Don't Get Stung By Mobile Internet Costs!

Have no idea how much surfing on your mobile phone costs? We clear up the confusion, and give you some handy hints on how you can drive these costs down.

I recently suffered the misfortune of leaving my phone unlocked. Left to its own devices in what can only be described as my Mary Poppins bag, it connected to the internet, leaving me with a raft of charges I had no idea I was accumulating.

The mistake cost me £3.09 in charges. OK, that's not exactly going to break the bank, but it's not the first time it's happened, and to say I was cheesed off is somewhat of an understatement.

Now don't get me wrong, I love surfing the net. I shop online, talk to people online, and even bank online, but you have to draw the line somewhere.

After all, I am sat in front of the internet for over a third of each working day, so being unplugged from the information superhighway is a really nice feeling sometimes.

However, the main reason I don't like to surf on my phone is not because I don't want to, but more to do with the fact I have no idea how much it costs.

With charges sometimes scattered across my bill arbitrarily, it's hard to gauge just how much using the internet costs. And, if you don't watch out, surfing from your phone can end up costing you more than you bargained for.

So, let's start off by explaining how much your mobile surfing could add up. Here's what the main six providers offer in terms of daily and monthly internet packages:

The table above illustates how much the network operators charge, but what do these numbers mean? After all, it's all very well knowing the megabytes you get for your money, but how do they translate in real terms?

Well, according to Orange, 1MB of surfing on your mobile is approximately equal to:

• 160 WAP pages
• or viewing 20 web pages
• or downloading 10 games*
• or downloading one high quality music track*
• or sending around 100 short emails each containing up to 100 words
• or sending/downloading up to four video clips

(*additional download charges may apply)

These are only rough estimates, but will help you gauge how much your own surfing habits could cost you. However, if you are worried about going over these limits, you could always opt for an unlimited bundle.

Picking the right package

Unlimited internet bundles already come with some monthly plans, and phones such as the much desired iPhone, Google's G1 and the Blackberry Storm automatically have unlimited internet included.

T-Mobile also has the option of adding its `web `n' walk' service on selected Combi plans. For example, £20 a month gets you 100 minutes, 200 texts and 1GB of monthly data. If you are thinking of joining the 3G generation, it's well worth getting one of these packages to ensure you'll always know what you're paying for when surfing on your mobile.

If none of these tickle your fancy, then you could always add unlimited internet to your existing tariff for a monthly fee, which usually ranges from £5 to £7.50. Some providers even offer free internet access on your phone on selected tariffs.

For example, O2 gives you the option of unlimited web browsing when you choose a pay monthly plan costing £35 a month or more, or a SIM only plan costing above £20 a month. Alternatively, you can add this service to your existing price plan for £7.50 a month.

Unfortunately, `unlimited' rarely means unlimited in terms of mobile surfing, and many companies have fair use policies in place as 'get out of jail free' cards to ensure you don't download more than they want you to.

Alternatively, you could also choose to surf on a `pay as you go basis', with many providers allowing to surf up to a limited amount per day for a fixed fee.

However, don't automatically assume you will be charged this rate by default, as many require you to sign up by phoning or texting a number before you get these reduced rates. So check with your provider before you start surfing.

And finally.

.if having internet on your phone is all too much to bear, you could always turn it off!

After my download mishap, I wanted to make sure it never happened again, and managed to change the internet settings on my phone so I wouldn't be charged.

You can do this by removing or altering the internet profile such as fiddling with the APN, or `Access point', or by calling your provider to disable it.

However, doing so will also interfere with your ability to send and receive picture messages, so you will have to restore these settings as and when you want to send snaps from your phone.

In today's technological world, mobile phones are becoming more like PCs than phones. However, just because they are becoming more high-tech, that doesn't mean you have to lose out, and hopefully these small steps will ensure you won't get a shock when your next bill hits the doormat.

More: Slash Your Mobile Bill In One Easy Step / Cut Your TV Bill By £246 A Year!