Mobile broadband falling short of hype

Poor coverage and higher than expected costs frustrating users

Many mobile broadband users feel that the service does not live up to the promises made by mobile providers, a recent poll by O2 has found.

More than 10 per cent of respondents said they felt they were "mis-sold on what it offered", with many also complaining that the coverage levels were exaggerated and that ongoing costs were higher than expected, particularly when accessing data overseas or exceeding data limits.

Around half of those surveyed said that access to Wi-Fi hotspots should be included as part of the deal, and many said they were confused as to which providers offered this and which did not.

Another 13 per cent were frustrated that there was no returns guarantee if the service was not right for them.

"Across the industry there are too many customers whose mobile broadband expectations have been set too high and have then been disappointed," said Peter Rampling, marketing director at O2.

"This is a terrible shame given there are loads of people who are having a great time with mobile broadband."

In response to the findings, O2 has announced that it is revamping its mobile broadband model in a bid to make it easier for users to understand.

For business travellers and other heavy data users a package is being launched that gives customers up to 10GB of data and unlimited Wi-Fi for between £30 and £35 per month, depending on the length of the contract.

O2 is also lowering the cost of its base mobile broadband package to £15 per month, which includes a 3GB data allowance and unlimited Wi-Fi access at O2 hotspots.

The company is offering a 50-day return policy on packages bought directly from O2 and a new postcode-based coverage checker. Furthermore, international roaming will not be automatically enabled for all new customers – those that wish to activate it will need to contact O2's customer service department so that they can explain the likely costs.