Mobile broadband and 3G is more important than ever in our wireless-loving times, and being able to jump online quickly to update your blog or check out the news is a must. And it’s a must for Etisalat too, its been pushing out its mobile broadband via 3G dongles for a while now, but we’ve yet to see it widely pick up. That is until the launch of its latest three month mobile deal, that gives you a USB dongle and unlimited data for just US$25 a month (for the three month trial period). But will it give you all-access internet on the go, or does the pain it takes to get set up outweigh its online strengths?

First off – let’s look at the network itself, 3G. With the popularity of smartphones at an all time high, not to mention tablets like the iPad and soon-to-be Asus Eee Pad drawing huge amounts of data, telecom companies have been using HSPA and 3G networks to cope with the strain. This ultra-fast data stream is responsible for all your mobile Tweets and status updates, not to mention sending email and messaging services.

Etisalat’s Mobile Broadband dongle supposedly gives you access to this super-speedy mobile data network from anywhere, slotting into your netbook, laptop or even desktop (but what would be the point of that) and piping out internet at broadband-like speeds. According to our friendly telecoms provider, Etisalat has just upgraded to an HSPA+ network, meaning speeds of up to 21Mbps when downloading and uploads at 11Mbps.

Now that’s great for compatible dongles and mobiles, however the in-box dongle gets you 3.5G (also called HSDPA). Still quite speedy, but hardly at the lightning-fast levels of HSPA+. That said, the dongle gives you decent downloads at 7.2Mbps and good uploads at 5.7Mbps. That’s still faster than most people’s wired connections, so good going Etisalat.

When you register (and it’s a bit of a hassle to get it sorted) you’ll need a post-paid mobile data plan already. If you don’t you’ll need to switch to one, and it’s worth noting that this package won’t work with a BlackBerry plan (so BB users will have to get a new number and SIM card altogether). Turn up with all the required photocopies of passports, letter from your sponsor saying how much money you make and that’s that. You will be issued a brand new data SIM and free 3.5G dongle.

SIM activation takes anything from ten minutes to 24 hours,. If you stick the dongle straight in your laptop and start browsing everything will work fine but you’ll be charged through the roof for your data until Etisalat enables the plan.

Stick the SIM into the dongle, then plug it into your laptop’s USB port and it should auto-install. It worked fine in our tests, on both a MacBook and HP laptop. Once installed, you will be presented by the same screen each time you plug your dongle into the PC, this lets you connect to the network. There are a few LED lights on the dongle itself, these let you know when you are connected. Green lights mean data networks are present and the straight blue means you’re connected via HSDPA.

Depending on what SIM/plan you are using (whether it’s straight data or data and phone) you will also gain access to your SIM-stored address book and the ability to send texts. Click the connect button, and a few seconds later you’re hooked-up to the network. Web browsing is speedy, and YouTube vids are decent considering you can now use your laptop anywhere, even the bath (careful with that one). Download speeds are rather good also, and it seems Etisalat haven’t been throttling or holding back with speed.

During our speed tests, we never hit the 7.2Mbps speeds promised (but then again, most networks promise vastly higher speeds than accurate). We averaged around 2.2Mbps download, and a paltry 0.25Mbps upload. What does that mean? Well, things like Twitter, Facebook and Gmail all handle like a dream. YouTube does well, but can get slightly choppy on HD vids and Skype calling worked fine. There was an issue using Skype video at times (calls can drop and the quality isn’t great) but you’re not supposed to be using Skype in the first place remember, it’s banned.

There are some things that are worth knowing, however. First off, Etisalat promise ‘Unlimited’ data throughout the trial period (and after) but that’s under a fair usage policy. What that means is you’ll get 10GB of data per month. 10GB is a decent amount, and you’ll need to do some serious web video watching or gaming to get through it, but you will be charged if you go any higher. Luckily, the Etisalat app you connect with lets you know how much data you’ve gone through. Also know that if you cancel the plan before your three months is up, you’ll be charged. Heavily. You will need to pay for the remaining months at full price. So that’s just under US$275.

That aside, Etisalat’s mobile broadband package works fine and the dongle is a fine little device. If you need internet on your laptop while out and about, you won’t find better in the UAE.

Stuff says
★★★★★
If you want proper internet when you’re out and about, you won’t find better.

Tech specs

Price US$free, then US$25pm (after trial US$110pm)
Connections USB
Connectivity HDSPA, EDGE

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