Broadband on the move

OK - we all love our high-speed Broadband access, but what about if we want fast surfing on the move?

Here, we look at high-speed Internet from a laptop or mobile...

Mobile Phones

One of the easier ways to do some high-speed surfing, is on a phone that has built-in 3G access - these offer fast surfing, and on some networks, data access is included as part of your package. The downside? Small screens, and small keyboards.

Pictured here is the o2 Stellar, which is a Windows Mobile device with 3G access, built-in SatNav, and a full QWERTY keyboard - ideal for someone keen on fast access without having to lug a laptop around. Available free on some of the more pricey tariffs at o2.co.uk

High Speed Internet access is available on phones from Vodafone, o2, T-Mobile, Orange, 3 and Virgin Mobile

Broadband USB Modems

Got a laptop? With a fairly small outlay, you can get a mobile broadband modem that plugs into your laptop's USB port, and gives you high-speed data access, using the 3G mobile phone network.

This is a pretty straightforward offering. You take out a contract with one of the UK networks offering mobile broadband, and they give you a dongle to plug into a spare port on your laptop. Pictured to the right, is T-Mobile's little USB modem, supplied as part of their Web ' n' Walk package. Here's a look at what's on offer from the UK's mobile phone providers:

Your Mobile as a Modem

If you're a little bit techy, you might find that you can use your existing mobile phone as a data modem.

Many phones allow you to connect to a PC or Mac for data sync and backup. Some of them also can be used as data modems, to provide high-speed access to a connected laptop or desktop computer. You'll typically connect using a USB cable or Bluetooth, then set up your laptop's Internet connection to use the attached mobile phone.

In many cases, you'll need to installa USB modem driver, which can either be found on the CD that came with your mobile,or is available as a download from the phone manufacturer's site.

Wireless Hotspots

If your laptop, PDA or mobile phone has wi-fi built-in, you'll be able to make use of the growing number of public wi-fi hotspots that are springing up in coffee shops, fast food restaurants, airports, shopping centres and even on trains. I

The downside is that there aren't that many hotspots around, and access isn't always cheap. If you've got BT Total Broadband , note that you get free minutes on BT's Openzone, which may be handy for occasional surfers. See our Wi-fi page for more on wireless connectivity.