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Prepaid Wireless Internet is Here!
Are you ready for prepaid
wireless Internet? Prepaid wireless isn't just about cell
phones anymore! One
exciting element that's evolved in the wireless industry over recent
years is wireless Internet, often referred to as wireless broadband.
So what is it? Think of your high speed Internet
access at
home that you get either thru your television cable provider or phone
service
(referred to as DSL). Now take that high speed Internet
experience and make it mobile!
Note
that this is very different from what people have traditionally talked
about when they discuss wireless Internet or WiFi. WiFi
allows
you to take a broadband connection like cable or DSL, and broadcast
wirelessly so that you can connect to it with your laptop or other WiFi
enabled mobile device without having to plug any cords into your
computer. The wireless Internet that I speak of here is
actually
cellular, which means that you're not confined to your home or
Starbucks HotSpot as is the case with WiFi. You can access
the
Internet wherever you would
normally have cell phone reception; now that's mobile Internet!
And even better you can now have prepaid wireless Internet
with
no contracts.

Although you'll see some laptops with wireless (cellular) Internet
built-in, the
most common approach is to buy a wireless/ broadband card that slides
into a slot on your laptop, or a USB modem that plugs into any computer
with a USB connection.
Depending on your wireless provider, and the type of card or
modem you
have, you'll
experience speeds very near what you get at home. About a
year
ago I actually canceled my high speed cable Internet, and I am now
exclusively using my
broadband card. If you're the type of person who's
always on the move, you're likely to find this service absolutely
invaluable! And if you're not interested in being committed
to
one carrier with a contract, or just want to try it out, prepaid
wireless Internet is now available! Click here
to compare plans now.
One
note to consider, however, before you cancel your broadband service
with your local cable/DSL provider: If you're downloading
large
amounts of data continuously, and for long periods of time, you'll find
that wireless Internet won't perform as fast as you might expect.
Also, most providers will have clauses, even on unlimited
plans,
that restrict you from file sharing or continuous streaming (ex.
Internet video streaming). It's really
best for data bursts (as opposed to continuously high speed
downloading). I use it for the following activities and
don't notice any speed issues:
- Internet
browsing
- Email
- Watching YouTube
videos
- Watching streaming full length TV episodes
from sites like ABC.com
- Downloading music (ex.
iTunes)
- Downloading large software updates
So
my recommendation is to try it out and use it for a month or two before
canceling your existing service to ensure that the performance meets
your needs. Also, you'll want to take note of how much data
you're using to see if it makes financial sense to go completely
wireless. Even with a prepaid, depending on your usage, you
might
find that you can save money, though a couple of months trial before
making any drastic changes is definitely advisable.
 Not
all networks are created equally, so consider
that AT&T (GSM), for example, may not provide speeds that are
as
good as Verizon or Sprint (CDMA). At the time of writing
this,
CDMA technology can offer far greater speeds than can current GSM-based
implementations. If you'd like to learn more about
technologies
such as CDMA EVDO RevA and the like, please feel free to contact me
and I'll be happy to add an additional section on that. In
the
meantime, simply compare the reported speeds on the provider's website,
and be sure that they have a 30 day, or similar, return policy so that
you can take it home and test it out in your normal environment.
Until
recently the convenience of wireless Internet was not available to
prepaid customers. Not any more! There are a small
number
of companies that offer prepaid wireless Internet/Broadband cards and
service for
reasonable prices.
Return from Prepaid Wireless Internet to Prepaid Wireless Guide Home Page

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