|
|
 |
|
|
Menu:
In This Section:
|
Wi-Fi or Cellular?Wireless access to the Internet (for the home based business owner that is) comes in two, very distinct "flavors".
The basic differences in the two services are outlined in the table below:
Word of warning! If you don't need to send big files around and/or be in constant touch with your customers and business partners, think about staying "wired" with your data. Costs for these services CAN add up FAST! If you're in a hotel and use Wi-Fi for example, it could cost $9.95 a day - or be free - check with your hotel first! Even if you've signed up with Boingo and are paying $24.95 per month, you may well end up in a hotel that does not have the Boingo service. What then? Wireless data is a great time saver and means to stay in constant touch with your business. But be prepared to PAY! With all of that said, the biggest plus for Wi-Fi is speed and compatibility with your PC and for 3G Cellular broader access possibilities. Both services work and work well, the deciding point for you should be what best fits your business model.
Cellular/Broadband Wireless ReviewUsing your wireless service to access the Internet can be a real time saver, but it can also result in huge costs if you aren't careful and don't analyze calling plans closely. Wireless service providers view "data" as one of the few areas where they can make real dollars - as competition has made voice a "price" game. Therefore, make sure that:
Additionally, wireless data services can be somewhat complex and confusing to set up and use effectively. Make sure you understand everything you'll need (possibly costly hardware add-ons) and the total costs of the program before you sign up (and make a 1 to 2 year commitment!).
Save $100 on the T-Mobile Sidekick II Finally, speeds are moving up rapidly for wireless data services - Verizon is now offering a high speed service in the Washington, D.C. and San Diego, CA areas that averages around 300 to 500 Kbps and can burst to 2Mbps - a far cry from traditional wireless data speeds of 40 to 60 Kbps with bursts to 144 Kbps. Our review of mobile operators' services follows.
Wireless Data (Mobile Operators) Service Providers* (Rankings - best, 5 symbols, worst, 1 symbol)
** A = Amateur, R = Rookie, P = Pro
Simple Start-Up - ¹¹¹¹ Alltel wireless data services - Axcess - are available for specific Alltel phones. Once you get the hang of it, the Internet-enabled phones are easy to use. Cost Effectiveness - $$$ Alltel offers 9 service plans, then a myriad of applications (that include a ton of games, ring tones and some viable business applications) that can be free downloads or are priced at rates of $2.75 to $5.00 per month.
Time Savings - ¹¹¹¹ Can help you "do the basics", but limited by the keypad on the phone and the size and definition of the phone's screen. Ease of Use - @@@ As noted above, unless you're a real "guru" of phone keypad data entry, using this method can be time-consuming and frustrating. Works With - YYY Wireless data services from Alltel are phone dependent. Make sure that the phone you purchase has the capabilities you desire for wireless data services before you buy. Support - ppp1/2 There isn't a lot of technical help on the Alltel web site. Best bet is a store or their "800" number. Features - iiii Alltel data services offer competitive wireless data access capabilities. Featured capabilities are Alltel's Axcess applications. Although a number of them are games and ring tones, they also include a variety of viable business applications including: AccuWeather.com Premium, ABC News Headlines, AP Photos, News and Sports, AccuWeather.com, Area Weather, BusinessWeek Online Daily Briefing, ESPN BottomLine, My-Cast Weather, NewsFlash, Pilot My-Cast WEather, Stock Tracker and Wall Street Journal. Overall Rating - %%%1/2 If you just want to use your Alltel phone and nothing else, the services are there.
Simple Start-Up - ¹¹¹ AT&T offers a variety wireless access methods, the RIM BlackBerry device (see our PDAs page for more information) your phone, a PDA, a data connection kit for your phone that turns it into a wireless modem for your laptop or a kit that allows you to use you phone, connecting to your laptop for Internet access. There are a number of pricing plans to choose from. And this is supposed to be simple? Cost Effectiveness - $$$ AT&T offers a variety of pricing plans based on how and what you want to use (as far as equipment and applications) to access the Internet and send/receive email and other messages.
Time Savings - ¹¹¹¹ If you need constant access to your clients or business partners, this can be a great tool. But it's not simple to get going and integrate with your office systems and the costs can be high.
Are you disciplined? The service is useful and usable when you've integrated your calendar, tasks, addresses and email systems with your RIM BlackBerry. If you haven't done that or are unwilling to do that - then all you'll have is unusable, time-wasting, unstructured wireless connectivity to email and the web. Works With - YYY Proprietary services as always, but a good set of equipment and access methods to choose from. Support - pppp AT&T has significantly upgraded its network and network technologies. The tech support area on their web site allows you to manage your account and personal information as well as gain access to a wide variety of technical information to help you with your system and service. If you need more help you can email or call AT&T support personnel on their "800" number. Features - iiii Plenty of connectivity options - PC Cards that allow you to use the AT&T wireless data service on the road, and connect to your home wireless LAN with the same device, PDA and your phone. Text/instant and multimedia messaging, and messaging and data bundles. Overall Rating - %%%1/2 Solid service set - new higher speed data services will make the AT&T Internet access options for laptops more viable and useful. However, you'll have to know what you want/need. The service offerings are diverse - and complex to understand when you start trying to figure out the total charges.
