Mobile broadband dongles booming in popularity

Mobile
broadband via dongle is booming after leading mobile operator 3 announced that it has sold over one million of the devices.

The mobile provider revealed that it has sold the internet devices to customers in the UK, Ireland, Sweden, Italy, Denmark and Austria.

As easily transportable wireless 3G internet devices, the dongles have proved popular by enabling mobilebroadband internet access almost anywhere in the world.

Launched 18 months ago, 3's mobilebroadband service via dongle is claimed to offer speeds of up to 3.6Mbps.

Ben Wood, of telecoms research group CCS Insight, told the Times: "As these mobile packages and speeds get good enough people will be starting to say 'hang on a minute, why do I need a landline again?'"

Fashion designer Henry Holland recently created a special-edition dongle for mobilebroadband provider 02.

Coloured in black and white with HOH in blue letters, the dongles can provide pay-as-you-go mobilebroadband at around 3.6Mbps.