Three Business mobile broadband

The Three Business mobile broadband range

Three Business uses its mobile network to provide internet in three main forms:

• Mobile Broadband (MiFi). A portable, battery-powered hub with a data SIM inside. It creates a Wi-Fi network for laptops, tablets and phones wherever there is Three Business signal.
• 5G Business Broadband. A hub that plugs in at your premises and provides Wi-Fi for the building over 5G, with no landline or engineer.
• eero mesh Wi-Fi. A mesh Wi-Fi system that connects to the 5G Business Broadband hub to extend coverage across a workspace.

Three Business also sells data SIMs for tablets, laptops and routers; see Three Business data SIMs. For the wider picture across networks, see mobile broadband for business.

MiFi for working on the move

Three Business says MiFi, mobile Wi-Fi and portable Wi-Fi are all names for the same thing: mobile broadband from a small hub that shares a data SIM's connection over Wi-Fi.

Three Business describes its MiFi hubs as lightweight and roughly the size of a phone, holding their charge for up to eight hours, and says a mobile broadband hub can connect up to 32 devices. In practice, the more devices actively using the connection, the more each one slows down, so most businesses give a MiFi to a small team or a single role.

MiFi suits:

• Hybrid and travelling staff who need internet in hotels, trains and customers' sites
• Events, exhibitions and pop-up sales points
• Temporary access while a fixed line is being installed
• A spare connection the office can grab when the main line is down

Mobile broadband data plans can also be used in Go Roam destinations on Three Business's roaming terms, which we confirm at quote. See Three Business roaming.

Three's small print: "Unlimited data, minutes and texts are UK only, our fair use policies apply in Go Roam destinations."

5G Business Broadband for premises

5G Business Broadband is Three Business's fixed wireless access product: internet for your premises over the mobile network instead of fibre. You insert the SIM that comes with the hub, plug the hub in and connect. There is no landline and no engineer visit.

Points from Three Business's own guidance that are worth knowing before you buy:

• Placement matters. The hub shows signal strength with lights on the front. Three Business suggests trying a few windowsills to find the strongest signal and avoiding walls, doors and other obstacles.
• 4G areas move to 5G automatically. You can buy in an area with 4G only, and the hub connects to 5G when it becomes available.
• Devices. Three Business says up to 30 devices can connect to the hub, with speeds affected as more devices are active.
• Static IP when you need one. If you need a static IP address for a VPN or remote access allow-list, we can pair the hub with a fixed line that carries one.
• Moving premises. You can take the hub to a new address, as long as it is within coverage.
• Run it alongside your current line. You can run the hub alongside your existing broadband and cancel the old service when you are happy.
• Guest Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Calling. The hub supports a separate guest network, and phones can use Wi-Fi Calling over it.
• Built for your premises. Three Business says Business Broadband is a UK service designed for use at your business premises.

Three Business positions it as a back-up connection, as Wi-Fi for multiple devices and guests, and for sites without fibre such as remote locations, temporary offices and building sites. Where you also want a fixed line, we can supply that too; see Forever Group's business connectivity pages and our guide to 5G business broadband.

Three's small print: "Subject to coverage. Performance may vary." "Remember that 4G speeds are not as fast as 5G, and may compare differently to fibre speeds."

eero mesh Wi-Fi

A single router rarely covers a whole building well. Three Business offers eero, a Wi-Fi mesh system, to work with its 5G Business Broadband hub. One eero connects to the hub, and a second eero placed where Wi-Fi is weakest creates the mesh. All the eero units share one network name and password, and traffic is rerouted if one unit fails.

Three Business lists these eero features for business:

• The eero app for set-up, network information, filters and notifications from anywhere
• Guest Wi-Fi with a separate network name, shared with customers by QR code
• eero Secure, active threat and malware protection
• Blocking sites, apps and ads that you choose

Mesh Wi-Fi is worth it when staff complain about dead spots in parts of the building, or when a shop or café wants good Wi-Fi for customers without sharing the main password.

Which Three Business option suits you

This table matches common needs to the Three Business products described above. It compares Three Business's own products, not networks.

If you are unsure, tell us how many people need to connect, where and for how long, and we can recommend an option.

Setting it up well

Wireless broadband works best when it is planned rather than plugged in anywhere. A short checklist:

1. Check the address with Three Business's coverage checker, and look for 5G if you need the higher speeds
2. Try the hub in several places on the first day and leave it where the signal lights are strongest
3. Change the default Wi-Fi name, Wi-Fi password and the hub's admin password
4. Set up a separate guest network for visitors rather than sharing the main password
5. If the connection is a backup, decide how devices will switch over when the main line fails, and test it
6. Set spend caps on any MiFi or data SIM with a data limit, and check usage after the first month
7. Keep your existing broadband running until you are happy with the new connection, then cancel it

For security, treat a mobile broadband connection like any other internet link: keep endpoint protection and updates current on every laptop that connects, and use a VPN for access to company systems. If you need to route traffic privately or allow-list a fixed address, we can pair the hub with a fixed line that carries a static IP.

How we help

We can help you choose between MiFi, data SIMs and 5G Business Broadband, check coverage at your address and set things up. Pricing depends on the product, data and term, so we confirm it at quote. See our main Three Business guide for the wider picture.

Contact us to talk about Three Business mobile broadband.