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Average 4G speeds are the fastest of all UK mobile network providers
Access to 4G+ in select areas, with speeds three times faster than normal 4G
5G already available in more than 60 cities
4G pay monthly plans available on a contract as short as one month
4G roaming included for 48 European countries
External aerial available to boost signal in areas with poor coverage, such as rural regions
Get six months free Amazon Prime Video when you sign up
Possible downsides
No unlimited mobile broadband plans
5G plans are limited to a maximum of 100GB data per month
5G deals require a 24-month contract
Features at a glance
4G speeds average over 30Mb, while you should expect well over 100Mb speeds on 5G - and increasing. Obviously this all depends on coverage and other factors in your area
One, 18 and 24 month contracts available, depending on your choice of plan
Up to 500GB on a 4G plan, and 100GB on 5G. Contracts vary from one month to two years
Support online and via the phone
Inclusive WiFi data on all deals, including coverage on the London Underground
USB dongle and Wi-Fi personal hotspots (including home routers) available
Extra data can be purchased if you need it, and you can also put a cap on your usage to avoid excess charges
Sometimes the best way to get a feel for a broadband provider is to read what those who are already customers think of the service they're receiving. Below are all the reviews we've received for EE Mobile.
Ratings are left by users of our speed test as well as by reviewers. Recent star ratings summarise the last 12 months of ratings or the last 100 placed, whichever is largest.
This company does not care about its customers at all. My EE on a BT 4g hub is constantly on a red network light and only works sporadically . at best it delivers just over 1MBs and at peak times around half a MBs. They admit the local mast is a limited service mast and is hugely suffering from a contention issue , which means too many people are using it. there answer to this is > tough luck ,we can release you from remainder of contract with no penalty if you wish , such a disgraceful attitude form a customer support office.
Satisfaction
1 star
Customer Service
1 star
Speed
1 star
Reliability
1 star
Paul
Scarisbrick
EE Mobile
2023-01-31
Very bad now can't even speak to customer service a proper person cc changing contact in this year they were good bit now rubbish
David
CHELMSFORD
EE Mobile
2023-01-09
Rubbish. It was working decently for maybe 2 months but recently we are getting speeds which are in KB/s. It's a shame too since I really thought this company was good for rural areas.
Don't waste your money with them, we pay £70 a month and have limited data and the service is dreadful along with response times.
Overpriced. Useless.
Reliability
2 stars
Ellis
EE Mobile
2022-11-04
Was such a good sevice upon a time bit unfortunately it has become quite apparent that they do not care about their customers I have had an issue with my services for arround a year had cube engineers, but open reach they say move router to here or there blame others and home equipment ect, they lie to you and give you the wrong information don't trust them. I have phoned them they sent cube engineer out to me and even the engineer said its not the equipment in my home they continue to blame bt open reach for things which that isn't our customers problems it's their problem not mine I refuse to accept the perfectic excuses and I'm not paying for a farari but only get an old clapped out fiesta ee it's about time you started to take responsibility and stop blaming other and stop lieing to you customers please everyone stay away don't be silly find a better supplier and don't pay money to these people if you do you will regret It. Lag, intermittent connections , poor service, lies and day light robbery.
Satisfaction
1 star
Customer Service
1 star
Speed
1 star
Reliability
1 star
Carlos
Devon
EE Mobile
2022-06-06
Decent speeds most of the time. The problem is the customer service. The EE website is atrocious - poorly formatted, confusing, faulty most of the time. Topping up is an absolute nightmare. This month MyEE decided to hide the better-value data add-ons from me, and then they magically reappeared on the app as soon as I bought a different, more expensive pack - scummy! Also, to cancel recurring payments you have to send a text from an EE phone, but there is NO info about what to do if your SIM is in a broadband device - I ended up getting overcharged as a result, had to call helpline just to ask, and was on hold for 2 hours. Overall the broadband itself is fine, but the ridiculous hassle of account management is a dealbreaker for me.
Satisfaction
2 stars
Customer Service
1 star
Speed
3 stars
Reliability
2 stars
Len Lewis
Manchester
EE Mobile
2022-03-12
Absolutely rubbish, had to take Dongal back to shop manager admitted it was faulty sent it away for repair but came back with same problem eating data when I hardly used it. Been to EE shop 3 times and was told to ring 150 because they cannot deal with me, Rang 150 on 2 different occasions & spoke to advisor? who was totally ignorant reapeating same old b******t so still not sorted my issues then they have the audacity to send me a text saying my complaint has been closed.
