So there you are. Like a growing number of people you've just got yourself a nice mobile computing deal where for around £30 a month for the next two years you have mobile broadband via a dongle that goes into the nice, shiny (typically not Linux-based) netbook computer that the operator has thrown in.
You know what you get because you're paying, well, so much per Gigabyte per month and yet after the first month you get a rather unpleasant surprise. Namely, a bill. A rather expensive bill at that. How come? You more than likely exceeded download limits that you weren't aware of.
A recent advisory from broadband comparison site Broadband Expert is warning mobile broadband users that they could face huge bills if they exceed their download limits.
It warns that if you exceed your monthly download limit by just 1 Gbyte you could receive a bill for over £200 with some providers.
Broadband Expert quantifies such an amount of data as the equivalent to downloading an episode of Top Gear and Friday Night with Jonathan Ross from BBC iPlayer. (Well that's me in the clear then....)
But the serious point in that exceeding download limits can be a very expensive business.
Broadband Expert says that O2 and 3 charge the most for exceeding download limits at 19.6p and 10p per Mb respectively. Vodafone charges £15 per Gbyte (equivalent of 1.46p per Mb),
Yet Rob Webber, Broadband Expert's Commercial Director, believes its work should not really be seen as a condemnation of sharp practice by 80% of the leading operators. He goes as far as to say that O2 and 3 offer 'excellent value for the light or occasional mobile broadband user' but adds that their policies are 'excessively expensive' for those who may unwittingly go over the limit.
Webber feels that providers should make the information relating to these additional charges more accessible. He says, "whilst many deals may appear to be very closely matched it is important to take excess charges into account, as there can be huge differences between one provider and another...information on run on rates is not always easy to find and not obviously visible on most advertising"
In fairness to the operators, most of them do provide free software with their mobile broadband services to keep track of usage. O2, for example, says Webber, does very clearly communicate these rates on its website even if levies the most expensive charges for exceeding download limits.
But these things are going to happen before users really get used to what is really a new phenomenon. Until then we're going to get stories of people receiving huge bills for going over limits that they didn't think were there or for roaming charges whilst abroad as one Vodafone customer found to his horror.
As ever, always read the small print
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