The past few years, which some of us spent working from home, have convinced even the last skeptics that remote work is here to stay. Therefore, the question of what mobile internet is best for home use remains relevant. Find out what to consider when choosing.
Remote Work and Mobile Internet – What's Important When Choosing?
Perhaps before 2020, you never worked from home, and your company was reluctant to approve remote work requests. There were additional questions and doubts, chief among them being that you wouldn't be as focused on "the lines" and your work wouldn't be as effective. Video conferences were a novelty from the Jetsons for you, the acronym VPN was associated with the brains in the IT department, and headphones were primarily for listening to music. Then came the day when even the parks were closed, and the search term "mobile internet reviews" topped Google searches. Research by the Polish Economic Institute from 2020 shows that as many as 25 percent of working Poles worked from home at that time1. Due to the pandemic, people from various industries were forced to work from home, but in many companies, remote work had been well-established much earlier. IT employees probably have a lot to say about this. Currently, many people still work in a hybrid model – combining work at the office with home office.
For a home office, a good internet connection will ensure peace of mind. Good, meaning one that allows you comfortable participation in video conferences and ensures your voice doesn't sound like Darth Vader's rasp during a presentation. Thanks to it, you won't suddenly disappear from the screen when your boss is saying the most important sentence in the world. Add to this appropriately fast file upload and download speeds, and the main conditions for choosing mobile internet for remote work will be met. Of course, the ability to watch movies on streaming services will be an added bonus. After all, everyone deserves a short break from daily duties.
What Speed Can Mobile Internet Achieve?
You should adjust the connection speed to your needs. Well, it's no secret that mobile internet won't always operate at maximum speed. A lot depends on coverage and distance from transmitters. Currently, thanks to modern network infrastructure, the differences in connection speed between mobile and wired internet are blurring. Operators advertising 5G LTE networks assure that you will be able to achieve download speeds of up to 600 Mb/s. It's best to read that part of the offer written in small print, as such parameters won't be achievable everywhere you might want to work.
The 4G LTE network, in turn, allows data downloads at speeds of up to 225 Mb/s, which provides considerable comfort during remote work. You can be sure that even at half this value, with upload speeds of 20–30 Mb/s and a stable connection while online, you won't encounter any delays or unpleasant surprises during conversations with colleagues. The transmitters used by Mobile Vikings, so that a Viking like you can work online smoothly, allow for maximum data transfer speeds of up to 300 Mb/s (download) and 20 Mb/s (upload).
How to Use Mobile Internet?
Using LTE mobile internet provides network access through mobile phone transmitters. This means that the service is available throughout the country. So, forget about searching for coverage with your laptop in every corner of your apartment, dear Viking. With LTE mobile internet, you can work in a cafe, on a park bench, or even during a drakkar expedition in the middle of a Mazurian lake, although the video conference quality there probably won't be ideal.
Setting up mobile internet is quick and easy. Zero cables, wires, antennas. All you need is an active SIM card that supports LTE technology. Insert it into a router, connect the device to a power source, and everything should work without a hitch. You can also connect other devices to such a home Wi-Fi network, e.g., a smartphone, TV, or tablet. You can also use your phone as a router. When you choose the internet sharing option, other household members will be able to use it. You can also install the SIM card directly into your laptop or use a modem that connects to the device via a USB port. The lack of additional infrastructure makes mobile internet the least problematic "thing" to move during a relocation. Unlike a washing machine or refrigerator. This is important if your Viking address changes very often.
Which Mobile Internet to Choose?
The most tempting option would be mobile internet without data limits. Such offers can be found on the market, but… Well, as they say, the most important part of a sentence is usually what follows the word "but." In this case, it will be… but after exceeding a specific amount of data per month, you'll still hit a "throttle," meaning a reduction in transfer speed. This is a practice that operators use far too often, so it's worth checking the contract terms for the amount of data at full speed you'll have.
It may also turn out that unlimited data transfer won't be necessary, as a limited data package will be perfectly sufficient for your needs. In that case, you just need to decide on a specific number of GB. At Mobile Vikings, this can be up to 250 GB without any long-term contracts. You can cancel at any time, but you can also top up your account several times a month when you use up your purchased data allowance. You don't have to wait until the package expires. You can connect to the internet via hotspot, a portable router, or an LTE modem connected via USB. The number of gigabytes used can be most quickly found in your operator's app. At Mobile Vikings, you can check it in the Viking App. This will help you better adjust your expectations regarding how many GB and for what price it's worth buying.
1 Every 4th Pole used the opportunity of remote work during the pandemic, https://pie.net.pl/co-4-polak-skorzystal-w-trakcie-pandemii-z-mozliwosci-pracy-zdalnej/, available online: 06.04.2022.
