O2's new mobile broadband offer another threat to iPhone?

In October last year I asked whether O2's new data plans took the shine off the iPhone, and I'm back to ask a similar question of O2's new mobile broadband plans.

Yes, O2 has finally jumped on board, as the other major UK mobile operators have, and embraced mobile broadband with the launch of a USB dongle for your notebook PC, and a £20 per month tariff.

Signing up to an 18-month contract gets you the dongle free, otherwise it costs £120 up front.

In addition to accessing the web via the dongle -- which can connect to the web via the fastest available network available and uses a colour-coded panel on the device to show whether it's GPRS, EDGE, 3G or HSDPA -- O2 are offering free access to The Cloud Wi-Fi hotspots.

Though there's a 3GB per month limit on usage, the deal is sounding much like that of the iPhone, at least from the web access point of view. Sure, you don't get texts or voice calls (why would you, on a PC) or the iPhone itself, but if you're simply after mobile Internet access from O2, is this the way to go.

Ultimately, it's not really fair to compare the two products. They're aimed at different users with different primary requirements. It's a shame that O2's terms of service prevent the iPhone from being used as a notebook modem.

O2
(Via PC Pro)

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