Anyone have any experience with mobile broadband?  What do you think?  Which service do you use?  Verizon? Cricket?  etc?

Is your mobile broadband your only internet service?  or is it secondary?

What about speeds,..etc?

I meant to reply to this earlier and just forgot!  We have Verizon’s Broadband and it’s pretty good.  But, we are looking at Cricket because it is less expensive.

Hey Susan..

Thanks for commenting.  Since posting..  I have signed up for VERIZON mobile broadband.  I am still in the 30 day period.. and can cancel with no strings attached..  but after about 14 days or so.. and several tests..  I am impressed.

The speed is very similar to my DSL at home.. I am getting a great signal at home..  and at several area campgrounds I have tried.  My main reason for the mobile broadband.. is so I can continue my newsletter work when I am camping this summer.

I was a little concerned with the 5g cap.. but so far..  it looks like I am averaging less than 100mb per day..  so that would put me around 3g for a month.  I still have access to a cable modem at work.. should I need to transfer a large amount of music,.. etc.

I looked into CRICKET..  I liked the price too..  but the reviews are terrible.

I have AT&T 3G…. unlimited use for $60 a month I think…. it’s DSL speed too… I’ve used it a lot since March 2008

I have an AT&T cell phone.. and haven’t been real pleased with the coverage around this part of east Tennessee..  so I didn’t even consider them for broadband.  It’s probably much better in your area.

As avid campers also, with the necessity to have internet while camping, we switched from Cingular to Verizon and was very pleased.  We had trouble in certain campgrounds of even getting a signal with the cell phones, much less air card.  Friends who did alot of camping with us, was on Verizon and I only remember about one time in rural Alabama they couldn’t get a signal.  For the most part, they usually get one when we couldn’t.  We were relatively pleased with the service.

The weather is kinda nice in East Tennessee this weekend.. So,.. I am on the verizon card..  from my camper tonight.. works great!

We’ve been very happy with Verizon.  Glad to know it’s working for you.

I’ve got a Spint EVDO card and put an EVDO router on the bus. That way Kelly and i both are able to use the service on our laptops and only need the one card. I’ve run in to a few really remote areas that I had issue with, but not often.

OK.. I have been using the verizon mobile broadband for a couple of months now..  so I am re-evaluating.

I use this as my only internet connection..  I have been safely under the 5g limit.. with no major problems..  but I do keep an eye on usage.. and I try to limit stuff like You Tube.  I also do most song, or larger downloads and uploads when I am on the cable modem at work.  I seem to be using about 3g per month exercising these habits.

SPEEDS:  not real happy..  I have checked the dnld and upld speeds at various times.  Mostly I am getting:  UP: around 600kbps   DOWN: around 500kbps   .. is this normal?  Now .. it’s better than not having any connection..  but I am thinking maybe I will get a DSL connection back at home and use the mobile broadband for.. well “mobile” only.  But that’s $60 a month for a luxury that I maybe can do without.

What do you think?

Hey Chuck…not sure where you are or what’s available from a broadband perspective…But I think you may live in Comcast land. Whether it’s them or another major cable provider…the broadband connections they have are much less than $60 a month…and have greater speeds than DSL. I’d think that would be a better option. EVDO coverage is of course inconsistent at best based on lots of external factors.

Rod,..

I was saying if I kept Verizon Mobile Broadband.. and got a DSL or some other connection for home..  the Verizon would cost me $60 per month (as a luxury).

Yes.. I have had comcast.. very good.. about $50 - $60 a month.. for non TV subscribers.