Mobile Broadband

The Mobile Broadband market is really heating up in Australia. Broadband providers are now offering mobile broadband plans that rival some traditional broadband plans for speed, price and download limit.

The big players in the market at the moment are Telstra, Optus, Virgin, Vodafone & 3 Mobile. Telstra product thorough the next G network is probably the best on the market but in true Telstra fashion is also very expensive.

Mobile broadband is new technology that allows you to connect to the internet almost anywhere. Internet service is made accessible through a network adapter card or other mobile broadband capable device such as the Blackberry. Essentially this service works similar to cell phone technology. In the United States there are two major technologies GSM and CMDA. GSM technologies are more popular in the UK while CMDA is more popular in America. Many countries like Australia are using hspa / hsdpa which is very fast mobile broadband

The first obvious advantage to mobile broadband is its portability. The hardware devices required are small enough to allow discreet connections to the internet and will fit easily in a bag or even your pocket.

You will no longer need to plug into the internet at a fixed location. No need to be near a phone jack or Ethernet connection, you can hook up to the internet any where in your home or out. These devices are excellent for going from home to the road.

There are many types of hardware that you can use to connect to mobile broadband. The choices in equipment include data card, external Bluetooth dongle, or USB device.

The number one disadvantage is reliability of signal. There is the chance that you will be in an area that has no service coverage. In this situation your internet will not work, however if you can check the companies coverage area before you sign up to insure that service is available where you need it.

Mobile broadband often has a more limited bandwidth than dial up or satellite in the same price range. However for the person who needs more data transfer capability it is offered on a per MB basis.

The bottom line is mobile broadband is the wave of the future and as interest grows so will the capabilities. Most cell phone providers in the US are now offering mobile broadband internet at a variety of pricing options. Remember when shopping for mobile broadband service it is important to be sure you will have the coverage you need in the area you will need it in.