Broadband via mobile providers?

[v8-powered]

We are due to move home soon and will have to give up our super fast FTTP connection and possibly go back to an Openreach poverty spec FTTC connection which will only give us about 25Mb/s.

Looking at mobile broadband and seems as though we can get LTE+ or 5g, which in theory should give faster speeds. What say the experts on running a biggish home with 4 people though mobile broadband?

[wheelnut]

The answer is, it depends.

If you can get a good 5g signal then it should be plenty fast enough. If you don’t, and drop to 4g then it could be hit and miss.

Also watch out for fair use policies on mobile broadband - some put an acceptable use policy of around 200gb per month which you will soon get through. As 5g becomes more popular for businesses and main home connections, they’re less used though.

[v8-powered]

Where we are moving to should have decent 4g+ but no 5g yet.
Supplier we are looking at is true unlimited (my wife and I both use them for our work phones, caning the data!)

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I've been working on an industrial 5G solution using an Ericsson core, I can't say it's a massive improvement over 4G, it's measurably faster and has higher throughput, but not as reliable as 4G.

[v8-powered]

I've been working on an industrial 5G solution using an Ericsson core, I can't say it's a massive improvement over 4G, it's measurably faster and has higher throughput, but not as reliable as 4G.

Seems to be the way to go. Before Virgin dropped in FTTP in our village we had to use a company (County Broadband) that transmitted via radio to the properties and was flakey to say the least.
Think the mobile companies upping their game to bring quick broadband to otherwise poor coverage areas is a good thing.
The village we are moving to open has FTTC so of we want something better it will be mobile for the foreseeable.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

For rural areas 4G or 5G is a cost effective (for the provider) solution, though I doubt if 5G will be available in the near future because the cell size is a lot smaller than 4G, if I were providing internet to rural areas I'd use 4G and 5G nodes at each site, and sell it as a 5G service knowing that the 5G would only be available close to the mode site.

Digging up roads to lay fibre to rural houses is hideously expensive.

[Cousin Jack]

For rural areas 4G or 5G is a cost effective (for the provider) solution, though I doubt if 5G will be available in the near future because the cell size is a lot smaller than 4G, if I were providing internet to rural areas I'd use 4G and 5G nodes at each site, and sell it as a 5G service knowing that the 5G would only be available close to the mode site.

Digging up roads to lay fibre to rural houses is hideously expensive.

Some of us struggle to get service, never mind 4G/5G. We are on the 'best' local network, so our mobiles usually work upstairs for voice, at least when it is not too busy. When it is busy texts can be delayed for minutes or even hours. Several neighbours cannot get reception indoors and are often seen standing in the middle of the car park holding a phone. All network providers are interested in is % coverage, if you are part of the small % they don't reach, tough shit. Forgive me if I don't get excited about 5G - it will probably reach me in 2050.

[wheelnut]

We’ve just had Youfibre fttp put in to replace virgin. Virgin was ok but expensive. 100/10 mb was £60 pm including the phone line.

Youfibre is 500/500 and £30 per month. Been in 3 weeks or so and so far so good.

We lose the landline but I’m going to port our number across to a virtual number so I can still get spam calls from ‘Microsoft’

[Zimbo]

I'm running my home on a 4g+ router, laptops iPads and phones plus sky, smart home etc, and it copes pretty well (Smarty SIM card). Occasionally at peak times sky online programmes are slow to load but otherwise it's fine. I reckon a directional. booster antenna mounted outside for the router would probably improve it if I could be bothered ...

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

An antenna wouldn't make any difference unless you've got a really shit signal, your bottle neck is the 4G connection, 4G nodes are designed to work with the antenna in a phone, they will drop to 3G if the signal is weak. Your bigger problem will be how many devices are connected to the cell, and how much data they're using, get too many and the cell will start dropping devices on it's extremities.

[mangocrazy]

When we're at the gaff in France I use a Huawei mobile hotspot along with a giffgaff SIM to get rudimentary internet access. We're in a poor signal location and we're very dependent on atmospherics to get a viable signal. The hotspot is nominally 4G dropping down to 3.5G, 3G and even 2G on occasions. Sometimes it can take minutes to even get the Google home page up. I'm thinking of buying a Poynting MIMO antenna to improve signal quality.

Is this a smart move or would I be wasting my dosh?

[Rockburner]

Pissed now. But we're on 4g. With EE. Works ok, with occasional dropouts. Will post more details on Monday when sober.

[Mussels]

When we're at the gaff in France I use a Huawei mobile hotspot along with a giffgaff SIM to get rudimentary internet access. We're in a poor signal location and we're very dependent on atmospherics to get a viable signal. The hotspot is nominally 4G dropping down to 3.5G, 3G and even 2G on occasions. Sometimes it can take minutes to even get the Google home page up. I'm thinking of buying a Poynting MIMO antenna to improve signal quality.

Is this a smart move or would I be wasting my dosh?

It's probably worth a try, radio equipment is heavily restricted by law but if you can get a directional antenna then it should be better. As always you may also find it makes things worse, if the transmitter it points to is degraded for any reason then your hotspot can't switch to one in another direction.
Is it indoors? You'll get an instant improvement by mounting it high up outside so there are fewer obstructions between it and the cell tower.

[mangocrazy]

When we're at the gaff in France I use a Huawei mobile hotspot along with a giffgaff SIM to get rudimentary internet access. We're in a poor signal location and we're very dependent on atmospherics to get a viable signal. The hotspot is nominally 4G dropping down to 3.5G, 3G and even 2G on occasions. Sometimes it can take minutes to even get the Google home page up. I'm thinking of buying a Poynting MIMO antenna to improve signal quality.

Is this a smart move or would I be wasting my dosh?

It's probably worth a try, radio equipment is heavily restricted by law but if you can get a directional antenna then it should be better. As always you may also find it makes things worse, if the transmitter it points to is degraded for any reason then your hotspot can't switch to one in another direction.
Is it indoors? You'll get an instant improvement by mounting it high up outside so there are fewer obstructions between it and the cell tower.

Thanks. I think I will probably give it a try. At present I'm not using any antennas with the hotspot, which is inside but is close to the 1st floor balcony. I'm thinking of placing the antenna on the outside wall of the house on a pole so it can be rotated for best results. I'm also trying to track down a SIM provider that can improve on the seriously meagre monthly data allowance of 20Gb that I get with Giffgaff - at a sensible price, of course.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Have a look at Three sims (yes I sort of work for them) I think there's an unlimited sim for about £15 a month with a 12 month contract.

[MrLongbeard]

I'm also trying to track down a SIM provider that can improve on the seriously meagre monthly data allowance of 20Gb that I get with Giffgaff - at a sensible price, of course.

20 quid for unlimited data https://smarty.co.uk/plans/unlimited
Not a recommendation, another fella is using them on another forum I frequent

[mangocrazy]

I ought to mention that I'm using this SIM abroad (in France), so roaming restrictions apply, and I'm not interested in anything involving a contract. I'll be looking at what offerings French telecoms providers can come up with.