Network connectivity has become the cornerstone of business continuity. Downtime isn’t an option. Network downtime can have steep costs for both your finances and your reputation. You can improve your network’s resilience by ensuring there is a fallback solution in place if your broadband connection develops a fault. That’s where mobile broadband comes in. The technology has improved greatly over the past few years and there are now dependable, high-speed options available.
How Do Mobile Dongles Work?
Mobile broadband is provided by data-only sims that connect through a router or dongle, similar to how smartphone mobile data works. While the 4G network is generally available across the UK, 5G speeds are becoming more common in major cities, offering faster speeds and lower latency. You can learn more about 5G here.
These mobile dongles can be plugged into a USB port or run off a portable battery. Once powered on and fitted with a data SIM card, these mobile broadband routers can generate a small WiFi field. Just like a regular home or business broadband router, you can connect to a mobile router’s WiFi field using your laptop or other devices.
How Reliable Is Mobile Broadband?
While 4G broadband speeds can be higher, they can be less reliable than fixed broadband lines. You can’t always get the same speeds everywhere. As a result, you need to be aware of the coverage available in your location.
However, the mobile network has grown in recent years, and work has already begun on the construction of the 5G network. This means that coverage and speeds are improving all the time. In many circumstances, 4G mobile broadband outperforms traditional home internet.
What Are The Benefits of Mobile Broadband?
- A Portable Connection
Mobile broadband routers are smaller than a smartphone and can run on batteries. This makes them perfect for team members who are working on the go. - Superior To Public WiFi Hotspots
Anyone who needs to travel for work often knows how frustrating it can be to use public WiFi hotspots. They are normally slow, unreliable, expensive, and often restrict how you can use their data. This is to say nothing of the security risks that come with using an internet connection which somebody else controls. Portable mobile broadband remedies all these issues and supplies a secure, uncensored, and reliable WiFi connection when you’re away from your office. - Faster Than Broadband In Some Areas
Mobile connections are an ideal alternative in locations where fixed-line speeds are slow but there is good 4G coverage. - No Lead Time
There’s no need to wait six weeks or more for their organisation to get connected. Internet network connections can be set up significantly faster with mobile broadband than with standard business broadband or leased lines. There is no need to wait for physical installation as all the infrastructure elements are portable and small enough to be sent in the post. - Perfect For Home Working
Maintaining business operations when offices are closed meant there was a need for different methods of connectivity. Some employees have had to rely on their home broadband connections to do their jobs. However, this can pose a problem as household devices (TVs, game consoles, smart home devices) all compete for limited bandwidth. Mobile broadband gives team members working from home a dedicated internet connection. - A Reliable Backup
Most businesses are unable to trade without an internet connection. Whether it’s processing payments, sending invoices, or ordering stock – almost everything a modern business does needs an internet connection to do it. This is why it’s vital to have a solution to fall back on if your main internet connection suffers an outage. With a mobile broadband dongle, you can have systems reconnected in a few minutes while you wait for your main connection to be restored. Similarly, mobile dongles are a great stopgap to use when you move to a new business premises and are waiting for your broadband line to be installed.
Hopefully, this has been a useful overview of some of the reasons our customers use mobile broadband. While mobile broadband is not generally suitable as a long-term solution for business internet, it is a useful addition to your telecoms technology and in an emergency, having one can be the difference between staying connected or suffering a period of extended downtime. To learn more about business broadband solutions, speak to our team today.
