Virgin Mobile, the UK’s largest MVNO, has become the latest UK operator to enter the mobile broadband market by launching a USB ‘dongle’ that enables laptops to connect to the Internet via a mobile network. In a news release today published by Virgin Mobile’s UK sister cable company, Virgin Media, the company said the service comes on an 18 month contract and comes with a free USB modem and 3GB of data per month – enough, the company says, for 2,000 e-mails, 100 hours of Internet surfing, 200 music tracks and 100 two minute videos. Subscription will cost £15 per month. Virgin Media says the service will complement its existing fixed-line broadband services. “Virgin Media already provides the fastest broadband in the UK over our fibre optic network and now customers can enjoy our broadband both at home and when on the move,” said Virgin Media CEO Neil Berkett.

Virgin Mobile will become the sixth UK operator to offer mobile broadband via a USB dongle. All five of the UK mobile network operators – Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile, O2 and 3 – have already launched services at roughly similar price points. O2 UK was the last operator to do so, launching its service in April this year. Virgin Mobile’s new service is expected to use T-Mobile UK’s network, its existing MVNO host network.