Wi-Fi, Mobile Broadband and Satellite ISPs

Alternatives to DSL, fiber optics and cable ISPs

Wireless Internet (Wi-Fi) service is now widely available. For travelers and anyone else needing mobile Internet service, many locations such as cafés, airports, hotels and restaurants provide wireless Wi-Fi connectivity, usually for a fee. Some communities offer free Wi-Fi to their residents. The downside is you need to be close to an access point.

Mobile broadband, on the other hand, lets you connect to the Internet wirelessly at points far beyond hot spots via cell phone networks. Some laptops and most netbooks and tablets have mobile broadband transmitters built in, or you can get a wireless card through a cell-phone carrier. Connection speeds are roughly on par with DSL, but costs can be notably higher and there are usually monthly caps on usage. More information can be found in our reports on mobile broadband and wireless cards.

Satellite ISPs aren't competitive

Satellite Internet service -- typically seen as the poor cousin to DSL and cable -- used to be considered costly, slow and unreliable, but that scenario is changing. Hughes Network Systems is offering more sophisticated technology and greater access to customers. Already, download speeds have increased to 2 Mbps.

Still, satellite broadband is really only a worthwhile option for people seeking a higher-speed Internet connection in areas where DSL, fiber optics or cable aren't available. Even with faster download speeds, uploads require a dial-up connection and are very slow. HughesNet is one option among satellite Internet providers, but it's expensive (*Est. $60 to $90 per month for 1.0 to 2.0 Mbps downstream, plus hardware and installation costs).

Surveys that include satellite Internet companies typically give them rock-bottom scores.