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Choosing the best mobile broadband card involves balancing service, cost, and convenience. Look for coverage maps, determine if it’s 3G or 4G, and compare monthly fees and data limits. Consider ease of use and technical support. Retailers can offer side-by-side comparisons.
Choosing the best mobile broadband card usually requires finding the right balance between service, cost and convenience. The best selection will typically be the mobile broadband card that offers the highest level of service in most areas; the lowest cost of activation and continuous service; and maximum convenience in installation, use and ongoing requirements, such as monthly payments. Many major retailers of multiple mobile broadband services will offer a side by side comparison of providers to help with this decision.
A mobile broadband card is the device used to connect a computer, usually a laptop, to the Internet using wireless technology. However, the term “paper” can be misleading. The first models of mobile broadband cards were shaped like a credit card, contained the microprocessing technology needed for wireless broadband access, and were installed inside a computer. The card has since evolved into an external device in the form of a portable hard drive, or flash drive, that plugs into a computer’s external connection port.
In choosing the best mobile broadband card, you will typically want to ask the retailer or reseller to display a map of the service coverage area. The area where the service is available can typically be broken down by street, city, region, and country. Coverage areas for mobile broadband can vary greatly from provider to provider.
Additionally, you’ll need to determine whether the service is third generation (3G) of cell phone technology or fourth generation (4G), which is higher capacity – the higher the throughput, the faster users can download data. This is important as the monthly fees for the service usually cover a fixed amount of data transfer. At a minimum, 3G level is required for wireless internet data transmission.
Most mobile broadband card services charge similar prices for monthly access for a given volume of service, but differ in the rate charged if users exceed their monthly service limit. The monthly volume allowed is measured by the amount of data transferred or downloaded. Typically, there is a low priced service for a limited amount of data transfer. For about double that cost, consumers can download about 20 times the amount of data, which equates to several hours of average daily online use. Also, there is typically a one-time activation fee that costs about half of a month’s service.
Finally, prospective customers should review each service based on the convenience of purchasing, installing, using, paying for, and receiving technical support for the mobile broadband card. All mobile broadband cards require software to be installed on any computer that uses it. Most allow multiple computers to use the card, although the card can only be used on one computer at a time. For users with existing mobile phone service, buying a mobile broadband card from the same service provider usually means paying only one monthly bill for both services.
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