Internet Connection on the road

The thing that Cingular does not tell you though, is that you don't have to have the Laptop Connect ($59.99) to use it. With a smartphone and most Nokias, you can connect through the MediaNet or PDANet - whichever applies. MediaNet is $19.99, PDANet is $39.99 (smartphones cannot use MediaNet). Not TOO bad, but better than subscribing to a hotspot service that may not be everywhere you need it. Plus you can use it anytime you have a signal on your phone. You are absolutely correct about the number of towers - without coverage, you are out of luck.

 

Awesome point Keith48! Will keep that in mind for sure, thanks for the info!

 

I've been a cingular phone customer for 6 years, and now that i hope to hit the road i want to get their mobile broadband for internet use. Do you have many problems getting a signal with them? Would you recommend them?

 

Well, I have no problems here in GA, but I have not started driving yet (in school now). So I don't know about national coverage.

 

I am able to get a decent signal almost everywhere.

 

I have T-mobil...it's a dual card. One half works off the cell tower when no Wi-Fi hotspot is available. Other half is Wi-Fi radio up to 11 mega bits, which I use at Flying J, Pilot, TA's, hotels, etc. Since I drive 48 states cell tower access is almost always available in any state I'm driving. And the speed is quite remarkable when I log on. Wi-Fi speed is noticeably faster. However, the cost for unlimited use is $588 a year. And that does not include the yearly Wi-Fi subscriptions, which are in the ballpark of $150 TA to Flying J $200. It's a necessity so I don't mind paying the outrageous cost.

 

i got cingular internet service and am overall happy with it. Very few places that i have had conection problems. i wouldn't be without it.

 

I was talking with sprint the other day about the phone as modem service. There wireless broadband brochure obly lists a dozen cities or so. Does that mean it can only be used around those cities or is it just faster there but you can still use it anywhere the phone works, etc?

I'm trying to decide who to go with pretty soon here