broadband in the UK is considerably lower than in the majority of other nations around the world.

The recent report analysed figures from various developed nations including Germany and Italy, identifying that the cost of most digital TV, home phone, broadband and mobile services is lower in the UK than anywhere else.

The figures concluded that a family of four in the UK could pay as little as £108 for mobile phones, broadband, home phone and TV packages to cover the entire household. This includes an 8Mbps broadband connection and mobile phones for every member of the family.

Deals covering all of these services in a bundle, which is usually the cheapest way in which families can pay for them, would cost customers in Italy 28 per cent more. In terms of value, Italy is the UK’s closest rival, although the gap in average prices is significant.

Ofcom’s CEO Ed Richards indicated that the low price of broadband in the UK was due to a highly competitive market. With BT broadband deals and bundles competing with comparable packages from Virgin Media and Tiscali, prices are likely to stay low and continue to fall in the UK over the coming months.

Mr Richards also cited innovation within the UK broadband industry as key to its continued success and the wide availability of digital services despite recent criticism of government plans for the future.

In other research from Ofcom, it was discovered that over 35 per cent of all UK households take advantage of BT broadband deals or similar in order to receive additional services including home phone and digital TV from a single provider.

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.