Part of the Telefonica group, O2 has become one of the biggest telecommunication companies in the globe. It did offer a standalone fixed broadband service, offering up to 16MBs.
However, the O2 broadband service is now a part of Sky, so when looking for fixed line O2 broadband, you’ll be directed to the Sky broadband website.
One thing the company does still offer however is an impressive range of mobile broadband options. They come with a range of exclusive benefits and there’s a package to suit everyone. So how has O2 broadband services changed over the years and what can you expect from its mobile broadband services?
A brief history
It was in June 2006 when O2 bought the Be Un Limited internet service provider at a cost of £50 million. It kept the brand, though expanded into its own O2-branded service in October 2007.
Its broadband service continued to grow and in June 2011, the company even announced a brand new fibre optic service that rivalled BT Infinity. For a while O2 was one of the leading fixed line broadband providers on the market.
It was in March 2013, that BskyB made an agreement to buy the broadband and fixed telephone line services from Telefonica. The company paid £180 million up front and then £20 million once all of the O2 and BE broadband and telephone customers were transferred over. The actual approval required for the transaction by the Office of Fair Trading was given in May 2013.
So the fixed line broadband O2 was once famous for is now part of Sky. However, its mobile broadband services are still extremely popular.
O2 mobile broadband facts
The mobile broadband packages available from O2 are designed to help you stay connected while on the move. There are a range of products available to help you do this including:
- O2 Pocket Hotspots
- In-car Wi-Fi
- Dongle
The pocket hotspots are particularly popular as they allow you to connect to O2’s network no matter where you are. It even lets you connect up to 10 devices too so your friends and family can benefit. O2 claims these hotspots don’t just boost your signal, but they also help to save your phone’s battery life too.
The In-Car Wi-Fi service is great for long road trips. You have probably already discovered that as you drive long distances, the internet signal received can be far from reliable. This useful in-car dongle connects to the car’s charger and like the pocket hotspots, is capable of connecting up to 10 devices.
The dongles are great for those who take their laptops travelling with them. Helping you to stay connected to your emails when you don’t have a Wi-Fi signal. They work using a data plan, rather than a Wi-Fi signal. You can choose from pay as you go or pay monthly dongles.
Overall no matter which type of device you’re looking to connect, O2 has something to suit your on-the-move internet needs. Switching away from fixed line broadband has given the company a chance to focus more upon its mobile broadband packages.
