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Sales of mobile broadband dongles declined last year owing to growth in smartphone sales and scepticism about the speeds the technology claims to offer, according to comparison web site Broadband Expert.

The firm reported a 16.5 per cent decline in dongle sales over the Christmas period compared with 2008 figures.

Broadband Expert believes that 4G technology will help mobile broadband become popular again, but that this is unlikely to happen for 18 months to two years when the technology is fully rolled out.

Rob Webber, commercial director at Broadband Expert, said that tests on 4G networks being conducted by telcos including Vodafone and O2 had achieved speeds in the region of 100Mbit/s, and will prompt users to re-evaluate the use of mobile broadband in the future.

"There has been negative press over mobile broadband as people have found the speeds too slow, often to the level of dial-up.  But if the speeds achieved in the trials are replicated to even half the quoted figures, there will be a lot of renewed interest in the technology," he said.

Webber also said that, while smartphones had usurped mobile broadband's popularity in the past year or so, the speeds offered from 4G for mobile broadband will allow users to do far more with a mobile internet connection than smartphones currently allow.

"People are very used to using mobile phones, so combining them with internet use makes a lot of sense. But the screens are too small for anything beyond basic functions like checking email.  Larger screens on laptops or netbooks combined with 4G will offer a far more effective browsing experience," he said.

See:-   V3.co.uk (http://www.v3.co.uk/v3/news/2255713/mobile-broadband-popularity-set).