Millenicom Wireless: a review and test

Well, I haven't received anything about "heroic" usage, though I have heard about such Emails. It looks like only the people using the Pantech device (Verizon) were getting those emails.

Either way, as soon as I heard about the $10 upgrade to the unlimited plan I signed up for it.

They are also rolling out a new plan called Millenicom Ultra. Right now the coverage isn't there to be using for OTR, but the system is expanding and may be something to look at in 6 months. Here is the email I got from them:

We have an excellent new $69.99/month unlimited, no contract account that
works in your area that we will be promoting very soon. We are calling it
the Millenicom Ultra and will be on our own system (using the AWS
Footprint), use a different device (the Option 452 with a max download
speed of 7.2M and upload of 5.26M, which should translate to more
satisfactory speeds than what you currently experience). There is a
device purchase requirement of $149.99 and if you have already purchased
your existing device we will apply that $99.99 amount to that fee as long
as you can return the UM175 device to us in the original case with the
original contents. Please let us know if you would like to proceed.

 

They actually do on a limited basis. Sprint is slowly building out a 4G network that is currently in Portland, OR, Las Vegas, NV and Baltimore, MD. They have hybrid modems that are capped at 5 gb on 3G but unlimited (although likely a fair usage restriction in the contract) on 4G. AT&T has some combo plans with wired highspeed internet plus short-range wi-fi(they have a fairly impressive domestic wi-fi hotspot network)...they will also be doing 4G LTE trials in 2010 or 2011 (as will Verizon) that likely won't have the 5 gb cap restrictions that their Edge/3g networks currently have.

For here and now, I just got my Millenicom Verizon modem (Pantech UM175) on Friday by Express Mail. Installed easily on my new 13" MacBook Pro and with a little more effort on my 7 year old Fujitsu subnotebook (past it's prime with hardware and software issues, but I'll keep it going as a spare for maybe another year, then scrap it). It's nice to be able to download software upgrades or web pages with a lot of graphics quickly. While at my office or traveling, any carrier will usually work, but only AT&T and Verizon have cell towers near my house. Asked for either Verizon or AT&T, and got Verizon. Put in metering software on my Mac so I won't go over the 5gb limit, as well as Intego antivirus software (although a Mac is less virus prone than a PC so this could be overkill). Price per megabyte is better than what I was using on my AT&T Tilt with prepaid medianet data packages. Also the speeds are much better at home with Millenicom Verizon (EVDO Rev A) instead of AT&T (local tower only Edge). When using the new Pantech modem on my Mac, I sometimes use a short USB cable (the one that came with my late Slingshot modem) so I have room for a USB printer cable in the next slot ...otherwise the modem blocks the other USB slot.

Did seriously consider the Virgin Mobile Broadband2Go USB modem, but would be coverage problems because likely no off-network roaming on Verizon at my home, the $60 refill is 1 gb (and I will probably need around 1.5 gb a month, if not more), and there is no direct Mac support for the VM modem (has to be activated on a PC then in theory can be run a Mac or Linux machine).

With Millenicom Verizon, I doubt I'll be eligible for the unlimited plan that LumbermanSVO mentioned (I suspect it's just for people on Sprint in areas with excess data capacity at reasonable wholesale prices, or people in AWS areas for other carriers like Cincinnati Bell), but I don't have a need for that much data yet. Right now it's somewhere between more than Virgin Mobile offers but less than the 5 gb limit on the standard Millenicom plans. No plans for "heroic usage" at the current time. And at $60/month with no extra nickel and dime fees or long-term contract requirements, the price is right.

 

Can anyone tell me if this has a static ip? are everytime it connects you get a new ip?
And is it still going strong? yes i am slow lol havent got it yet but i am at the point where i am sick and tired of att/cing phone and aircard both seems since they got bought out they loosing more and more coverage.

 

ah ok nice

 

The Millenicom IP can also sometimes change when you are in the same location(this may depend on which carrier they assign you; they represent more than one). I just tried 2 sessions from my home and I was assigned a different IP address on my MacBook (I looked in network preferences)...it only changed for the last 2 parts of the address 75.192.xxx.xxx...rest stayed the same...I'm assuming this constitutes a change in IP address. Connection is running off a rural area Verizon tower that may be getting internet service by a data cable or possibly a microwave data link.
Millenicom is a good provider using Sprint, Verizon, Clear or other AWS providers. If you sign up with Millenicom you may want to keep your old AT&T equipment with a prepaid pay2go sim chip as a backup to whatever carrier you get with Millenicom (in a pinch you can buy 100 mb medianet data package for $20 from AT&T)...you could load up with a $100/1 year time AT&T prepaid timecard after you established the prepaid data connection works OK. I do something like this with an AT&T Tilt used for lightweight email/browsing/occasional tethering. When I need a heavy duty wireless connection I plug in the Millenicom/Verizon modem. $60/month for Millenicom without the $10-$20 in additional fees/surcharges/taxes that other providers charge is a good deal. There is however an activation charge(comes out to about $40), a prorated first month's data charge plus the full second month's data charge, shipping and the option to buy the modem rather than borrow it from them(I bought it, but that's just personal preference to own the equipment). Also like they have a 24 hour tech support line (label right on the modem) in the unlikely event I had tech problems. Have had Millenicom for about 2 weeks and am happy with it so far.

 

I ordered my card this morning. It cost me $83, but I chose not to purchase the card. That way if I don't like it, I don't have a useless piece of equipment.

We'll see about the service, but they're support says all our areas we drive in a covered nicely.

 

Well, I say thank God for Mellinicom. I have Sprint right now. It's "grandfathered," which means I won't get charged overages, but if I go over the limit, they MIGHT just cancel my service. I've seen other guys use 70-80 gigs a month and have no problems, and I've talked to guys who used 15-20 gigs and got cancellation letters. I try to stay under 5 gigs and usually do. But I have no way of knowing with the way sprint tabulates it on their site. I'll go there 2-3 times a day to see how I'm doing. Last month I used the crap out of my modem but it still took me a week and 5 days before I used the first gig. This month it says I've used a gig in the last 2 days. It's weird. I'm not doing anything different. But at least I know that if I ever get that letter, I got someplace else to go.

 

Got my device today. I installed it, and it took me a whopping 10 minutes. I'm running Windows 7, and it didn't even flinch.

Seems to work great. I even got it out in no man's land where my cell doesn't work, and the #### thing still pulled decent speeds.

Keep in mind, the speeds are nothing to write home about when you are used to 20Mbps at home, but for travel purposes, its better than most others.

I'll keep using it and trying it in different locations, but so far so good. I also like the no contract part, since I can cancel any time if I don't like it.

 

Agree on the easy modem installation. Installation on an Apple MacBook was extremely easy for me.

Am pleased with the speeds. Just did an online speed test, and got 1.28 mbps dl/.69 mbps ul/91 ms ping from home. At work, have gotten as high as 2.00 mpbs dl late in the day. Still only a fraction of the speed of the T-3 at work, but don't like to use that for personal purposes.

Actually had to call Millenicom tech support line last week when I had a brief modem authentication issue. They put in a trouble ticket and apparently from what the CSR was saying, other people were calling with log-in issues on their PC's(I was the first caller with a log-in issue on a Mac). Found out later on Verizon's website that several datastick users were also reporting some data network problems. My service went back up after a couple of hours or so. Did a bluetooth tether to my AT&T Tilt for temporary service until the Verizon authentication issue was resolved. While problems like this are probably very rare, it may be a good idea to have a wireless backup plan (tether to a cellphone on a carrier different from what Millenicom assigned you, wi-fi hotspots, or even cheap dial-up...whatever works).