Wired Internet connections, such as DSL, provide consistent speeds.
Mobile broadband and DSL both are types of high-speed Internet service that consumers may consider as alternatives to high-speed cable, satellite, or traditional dial-up. Cellular providers typically offer mobile broadband solutions for devices such as laptops and smartphones, while telephone companies and some other Internet service providers offer DSL Internet services for business and residential customers. Availability of broadband Internet in early 2011 still depends on location, but rapid changes are under way.
Definitions
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) service provides an always-on, broadband connection through your phone line, using an external modem. DSL does not interfere with other uses of your phone line. DSL providers offer subscription packages based on speed. Whether you can get DSL in your home, however, depends in part on your distance from your phone company's nearest hub, called a "central office." That factor determines whether the copper wire carrying the signal is too long to produce the required broadband quality and data-transfer rate.
If you can receive an adequate signal, you can use mobile broadband with your laptop, smartphone, or other Internet-enabled devices at home or on the road. Mobile broadband is offered by cellular phone service providers and is transmitted and received through microwave or radio signals. It is available where an adequate signal is available. Cellphone signals are used to carry voice, and mobile broadband is used for data transfer. Different providers have developed various technologies for their mobile broadband networks, and the technologies have been undergoing rapid change and expansion.
DSL vs. Mobile broadband speeds
DSL offers a higher theoretical data transfer speed than mobile broadband does. Verizon, for example, offers packages starting at 768 kilobits per second and ranging to 15 megabits (mbps) per second at the high end. However, actual DSL speeds depend on factors such as the distance between the home and the provider's hub (central office). That means advertised DSL speeds are theoretical maximums, not necessarily the speed you can get at your home.
Mobile broadband companies also advertise peak speeds, which also may not be what the customer will experience. Typically, providers advertise fourth generation (4G) speeds. For example, Verizon advertises its 4G network and speeds ranging between 5 and 12 Mbps. However, while 4G smartphones and other technology is being sold, 4G networks are largely not yet deployed. The signal outside the metropolitan areas where 4G has been deployed may only reach a maximum speed of approximately 1.4 Mbps -- if 3G technology is available. It is entirely possible that your mobile broadband connection may not achieve even these speeds, as 3G availability also is spotty.
Cost Plans
You may be able to receive discounts when bundling DSL with others services, including phone or television service. However, you may pay more if you choose not to sign a contract with your provider. DSL modems are compatible with wired or wireless routers so that you can create a local area network between computers and other Internet-enabled devices and peripherals in your home to share access to files as well as the Internet connection.
Because of its portability, mobile broadband is useful to people who travel frequently for their work. Providers offer a choice between prepaid contract plans and pay-as-you-go plans that allow you to purchase service only as needed. If you need on-the-road Internet access only occasionally, you may enjoy the contract-free mobile broadband option.
Future Potential
Goal 2 of the Federal Communication Commission's National Broadband Plan, released in March, 2010, says "The United States should lead the world in mobile innovation, with the fastest and most extensive wireless networks of any nation." AT&T, one of the four largest companies rapidly moving to accomplish that goal, announced on March 20, 2011 that it would buy the fourth largest of those companies, T-Mobile. If approved, the purchase will make AT&T the largest cellular provider in the U.S. and add to AT&T's 4G network. AT&T had previously said it expected two-thirds of its mobile broadband traffic to be 4G by the end of 2011. In the past, companies have used a variety of platforms to deliver mobile broadband, but with 4G development a standard may be emerging. Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile all have been rapidly developing 4G networks based on LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology, which uses a radio platform instead of microwave technology. Sprint's 4G networks use a microwave protocol called WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access).
Tags: mobile broadband, mobile broadband, your home, your phone, adequate signal, broadband connection, broadband with
