3G Wireless - Cool!

We recently discovered 3G in the UK. Welcome to our first roaming blog post. We're driving from Ayr to Culloden today (200 miles) and on a whim, tried our our new wireless connection. What do you know? It works while driving!



Recently, Dan has been known to say things like, "It's nice to have GSRM wireless network connectivity."



Apparently the modem we have works with most networks. It worked right out of the box - no need to set up or install any software. The program we went with is fully pre-paid and you just buy more time when you need it. No contracts - so is perfect for travelers.



Costs:

£49.99 for the wireless modem

£15 for 3gb data



Very cool to finally be connected at a reasonable price.



For reference, the Caravan Club sites in the UK that offer connectivity have been through KeZone. Although we were not restricted on data usage, we found the connections were often flaky and didn't work well. KeZone charges based on time usage and pricing schemes are about as follows (I can't remember the exact pricing for the hourly rates, but this is in the ballpark):

• £5 for 1-hour


• £10 for 4-hours


• £20 for the week.

We like the 3G service - it's fast, fairly affordable and it works. The clerks in the 3G store were friendly and helpful. One note - the bandwidth rates are more expensive when traveling the rest of Europe ... so check your travel plans and rates.

Most programs we've looked at to date require a 2-year contract - which doesn't work well when touring (e.g. services from T-Mobile, Orange, Clearwire, etc.).

Ciao!