Let’s look at which providers offer which services and how much they charge.
Sprint offers EV-DO laptop cards. For $60 per month, you’ll get unlimited access to the Internet from your laptop. If you live in or travel to an area without full digital coverage, the card may revert to a slower network.
Verizon also uses EV-DO technology with its BroadbandAccess service. Unlimited data usage runs $80 per month. When the service isn’t available, the card uses Verizon’s NationalAccess service. This provides download speeds of 60Kbps to 80Kbps with bursts up to 144Kbps.
T-Mobile’s laptop cards use EDGE. For $50 per month, you’ll get unlimited data access. You’ll also get unlimited access at thousands of T-Mobile HotSpots.
Cingular cards can use an EDGE network. They can also access Cingular’s HSDPA network, where it is available.
Cingular’s plans are more complicated than those other providers offer. You can purchase plans that offer limited data access. You can also purchase plans that include access to wireless hot spots across the country. For example, a plan including unlimited data and access to hot spots runs $100 monthly. An unlimited plan without Wi-Fi access runs $80. If you already have a $40 or higher voice plan, you pay $60.
A wireless laptop card will provide you with greater mobility. You can work from the road or the local coffee shop. But it isn’t a magic bullet. Just as you experience dropped calls, you could run into problems with cellular Internet access. You may also be able to access the Internet by connecting your Internet-enabled cellphone to your laptop.
