By definition, an unlimited mobile broadband deal will allow you to use an unlimited amount of data transfer whilst using the web without being charged extra fees for excess use. In reality, although a deal may be marketed as “unlimited” it may not have the exact definition that you may assume because in terms of mobile broadband, every deal that is marketed as unlimited on the market today is subject to a fair use policy.

It could be argued that marketing an offer as unlimited when in fact it is subject to a fair use policy which may curtail use is slightly misleading, however, even though there are fair use policies involved, unlimited mobile broadband still represents a very good deal for users that will be online a lot or may have varying usage patterns from month to month. For example, an unlimited broadband deal is a good option if your monthly broadband usage sometimes fluctuates because you would not be subject to penalty charges for exceeding a capped amount of data transfer as would be the case if you took out a standard mobile broadband contract. Fees for extra gigabytes can run to several pounds so it is best avoided wherever possible – this is where the unlimited contract is a real benefit.

There are currently only two mobile broadband providers in the UK that offer unlimited mobile broadband; these being Orange and T-Mobile, which now run on the same 3G network after the recent merger of the two companies. For details see our Orange unlimited mobile broadband review and our T-Mobile unlimited mobile broadband review.

It is certainly a good idea to do your research and read the fine print when evaluating an unlimited mobile broadband deal because what one company deems to be “unlimited” can be wildly different to another company (even when they are both owned by the same parent company). For example, between Orange and T-Mobile there are mobile broadband contracts and pay as you go mobile broadband deals that are marketed as unlimited, but have fair use polices that range from 2GB per month, 3GB per month and 20GB per month so definitely read the small print and take a look at our Orange unlimited mobile broadband and T-Mobile unlimited mobile broadband reviews.