Tesco is offering free laptops with its mobile broadband packages, in a move that will compete directly with Carphone Warehouse.

The supermarket group, which has said that it wants to be the leading telecoms player in the UK, is offering free laptops at 50 of its in-store phone shops when customers buy one of its mobile broadband packages from 3 or Orange.

Carphone Warehouse launched its equivalent offer in September 2007.

Tesco Mobile and Tesco Telecoms chief executive Lance Batchelor said: “We believe that mobile broadband is going to really take off in 2009 and we want to help our customers get the very best deals, making it easier than ever for them to get connected.”