Wireless broadband

According to the 802.16-2004 standard, broadband means 'having instantaneous bandwidth greater than around 1 MHz and supporting data rates greater than about 1.5 Mbit/s. This means that Wireless Broadband features speeds roughly equivalent to wired broadband access, such as that of ADSL or a cable modem.

Few Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) provide download speeds of over 100 Mbit/s; most broadband wireless access services are estimated to have a range of 50 km (30 miles) from a tower.^[1] Technologies used include LMDS and MMDS, as well as heavy use of the ISM bands and one particular access technology is being standardized by IEEE 802.16, also known as WiMAX. WiMAX is highly popular in Europe but has not met full acceptance in the United States because cost of deployment does not meet return on investment figures. In 2005 the Federal Communications Commission adopted a Report and Order that revised the FCC’s rules to open the 3650 MHz band for terrestrial wireless broadband operations.^[2] On November 14, 2007 the Commission released Public Notice DA 07-4605 in which the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau announced the start date for licensing and registration process for the 3650-3700 MHz band.^[3]

Initially, WISPs were only found in rural areas not covered by cable or DSL.^[4] These early WISPs would employ a high-capacity T-carrier, such as a T1 or DS3 connection, and then broadcast the signal from a high elevation, such as at the top of a water tower. To receive this type of Internet connection, consumers mount a small dish to the roof of their home or office and point it to the transmitter. Line of sight is usually necessary for WISPs operating in the 2.4 and 5GHz bands with 900MHz offering better NLOS (non-line-of-sight) performance.

Mobile wireless broadband

Also called Mobile Broadband, wireless broadband technologies include new services from companies such as Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T Mobility, which allow a more mobile version of this broadband access. Consumers can purchase a PC card, laptop card, or USB equipment to connect their PC or laptop to the Internet via cell phone towers. This type of connection would be stable in almost any area that could also receive a strong cell phone connection. These connections can cost more for portable convenience as well as having speed limitations in all but urban environments.

Broadband dongles - versatile and portable.

Do you want to use broadband dongles or USB modem? Sure you can, it is versatile and portable. Why did I say so? The reason is that broadband dongles or USB connection is small enough to fit your pocket.

If you have a laptop, you can carry your laptop and your broadband dongle anywhere you are. Even if you are using a desktop, this small USB stick will not eat space and so it is convenient to use.

Versatility wise, broadband dongles can provide good access to the internet for browsing, emailing and even downloading. There is however, a limitation in downloading limit but if you do not download music and movies, broadband dongles will provide you with the internet connection you need.

You do not need to go hunting for a wifi hotspot. You have your internet connection right there in the small USB stick.

This versatile and portable broadband connection in a dongle or USB is good for businessmen on the go, for students who wants to access the internet anywhere they are and for freelancers who wants to communicate with clients even during vacation.

Life will be easier if you can take advantages of broadband internet in this small dongle. Enjoy your life on the move but remain communicable using broadband dongles.

Types of mobile broadband dongle accounts

Do you love the freedom to be on the move but communicable enough through email? You can and for reasonable costs. To know more about the broadband dongles type of accounts, read on.

Enjoy internet access anywhere you are and anytime you want using this portable and sleek broadband dongle.

Types of broadband dongle accounts

• Monthly Plan

• Pay as you go

Monthly Plan

In increments of 1GB, 3GB and 7GB download limit, you can pay a monthly subscription fee of £10, £15 and £25 respectively.

If you signup for an 18-month contract, you can get the USB modem for free.

The disadvantage of course is that you need to be tied up to an 18-month contract. If you opt to shorter the term, you may need to pay for the broadband dongle. For a one-year contract, the dongle will cost you £49.99.

Pay As You Go

For 3, PAYG plan is also on a 1GB, 3GB and 7GB increments. You need to pay for the unit upfront amounting to £99. Then, pay the subscription fee of £10, £15 and £25 for either of the three download limits.

Of course, because this is pay as you go, you may terminate your subscription depending on your need.

This is an option used by people waiting for the landline broadband connected. Some of them however may opt to never have the landline broadband anymore and just stick to the convenient and versatile broadband dongle.

Any plan you get, you will have the access to the internet without the need of a wifi hotspot or landline broadband. Enjoy browsing anywhere you are and any time you want.

Mobile broadband via your phone

Feel the freedom. Use the internet your way – with full access to VoIP services like Skype™, and peer to peer services like file sharing.

With Mobile broadband via your phone, you get a whopping 5GB each month. Simply use your phone as normal – and if you have a 3G phone, connect it to your laptop to turn your phone into a broadband modem.

Before you get started, you might need to make a few changes to your phone’s settings – your user manual will have all the details.

