use of SIMS in 3G USB sticks

[Attitudeless Badger]

I currently have an Orange mobile phone, on a contract, where I rarely use the full minutes each month.  I have seen that Orange are offering a pay as you go 3G USB key for 69€, where you then pay a certain amount extra for time limited usage.  From what I gather, when you get the USB stick, you also get a SIM card for it, to deal with dialing/billing etc as per a mobile phone.  My query is whether I can swap the SIM from my phone into the USB key so as to use up the spare minutes and provide access to internet without paying the extortionate PAYG rates.  It is probably worth pointing out that I am in France, and the contract is for a French mobile, rather than with Orange UK but I would expect the principle to be the same.

If anyone can shed some light, it'd be much appreciated.

[border-rider]

With 3's system (in the uK) you get a PAYG SIM and put minutes on it in the usual way, then you go to their website and convert these to gigs of data.  If you don't, it connects at the £n per minute data cost for a mobile - not the n gigs per month for £10 rate - and the credit vanishes PDQ

[Attitudeless Badger]

I see, so it would technically work, but would eat my monthly charge away pretty quickly.

Thanks for the advice