WHAT A SET OF W*****S
Satisfaction
1 star
Customer Service
1 star
Speed
1 star
Reliability
1 star
Michael Taylor
Barnsley
EE Mobile
2022-02-16
Let me start by saying its not cheap and I life in a block of flats on the 3rd floor and open reach won't put the cables up for fibre so this was my only option. The speed is all over the show from 75mbs down to 3mbs but on average on its low it stays about 6mbs I do a speet test few times a day and it's never at a settle speed. So I'm not to impressed if I'm to be honest with the speed. It's not dumped out at all but only been up for a week. Even tho BT, openreach and now EE are all the same company I would of thought they would be able to sort out fibre as its cheaper and more stable than mobile Internet
Satisfaction
2 stars
Customer Service
4 stars
Reliability
2 stars
Dave
Cambridgeshire
EE Mobile
2021-11-09
After two years of mysery with abysmal download speeeds from the three network,often less than 2Mbps,I purchased an EE data sim and put it in my link archer router,expecting to be disappointed I was amazedwhen it clocked up download speeds between 34/52 Mbps,It's a bit more expensive butworth it to get something that finally works.
Satisfaction
4 stars
Customer Service
4 stars
Speed
4 stars
Reliability
4 stars
Bill
Doncaster
EE Mobile
2021-08-29
Faulty goods.
Not refunding the £35 paid at the start of the contract for the faulty dongal. EE have admitted it to be there fault due to an update issue with the dongal which has stopped it working. EE won't cancel the contract till the dongal is sent back to them but yet what was the £35 I paid, I was told at the begin of the contract that this was for the dongal there for i own the donagl i don't have to send it back to you. I was told they would call me back in 2 weeks to reassess. Told they are doing me a favour not charging me the £250 remaining on my contract if I choose to cancel but yet this whole thing is due to their product being faulty. I wouldnt be canceling if the product the sold me was working. They then refused to send a new dongal out even if the old one is sent back.....fraud. Shocking servic
Satisfaction
1 star
Customer Service
1 star
Speed
4 stars
Reliability
1 star
Adam
Hertfordshire
EE Mobile
2021-06-23
Absolutely dreadful company, been with them 10 years with 5 contracts in total for family & have just cancelled the lot due to their greed & non existent customer service. Used to be the best of a bad bunch, not anymore, they're overpriced, employ consistently rude clueless staff, their Broadband speed is abysmal, mobile Wifi patchy even in London & they now have watertight 'warranties' on everything to get out of replacing faulty goods (out 4g wifi device broke under warranty & they tried to charge us £200 to repair it... They cost £120 new). I'll never deal with them again.
The reviews published on this page are those of the individual authors who have warrantied that they abide by our review guidelines. Reviews are not the opinion of Broadband.co.uk.
Hopefully, holidays are back on the agenda this summer. And do we need them. But whether you're planning a staycation, or have decided to venture abroad, you'll also need Wi-Fi, so you can get local information, stay in touch with the rest of the world, and keep yourself entertained as you travel.
Fortunately, you've got a number of options, and they won't cost you a fortune to use them. Let's take a look at the cheapest ways to get Wi-Fi when you're holiday at home or abroad.
Hotel Wi-Fi
The best way to get Wi-Fi when you're abroad is likely to be through your hotel. Most have it these days, and many hotels and hotel chains offer it for free, sometimes with the option to upgrade to a faster service.
But you may need to take a precaution.
The rule when it comes to any public Wi-Fi service is that a password protected connection is better than something that's fully open, but that's still no guarantee that it's completely secure. This applies equally to your Airbnb rental or airport Wi-Fi as it does to hotels.
You don't need to worry about this if you're only doing some casual browsing. But if you're planning to log in to sensitive sites like your bank account, then you should set up and install a VPN first. This ensures your connection and data are fully encrypted. Alternatively, you could just use your phone and its data connection for these tasks, so that you bypass the Wi-Fi altogether.
