I've just discovered this, have I understood it correctly?

[islandman]

UK user here.

As I have only been a tablet user for less than two weeks. I have been wondering what use it is when away from home and my wifi signal. Like everyone else I am aware that numerous places advertise "free wifi here" and presumably you need to enter to ask the password and no doubt make a purchase of something.

But, I have just discovered that if you download an app from O2/Orange and presumably any of the others providers, they include a map and once you've entered your postcode/town, the places where free wifi is provided, you link up to without the need to enter etc.

If I have understood this correctly, I feel easier that my tablet will be of use when out and about in town. No doubt there are bound to be area's where ideally I'd like to connect but will be out of range, so how can this be achieved I ask myself.

I don't have a smart phone so that isn't an option. I'm thinking a dongle, but no nothing about these/cost. I've read about mifi's but think that would be too expensive for the amount of use I'd be putting it too.

Maybe someone out there has been there/done that and can offer a few words of help and advice. I've downloaded the O2 app coincidentally.

 

[Traveller]

Getting a dongle, at least here in the US, can be about as pricey as getting a smartphone. Personally I would look into getting a smartphone with a data plan since depending on the phone your upfront cost can be a fair amount less than a dongle. A cursory examination of O2's news website shows that tethering is bundled in the data plan for the smartphone so getting a dongle isn't a sound alternative IMO.

Since I'm not from the UK I can only guess here, but I'm willing to bet that the O2/Orange app will only work properly with an O2/Orange smartphone.

 

[leeshor]

There are only a few dongles that work and you (of course) would need to be able to connect it via USB, (I have more information on that in the link below). Another option would be to get a portable hotspot from O2 but they will charge you a monthly charge for that.