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May 28, 2009

Virgin Media named best mobile broadband provider

Vodafone runner-up in Broadband Genie test

Carrie-Ann Skinner

Virgin Media has been named the best mobile broadband provider by Broadband Genie.

The broadband website tracked the service coverage and speeds using dongles from the six biggest mobile broadband providers in the UK on a train journey from Cambridge to Bournemouth via London's Kings Cross.

During the journey the testers put the dongles through their paces performing tasks that consumers use mobile broadband dongles for every day, such as web surfing, using music-streaming service Spotify and watching TV on demand via the BBC's iPlayer.

Virgin Media performed best in the tests closely followed by Vodafone.

"They completed the majority of challenges and maintaining reasonable average upload and download speeds throughout. However, both still suffered disconnects and long periods of downtime in rural locations," said Broadband Genie editor Chris Marling.

"Mobile broadband has come a long way in a short time, but consumers need to be aware of its limitations. We feel the service is often oversold, which can leave customers disillusioned and likely to turn their back on mobile broadband," Marling added

Take part in PC Advisor's Broadband survey 2009

See also: Virgin to add 500,000 buildings to cable network

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