Hotel Wi-Fi can vary quite a lot in terms of performance. Some may or may not be very good, and you might find that some bandwidth-heavy services like Netflix are blocked. If you have the chance to upgrade to a faster service then that would be the best way to use these types of sites, but keep in mind that you'll likely be paying for 24 hours of access, so the fees could rack up over the course of your stay.
Mobile broadband
Another good option for getting Wi-Fi at home or abroad is through a mobile broadband service from providers like Virgin Mobile, EE, O2, Vodafone and Three.
These use the 4G or 5G phone network to give you internet access through a personal mobile router to which you can connect all your devices. You can also use it with a dongle connected to your laptop, or on a SIM-enabled iPad, although both of these options make it a little harder to share your connection with your other gadgets.
Mobile providers haven't reintroduced roaming charges post-Brexit, so you can use your mobile broadband allowance in many other countries. You should check where before your sign up - coverage is mostly for EU countries, so if you're heading further afield the price may be prohibitively expensive.
Even within the EU you might have fair usage limitations placed on some packages. And, of course, you'll be reliant on mobile coverage wherever you are. Head off for a city break and you'll be fine; go camping in the countryside and you might want to check the coverage maps for the area first.
Staying in the UK? You can use our Signalchecker service to check mobile phone coverage throughout the country.
Your phone's plan
Don't forget also that iPhones and Android phones can be set up as wireless hotspots, enabling you to get your laptop or tablet online wherever you are.
You'll find the option in Settings > Personal Hotspot on most iPhones, and on most Android phones you'll find it by swiping down twice from the top of the screen to open the Quick Settings panel, then tapping the Hotspot or Mobile Hotspot option.
Using your phone as a hotspot works in the same way as a separate mobile broadband plan, and can be a good option if you've got a decent data allowance. You'll get the same coverage without roaming charges across the EU, but will have to pay a lot more elsewhere. In either case, keep an eye on your data use. You'll have to buy top-ups in advance if you overshoot what your plan allows.
There may be other restrictions, too. If you've got an unlimited plan, check that it allows for tethering (connecting devices via the hotspot feature), and note that there may be a fair use policy in place.
Any one of these methods, or a combination, could be right for you. If you decide that you want the security and flexibility of a personal Wi-Fi system, check out the best mobile broadband deals available right now.
Fast, reliable broadband is a must-have for any student house. And given that it can take a couple of weeks to set up, it's one of the first things you'll want to get sorted when you move in for the new term.
If you haven't signed up for your own broadband package before, we'll tackle some of the questions you might have here.
It's all pretty straightforward, but as a student you won't have quite as many options as everyone else. Contract length is absolutely vital - you don't want to be saddled with a long term deal that you have to keep paying for during the summer holidays or beyond.
And with all the corona-driven uncertainty this year, flexibility is more important than ever. Let's take a look at some of the things you need to know.
What speed do you need?
Your usage is probably going to be pretty high, so the fibre deals in the 60-67Mb average speed range should be your starting point.
You might get away with one of the slower fibre packages if there's only two people in your house, but in most cases the extra speed will be worth more than the fiver or so difference in price.
Faster is always better, of course, and you might be lucky enough to be living in an area where you can get speeds over 100Mb - and sometimes quite a lot more. These might come from the normal fibre providers like BT or Sky, from Virgin Media, or in 5G areas through the likes of EE and Three. Just make sure you keep an eye on the contract length and any setup fees for these faster deals.
What length contract should you get?
Short contracts are key for student broadband, so don't even consider those that need an 18 or 24 month commitment.
12 months is the longest you should go for, but even then you'll end up with quite an overlap with the summer break where you're still paying for your internet while you're hitting the beaches in Spain. Don't rule these out entirely, though, as they might still work out cheaper than a shorter option.
BT offer a few nine month deals that align much better with your term time. Some broadband suppliers, including NOW Broadband and Virgin Media, also offer 30-day rolling contracts that you can cancel at any time. These are best for zero-commitment broadband, but they do often come with significant setup fees. Be sure to factor that in when you're comparing prices.
Do you need any extras?
If Netflix isn't enough and you want a bit of sports action or some more of the latest US shows, you can save some money by adding a pay TV plan to you broadband deal. You won't be able to do this through Sky, as they only offer TV on an 18 month contract, but you can get 30-day deals on NOW TV streaming with NOW Broadband.
