USB 3G/4G Portable Broadband

sdsester · 12-17-2009, 06:57 PM

I have been trying this Sprint USB broadband thing and have to decide by Christmas whether I want to keep it. It's software has some quirks but once kicked in place it seems to work alright. It is $60/month with a two year contract. Hideous charges if I go over 5gb a month though.

Now here is the deal. I travel now and then but...

I am moving back soon to a big City. In Chicago there is a company called Cricket that offers 3G service for $20 less and uses the same network but with no contract. There is also the new player in town that uses the 4G network they developed that is supposedly so fast in major cities you can stream movies in your car (Use of cell phones is banned while driving but noone has said anything yet about watching a movie over the steering wheel!). $45 unlimited service per month. They will slip me the modem for $60 if I don't want to contract for two years. Otherwise I can have the modem free. No restrictions on using VOIP services either like me current test USB thing comes with.

I bailed on Sprint and went with a reseller using their network when my phone came up for renewal. Service is costing me half the best plan Sprint plan does. No contract. $50 unlimited for calls/text/some data.

Anyhow, I was just wondering if anybody else has been shopping around for no contract service for broadband. What do you all pay for broadband internet access at home these days? $45 for 4G and being able to walk around with it sound expensive?

sdsester · 12-18-2009, 06:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frozenstar

Well I think if you can use it most of the time specially if you're on the go and working or probably needs to email someone very important and you need a connection, $45 is not that bad for a 4G service. Does any of your friend ever tried to avail both services of these 2 company? You might get some feedback on them as well if you still haven't decided yet.

Friends have Cricket USB broadband modems and can travel with them. Cost is $40/month with unlimited useage, no contract, but a threat of slowing down flow if you exceed 5GB limit.

4G service and modem I am considering only works in major cities at the moment. Unlimited service is $45 a month.

80HD · 12-18-2009, 05:42 PM

Check the fine print, every service has bandwidth caps. Just find out what the enforcement plan is.

$45 sound really good for 4G, assuming it's all it's been touted to be!

Good luck, would love to hear your experiences with it!

sdsester · 12-19-2009, 11:21 AM

Just an update. I looks like 4G resellers are offering service for $30/month in Chicago within the last week or so. I think it is only for the first six months. USB modem is $49 or so unless you agree to a contract but that is pretty standard I think. It will only work where 4G service is offered though. They do offer another plan for $50/month and a $249 USB modem that is backward compatible with 3G. It will switch to the network and comes with up to 5GB a month. The 4G service is unlimited from everything I am reading but will check it out. I may give it a shot.

vsheetz · 12-28-2009, 12:44 AM

Having used both extensively - 3G is ok (often marginally so), but 4G is a big improvement - not only improved DL and UL speeds, but ping times, responsiveness, capacity, etc. 4G coverage is rapidly expanding in the US and elsewhere - if you have availability of service suggest to seriously consider it.

Clearwire is the current network provider - with Sprint, Time Warner, and Comcast starting to resell services over the Clear network - so more service offerings and equipments to come.

IMHO -