Simple Start-Up - ¹¹¹1/2 Sprint/Nextel offers perhaps the most straight forward service implementation out there. For your phone - you just choose Internet capabilities as part of your "minute" plan (Power Vision). For data, the pricing is in per MB bundles outlined in the pricing section below. Cost Effectiveness - $$1/2
Time Savings - ¹¹¹¹ If you need constant access to your clients or business partners, this can be a great tool. But it's not simple to get going and integrate with your office systems and the costs can be high. Especially if you have to pay per minute charges as well as data charges with the PCS Connection Cards with Voice. Ease of Use - @@@@ The Sprint/Nextel data services are easy to use. Works With - YYY Sprint/Nextel offers a number of data-enabled phones and the laptop PC card(s) and connectors you'll need to use the service. As with all wireless data services all the phones and equipment are proprietary to the Sprint/Nextel network. Support - pppp Sprint/Nextel's web site includes a help area with a searchable knowledgebase. If you need more help, you can email tech support or call them on their "800" number. Features - iiii Competitive functionality and good performance are included with the Sprint/Nextel services. The phone-based services are especially "rich" with web access, picture mail, video mail, Sprint TV, AOL Instant Messenger and more included. Overall Rating - %%%1/2 Sprint/Nextel's pricing is simple, but if you're planning to use their services for your laptop, the price may be high when compared to other available options.
Get all the time you need! 1000 nationwide Whenever Minutes with T-Mobile for only $39.99! Click here!. Simple Start-Up - ¹¹¹1/2 T-Mobile's wireless data services are straight forward to understand and implement with your phone or via a PC Card (sold by T-Mobile) for your laptop. Cost Effectiveness - $$$$ There are a number of Internet options from T-Mobile.
Time Savings - ¹¹¹¹ If you need mobile access to email, the web or other network-based client information, the T-Mobile data services can results in a big boost in your ability to get things accomplished in your car or on the road. Ease of Use - @@@ The T-Mobile data services are straight forward to use once your installed them and integrated them with your business applications.
As with the services from all wireless providers, the data services and equipment from T-Mobile are proprietary. T-Mobile offers many Internet-enabled phones but only one PC card (which was sold out at the time of this review!). Support - pppp T-Mobile's web site allows you to manage your account and personal information as well as gain access to help technical information. If you need more help, you can email T-Mobile tech support personnel or call them on their "800" number. Features - iiii Competitive product set - especially for their phones - that includes email, web access, video/picture email, AOL Instant Messenger integration and text messaging. Overall Rating - %%%% Competitively priced services that include some very nice options - especially for BlackBerry and Sidekick users.
Simple Start-Up - ¹¹¹ Verizon offers a number of wireless data solutions based on RIM BlackBerry devices, combo phones, Internet-enabled phones, using your phone with your laptop as well as using a PC Card wireless modem. Cost Effectiveness - $$$1/2 Verizon offers a wide variety of wireless data service plans.
Time Savings - ¹¹¹ ¹ If you need constant access to your clients or business partners, this can be a great tool. Verizon offers a number of plans and capabilities that you can customize to meet your particular wireless data needs, from BlackBerry and PDA services to (Unlimited National Access and Broadband Access) for the data-intensive business owner. Ease of Use - @@@ Once you've managed to set up the service with your laptop, phone, PDA or combo phone/PDA the service works well and easily. Works With - YYY As with other wireless carriers' data services, the wireless modems, Internet-enabled phones and combo phone/PDAs that run on the Verizon network are proprietary to that network. Support - pppp Verizon's web site allows you to manage your account and personal settings as well as gain access to technical information that will help you with your wireless service and/or device. If you need more help, you can email Verizon or call their "800" number. Features - iiii Lots of features and capabilities to choose from. The ability to "synch" your phone across the network is a nice service for the business owner who is on the road constantly and hates lugging around a laptop. Overall Rating - %%%1/2 As with any wireless data service provider, the important thing to understand before you sign up, is how much of the service you'll actually use. Overages are bad, but paying for too much service is just as bad. Take your time up front and save some money!
Wireless data services are not cheap. If you can get along without them - so much the better for your pocketbook. However if you need to stay in touch, be prepared to pay the price. These networks were not originally designed for data, and although wireless carriers are making rapid upgrades to optimize their networks for data, they are still slower than "landline" or newer Wi-Fi networks (stop at the local McDonalds or Starbucks instead!). That means you'll get slower performance, more minutes chewed up (in the cases where that is the pricing model) and more money flowing out of your pocket and into that of the carrier. |
|
Treillage Network Strategies, Inc. ©
2006 Send mail to
webmaster@homeofficereports.com with questions or comments about this web
site. |
|