For any overseas students in your house, consider adding a call plan with support for cheap international calls.
Who pays the bill?
Even though you'll be splitting the bill with all your housemates, one of you is going to have put their name on the contract. It will be their responsibility. This is one of the reasons why you don't want to sign up to anything longer than 12 months, tops. You don't want to be stuck paying your broadband bill long after your housemates have moved on.
It's a good idea to assign each one of your utilities to a different person in your household so you share the risk. To help manage bills you can also look into setting up a shared bank account across the household, or take a look at apps like Splitwise that make it easier to see who owes what.
Best broadband deals for students
So, what student broadband deal should you choose?
BT offer three plans specifically for students. They're nine month deals, with speeds ranging from 36Mb to 67Mb. You can add a Sports or Entertainment TV package, as well as call plans including cheap international calls to 236 countries.
For one month contracts, you've got two main choices:
NOW Broadband - speeds range from a sedate 11Mb (don't bother!) to a much more suitable 63Mb, with the option to add streaming TV plans as well. All of them come with a £65 upfront fee.
Virgin Media - speeds on the 30-day plans range from around 54Mb all the way up to over 500Mb. Many setup fees have been waived on the 1 month rolling contracts that are specifically for students, but bear in mind that installation takes longer if your house hasn't had Virgin before.
Your other options are for 12 month contracts. When you add in the setup fees and slightly higher prices for short deals, these year-long plans may still end up being competitive, even though you'll still be paying in July and August when you don't need it. Among your best options here are:
John Lewis Broadband - speeds go up to an average 66Mb, with no activation fee, and usually include an e-gift card as a bonus.
Plusnet - speeds up to 66Mb, with just a £10 activation fee. You also get the option to add BT Sport - with Premier League and Champions League football - after you've signed up.
And there's one last thing to consider - broadband over 4G or 5G. This won't be right for everyone: 4G speeds are better for one or two users rather than a large, heavy-use household, and though 5G is blazing fast it still has very patchy coverage. If you're in the right part of London, Three's 5G Home Unlimited plans look good, and include a 12 month option. Find more great mobile broadband deals here.
Ready to start shopping for student broadband? Use our postcode checker to compare the best broadband deals available in your area today.
EE Mobile Broadband Buyers Guide - Is EE Mobile right for you?
Can I get EE Mobile broadband?
EE, now owned by BT, is the largest mobile network in the UK. They have the widest 4G coverage, and were the first to launch 5G in this country.
EE's 4G network covers over 84% of the UK, which amounts to around 99% of the population. Some rural areas may have slightly slower speeds than elsewhere, and some may get better coverage outdoors than indoors. But for most people, EE mobile broadband will be available.
As of January 2020, our Speed Test survey showed that EE's 4G network delivered an average speed of nearly 31Mb. This is the fastest of all UK mobile networks, and faster even than most fibre broadband providers.
EE also offer 5G mobile broadband in more than 60 cities and towns across the country, with the number expected to grow regularly over the next few years.
Can I get 5G on EE?
5G is available through EE in more than 60 cities and large towns, with more to be added throughout 2020.
The cities where 5G is currently available include London, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Belfast, Manchester, Cardiff, Chelmsford, Bristol, Coventry, Leicester, Liverpool, Glasgow, Hull, Leeds, Lichfield, Lisburn, Newcastle, Nottingham, Salford, Sheffield, Sunderland, Wakefield and Wolverhampton.
The towns where you can get 5G through EE include Ashton-under-Lyne, Castlereagh, Chatham, Cheshunt, Clifton (Notts), Clydebank, Dartford, Dinnington, Dudley, Gillingham, Grays, Guildford, Hamilton, Harlow, Hoddesdon, Huddersfield, Kimberley, Kingston-upon-Thames, Loughborough, Loughton, Maidstone, Milnrow, Northampton, Oldham, Potters Bar, Rochdale, Rochester, Romford, Rotherham, Rugeley (West Midlands), Solihull, Stevenage, Sutton Coldfield, Swadlincote, Sydenham, Walsall, Watford and West Bromwich.
The rollout will continue through 2020, extending to places like Aberdeen, Derby, Southampton among many others.
