Unlimited mobile broadband - What options are available?

Unlimited mobile broadband is highly desirable as it allows you to share internet with all of your devices at home or on the move, offering an alternative to home broadband.

However, finding an unlimited mobile broadband plan isn't as easy as you might think. But fear not as we'll run you through all the options to find the right deal for you.

✔ Get Mobile WiFi or HomeFi with unlimited data

The only unlimited mobile broadband plans available are on Three.

There are a few options on the network. Firstly there’s the Huawei E5573bs-322 4G Mobile Wi-Fi, which is a portable, battery-powered device that allows you to get up to 10 devices online simultaneously wherever you are (as long as you have signal on Three).

Alternatively, there is the HomeFi 4G Home Broadband router, which enables you to share internet with up to 32 devices simultaneously. As this is designed for use in the home it’s mains rather than battery powered.

Then there’s also the Huawei AI Cube, which is also designed to replace conventional home broadband, so it needs to be plugged in, but it can get up to 64 devices online at once, offers higher speeds than the devices above and also works as a smart speaker, as it has Amazon Alexa built in.

If you just want a SIM card your options are more limited, as no operators offer data only SIM plans with unlimited data. The highest Data Only plan currently is 50GB with Vodafone, EE and O2. Three offers a good alternative with 40GB of data with Go Binge, which enables you to use Netflix, Apple Music, Snapchat, Deezer, Soundcloud and TV Player without using up your data allowance. The highest Data Only plan currently is 50GB with Vodafone, EE and O2.

Three offers a good alternative with 40GB of data with Go Binge, which enables you to use Netflix, Apple Music, Snapchat, Deezer, Soundcloud and TV Player without using up your data allowance.

iD Mobile, Asda Mobile, GiffGaff, Tesco Mobile, Sky Mobile, Smarty, VOXI, Plusnet Mobile, Ctrl Mobile, Lebara Mobile and FreedomPop don't offer any mobile broadband plans.

✔ Use an unlimited voice SIM in a tablet or dongle

One way to get unlimited mobile broadband is to buy an unlimited voice SIM on Three and use it in a Mobile WiFi device or dongle to tether data to other devices. Three now allows the use of voice SIMs in mobile broadband devices and has no tethering restrictions.

The only thing to consider is you'll need to acquire a dongle or Mobile Wi-Fi dongle seperately and order one of the SIM plans listed in the table below.

GiffGaff, Lycamobile and Virgin Mobile also offer unlimited voice SIMs, but either don't allow you to use them in a tablet or dongle or have restrictions to how much data you can use. Smarty Mobile also has an unlimited data plan but hasn’t published whether it works with tablets and dongles.

Pay Monthly Unlimited Data Plans

	24 Month Contract Unlimited data Unlimited mins Unlimited texts	£20 a month View Deal
	12 Month Contract Unlimited data Unlimited mins Unlimited texts	£22 a month View Deal
	1 Month Contract Unlimited data Unlimited mins Unlimited texts	£26 a month View Deal
Both plans include Tethering, Go Binge, Worldwide Roaming and Wuntu

Pay As You Go Unlimited Data Add-on

	Pay As You Go Unlimited data Unlimited mins Unlimited texts	£35 View Deal
Includes Tethering, Worldwide Roaming and Wuntu

GiffGaff and Virgin are the only other networks to offer unlimited voice SIMs, but don't allow you to use them in a tablet or dongle.

✔ Tether (personal hotspot) your phone to share unlimited data

Another option that effectively delivers unlimited broadband is to use your phone to share data to other devices over a personal Wi-Fi hotspot. Three's unlimited plans, listed above, are suitable as they don't have any tethering restrictions.

This is a great option, but the downside is tethering quickly drains a smartphones battery, so you'll need to keep it plugged in or charge it frequently.

Of the other networks with unlimited data plans, Virgin Mobile and Smarty Mobile also let you tether without restrictions, though note that you have to be a Virgin Media customer to even get unlimited data on that network.

Do you really need unlimited data?

If none of the other solutions are suitable then you might consider if you actually need unlimited data.

If you’re using mobile broadband instead of Wi-Fi at all times then you may eat through 30GB+ of data every month, and if you’re also heavily using it for streaming video and the like then in that case unlimited data might be helpful.

But if you’re using mobile broadband as it’s designed – which is for when you’re out and about, travelling, or having short-term Wi-Fi issues, then even if you use mobile broadband heavily with multiple devices connected you should be fine with a high but not unlimited amount of data.