Mobile broadband notspots mapped

There are still significant notspots when it comes to 3G mobile coverage in the UK, regulator Ofcom has revealed.
It has pledged to investigate why some places, particularly in rural areas, are still failing to get any coverage.
It also said it will investigate mobile broadband speeds, which vary tremendously in different areas and at different times of day.
Between February 2008 and February 2009 there were two million new connections to mobile broadband, said Ofcom.
3G (or Third Generation) services allow people to connect to the web via a wireless network, either using a phone, a dongle or datacard which can be plugged into a PC or a laptop.
In the UK such services are offered by operators such as Vodafone, Orange, O2, T-Mobile and 3.
But there are questions about how reliable these services are and whether they can provide the speeds needed by consumers.
More spectrum
Research from broadband communications firm Epitiro recently found that the average download speed achieved with mobile broadband was just under 1Mbps (megabit per second).
if mobile networks are going to become one of the key routes to the internet for million of users, they're going to need to build more six-lane highways to replace those B-roads where the traffic keeps getting stuck.
Rory Cellan-JonesBBC technology correspondent
Read the dot.life blog in full
At 0300 this average rose to 1.8Mbps, illustrating that contention issues - how many people use the service at any given time - plays a big role in limiting speed.
On average mobile broadband users were only getting a quarter of advertised speeds, found Epitiro's study.
Increasingly consumers are dropping their fixed line phones in favour of mobile. While mobile calls increased by 11 billion minutes during 2008, the number of minutes on fixed lines fell by 8 billion.
Consumers are getting increasingly data-hungry. In 2003, just 1% of revenue per mobile connection came from data but by 2008 that rose to 6%, according to Ofcom.
The Digital Britain report pledged to free up more 3G spectrum, which should improve coverage.
Consumer Focus, an organisation dedicated to campaigning for a fair deal for consumers, welcomed Ofcom's review of the mobile market.
"Some consumers find themselves excluded from mobile communications due to gaps in 3G coverage or the market's failure to make new technology accessible to all," said Audrey Gallacher, telecoms expert at Consumer Focus.
She felt that Ofcom could do more to make it easier for consumers to sign up to mobile broadband.
"Accessing the best deal in a market where mobile operators offer a bewildering array of over 200,000 different tariffs is a real challenge," she said.
"With mobiles now treated as an essential service rather than a luxury, there is more pressure than ever before on mobile companies to give consumers a fair deal and make mobile services accessible to all," she added.

Mobile broadband

Mobile broadband can fill the gaps in the government's proposed 2Mbps universal broadband commitment without state funding, but only if outstanding spectrum issues are resolved, the operator 3 has said.
Hugh Davies, 3's director of corporate affairs, said on Thursday that the use of lower frequencies could help roll out mobile broadband in rural areas due to their superior range, but discussions around the release of such spectrum were still "edgy". Many rural areas are currently badly served by both fixed and mobile broadband, due to the low returns operators would get for rolling out services in such sparsely populated areas.
"If we can come to an agreement on the spectrum issues, we can fund the rollout," Davies told delegates at a Westminster eForum on Lord Carter's Digital Britain report. "We don't need any extra funding, because we believe we can find the opportunities to build the business."
A key issue for mobile networks seeking to invest in new infrastructure is that of 'refarming' 2G spectrum, which is of a lower frequency than current 3G spectrum, for 3G services. The European Commission and Ofcom have both backed this approach.
However, disputes between operators — some of whom already use lower frequencies than others — have led to an impasse. This situation is delaying the auction for the 2.6GHz band, which could be used for LTE, the successor to 3G, because operators say they will not know how much to bid unless they know whether they can refarm their 2G spectrum.
Two broadband funds were proposed in the Digital Britain report, one for 2Mbps universal broadband coverag and one for the rollout of next-generation broadband access. The first will be funded by money left over from the digital switchover, while the second will rely on a 50p-per-month charge levied on each copper phone connection.
At Thursday's eForum, BT complained about the idea of wireless operators such as mobile phone networks being able to draw on the second fund in order to provide high-speed broadband services. The company’s policy and regulation chief, Emma Gilthorpe, said the fund taxed fixed-line customers, so should only benefit fixed-line providers rolling out fibre.
"It is a deep concern of ours that, for the funding for the rollout of fixed networks it would be possible for non-fixed operators to bid for those funds, having not had their customer base taxed in the way a fixed operator's customer base will be taxed," Gilthorpe said.
Anna Bradley, from the Communications Consumer Panel, also suggested that a consequence of the 50p levy could be people "stepping back from having fixed lines" in favour of going mobile-only.