Coverage isn't universal in the towns and cities where it is available. Central areas are more likely to get 5G, with the outskirts and suburbs less likely to be covered until later. And even where you can get it you might find it's a weak signal, or only available outdoors. Make sure you check on a coverage map to see what kind of performance you can get where you are (or plan to use it) before you sign up.
EE have also launched 5G in several busy areas, including large train stations and tourist hotspots.
What 5G mobile broadband deals are available?
EE currently offer one 5G mobile broadband device, with a choice of two plans. They don't have any 5G SIM-only plans - those are restricted to 4G right now.
EE's 5G mobile broadband deals come with the HTC 5G Hub. This cutting edge AD-rated router allows you to connect up to 20 devices at once. It has a large 7660mAh battery, so is ideal for use on the road, although you can of course keep it plugged in at home, too.
There are two 5G mobile broadband plans on EE:
50GB, on a 24-month contract, priced at £50 a month plus a £100 upfront charge
100GB, on a 24-month contract, for £75 a month plus a £100 upfront charge
In both cases you'll be charged extra for usage outside of your contract terms. You can choose to put a cap on this to ensure you don't rack up unexpectedly large extra fees.
What other EE mobile broadband deals can I get?
The 4G mobile broadband plans on EE include deals with routers as well as SIM-only options if you're providing your own hardware.
EE's main mobile broadband deals revolve around four hardware products, each with a choice of anywhere between three and nine data plans.
4GEE Home Router: specifically designed for use in the home, and supporting up to 32 connected devices. Available with a choice of nine plans: 18-month deals ranging from 100GB to 500GB of data with no upfront cost, or 1-month deals from 50GB to 500GB of data and a £100 upfront fee.
4GEE WiFi Mini: for mobile use, the Mini supports up to 20 devices at once. Available on five plans: 24-month deals with 5GB or 30GB of data and no upfront fee, or 1-month deals with 5GB to 30GB of data and £40 upfront.
4GEE WiFi: Very similar to the Mini, and a similar size - it's heavier, though, to accommodate a battery twice the capacity. Available on six plans: 24-month contracts with 5GB or 30GB of data and a £30 upfront cost, or 1-month deals with 5GB to 50GB of data and an £80 upfront charge.
Netgear Nighthawk M2: A touchscreen-equipped portable router that promises all day battery life. Comes with your choice of three plans: 24-month deals with 30GB or 50GB of data and £100 upfront cost, or a one month deal with 30GB of data and £150 upfront cost.
If you'd prefer to get your mobile broadband on a pay-as-you-go plan without any commitment, you can. The Home Router, WiFi and WiFi Mini are all available in this way. Prices vary depending on how much data you want, but they start at £59.99.
Already got your own router or dongle, or want to add 4G to your tablet? You can get up to 50GB of data on SIM-only deals lasting one month or 24 months. The relatively low allowance marks these out as being for people who work on the go, rather than as alternative to a fibre or similar broadband service.
Should I choose 5G or 4G mobile broadband from EE?
5G is better than 4G - or at least it will be once it becomes more widely available. Does that mean it's right for you right now?
The main benefit of 5G is its speed. It's at least three or four times faster than 4G right now - meaning faster downloads, smoother streaming (especially at 4K resolution), and the ability to connect and use more devices at the same time without any slowdown. However, faster speeds also mean you're likely to burn through your data allowance a lot quicker than you would on 4G. That allowance on EE's 5G plans currently max out at 100GB - that'll get you about 14 hours of 4K streaming on Netflix.
5G is also good for low latency connections, which is essential for online gaming. Coverage issues notwithstanding, you're likely to find 5G better than 4G for gaming. Again, though, keep an eye on how much data you're using - EE's allowances aren't suited to downloading large games, game updates, or console updates.
Coverage is another factor. 5G areas are limited right now. Coverage can be patchy even within a single town, and performance can vary depending on whether you're indoors or outdoors. If you sign up to 5G and find yourself in an area without any coverage you won't be left without a signal, you'll simply switch to 4G instead. Given the hefty price difference between the two, you won't want this to happen too often, though. And, no, if you get a 4G plan and find yourself in a 5G area, you won't magically be upgraded to the faster service.
Ultimately, your choice depends on what you intend to use your mobile broadband service for. Out of all EE's plans, only the 4GEE Home Router product is really suitable as a home broadband replacement, and even then the 500GB upper limit on data means it's best for lighter users.
