Is a Wireless Broadband Modem Different From an ADSL Broadband Modem?

Yes. Wireless broadband operates in a completely different way from ADSL broadband. To begin with, you don't plug it into your phone outlet because it doesn't use the old copper wire phone lines to send information. Instead, wireless broadband sends the information wirelessly through the air to a 3G tower, just like a mobile phone.

There are actually two types of wireless broadband modems. A wireless 'USB modem' plugs straight into your computer, drawing its electrical power from it - hence they are particularly suited to laptops. A wireless 'home modem', on the other hand, gets its power from a regular power point and connects to your computer either wirelessly via Wi-Fi or an ethernet cable. So these are good for using with desktop machines. Also, because they can transmit to multiple machines they are the choice for people needing to connect several devices (say your PC and a gaming console) to the internet at the same location.