Mobile Broadband Options

Different ways to get a wireless Internet connection

Of course Wi-Fi hotspots are the simplest solution if they're available where you need Internet connections. Otherwise, the best way to get mobile broadband depends on whether or not you travel mostly within your home metro area. These are the options:

3G mobile broadband from cell phone carriers

Several major cell phone carriers offer data plans for laptops. This gives you mobility beyond hotspots, but at slower connection speeds. In areas where the carrier offers 3G (third-generation) speed, the average download speed is around 700 kilobits per second (kbps) but can be as fast as 3.1 Mbps. The average cost per month is around $60, but ranges from $20 to $80. Some carriers also let you buy a one-day pass (*est. $15) or prepaid card (*est. $100).

Beyond areas with 3G access (mainly urban areas), older and slower technology automatically comes into play -- EDGE for AT&T and T-Mobile, and EVDO for Sprint, Verizon and Cricket. Download speeds are much slower -- sometimes as slow as dial-up Internet. If you are forced to use a carrier's non-3G networks, EDGE is usually rated much pokier than EVDO by expert and user reviewers.

Terms of service prohibit intensive usage such as peer-to-peer file exchanges. Most plans advertised as "unlimited" are actually capped at 5 GB per month. AT&T and T-Mobile include free Wi-Fi at hotspots, making it easier to stay within a mobile broadband limit.

Mobile broadband from cell phone providers gives you the widest mobility. You can get an Internet connection in most (though not all) areas of the United States -- wherever you can get a good voice connection. The same type of network is also available in Europe and many other countries.

"Fixed" 3G wireless broadband in metro areas

Cricket Broadband (*est. $40 per month) provides 3G wireless service in several metro areas, with plans to expand to many others by the end of 2010. Although it's wireless broadband, it's restricted to a fixed area, with no coverage at all beyond it, so it's best if you only need service near your home or office. Therefore it's not as mobile as the 3G plans offered by other cell phone carriers. Like most mobile broadband plans, Cricket advertises "unlimited plans" but actually imposes a 5 GB limit, after which service can be slowed or extra charges incurred.

4G mobile broadband in metro areas

Faster and less expensive mobile broadband is predicted to become available in most cities across the United States by 2012, and in most metropolitan areas by 2010. Speed and cost are competitive with Wi-Fi, DSL and cable Internet connections, at about 3 to 5 Mbps. The cost is around $40 a month, but you have to buy a modem and/or router for your laptop.

At the time of our report, 4G mobile broadband is available in Portland, Ore., and in Baltimore. It is expected to become available in Chicago, Washington D.C. and several other cities during 2009, with more areas to follow in 2010. The main drawback is that until the network becomes extensive, it's only practical if your travel is limited to the metro areas where it's available.

If 4G mobile broadband is available in your locale, and if that's where you primarily need mobile broadband access, it's certainly worth a trial because of the faster speed and cost savings; you can use it on your desktop computer at home too. If you travel further very often, though -- or 4G isn't available in your area yet -- then 3G mobile broadband is your best bet.

Cell phones tethered to a laptop

Data plans for cell phones and smartphones often cost less per month than data plans for laptops. For this reason, some owners just use a cable to connect their laptops to their cell phones or smartphones. Some carriers offer "tethered" data plans authorizing this usage.