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What's (Verizon) Wireless Broadband?

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by shiny_topadm 2 views

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I noticed a TV ad for "Wireless Broadband" that seemed to position it as an alternative to "Wi-Fi hotspots" for getting work done while away from the office. Is this a new name for a product that's been out for a while or something that's new to my market area (central Pennsylvania) [or maybe it doesn't even exist in my market!]. I'm familiar with the concept of "fixed-location" wireless broadband access, as a substitute for using the ILEC's copper, but the ad looked like you could connect anywhere. (of course, I know that they can imply almost anything in an ad...)

4 replies

by antuck

I belive this is the same as T-Mobile has/had. You are able to get a wireless internet connection anywhere you can get a signal. Meaning you do not need to be at a hot-spot to get the wireless signal, but much like a cell phone your signal will vary depending on where you are at. I haven't used Verizon's service, but have set a couple of clients up with T-Mobile. THis is a nice service as you could get the internet anywhere. The down fall I saw was the speed was slower then dial-up. This maybe due to a weak signal. The people I set up did not use it for very long due to the slow speed. The other problem is you have to buy a special card to get the wireless, and it cost $150.

I would be interested if anybody has used Verizons wireless internet service and how the speed was. Is it as slow as the T-Mobile.

by rhealovan

We currently use both Verizon & T-Mobile AirCards with most of our laptops. Verizon has broadband capable cards which can access the 3g network available in certain markets (see link below) and the unlimited data plan just dropped by $20 per month! The Verizon AirCards are very reliable and can get a signal almost anywhere a Verizon cell phone can get a signal. Even the non-broadband markets provide decent connection speeds for being a completely independent connection.

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/mobileoptions/broadband/serviceavailability.jsp

T-Mobile AirCards offer much slower connection speeds, but they can be used in places other than the US as long as you are willing to pay the roaming fees.

by oprogue

I've used their wireless access. It involves an interface cable to the Verizon cell phone. There are two means of access a slow 14.4 dialup like connection and a broadband connection. There is a utility that accompanies the connection software that will optimize the detail of images so as to speed things up (less detail) for sites with lots of images. I've used both types of connection and I'm happy to report both worked flawlessly in the upstate of NY while on vacation (the inlaws had dialup - no broadband access other than DirectWay, my cellular connection was way faster w/data transfer than their landline) ... in fact, I had a cell signal in the house while other cell users were wondering around outside just trying to place a call.

by o/siris

Verizon Wireless (and Sprint PCS, now Sprint Nextel, also) is launching a new "version" of its CDMA PCS technology called EV-DO. It's "true" 3rd generation cellular technology enabling burst speeds of up to 2Mbps, and generally 150-300kbps. This technology is still being rolled out around the nation, but if it's available in your metro area, then it's a much more wide-area coverage than Wi-Fi. In areas where EV-DO is not yet rolled out, you fall back to "1xRTT" services, which max out at 144kbps, and is generally 50-90kbps. Verizon's further along in rollout than Sprint Nextel, although Sprint's 1xRTT has always been a little bit faster, and I personally expect the same with EV-DO.

It functions via a Type II PC Card with a small antenna attachment to connect to Verizon's PCS network (for our purposes, this means cellular, although there really is a technical difference).

T-Mobile, and Cingular Wireless use a different technology called GSM, and their 3G technology, UMTS, is even less rolled out than EV-DO. That, though, is a discussion for another time.

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