I would like to know if anyone can confirm that mobile broadband and RBI broadband use the exact same infrastructure. What I mean is, can you take an RBI sim from your RBI router, put it in a usb mobile broadband stick (unlocked or with the same provider) and have it work? And would the signal be exactly the same?

The reason I ask is because I am trying to help my Aikido instructor setup RBI broadband at his house. Officially Vodafone says that they are unable to deliver RBI to their address. However my instructors house is three stories high and if I walk out on the balcony on the top floor I am able to get an ok Vodafone signal using my Vodem stick. I did a speed test by downloading a large pdf file from the Vodafone website (I don't actually have any credit on this stick but the Vodafone site is free to access) and got about 150KB/s. Presumably with a proper RBI modem + antenna these speeds would be much improved.

The problem is that my instructor is already with Farmside on a satellite connection (the latency is like 1000ms lowest and the data cap is ridiculously low for such a high price) and they have tried to get RBI through them already. At first the installer said that they could get it even though Farmside said they could not. It sounds like the installer just tested with his mobile phone, said my instructor could get RBI broadband (since there was a 3G signal) and has then come back later to perform the installation. It seems he has then been unable to get a signal using his proper RBI test equipment... This doesn't make much sense to me if mobile and RBI broadband use the same infrastructure but I have some theories.

The reasons I can think of that the installer was unable to get a Farmside RBI connection are:

• Vodafone and Farmside are using different radio equipment and the Vodafone signal is simply better (I had thought they both used the same equipment as Farmside doesn't own any towers themselves as far as I'm aware).


• Farmside doesn't actually have any equipment in our local tower and it is actually impossible to get a Farmside RBI signal here (this seems very unlikely)


• RBI broadband itself actually uses different radio transmission equipment and the signal isn't as strong as the mobile broadband signal where my instructors house is.


• The installers equipment was simply broken or not setup properly...


• Some other factor I am unaware of.

What do you guys think?