The Benefits of a Sprint Mobile Broadband Card

Due to the evolving nature of cellular and Internet technology, it seems inevitable that the two would eventually intersect. At first this combination displayed its possibilities in small ways: text messaging from the phone followed by e-mail, and finally the first phones with web browsers became available. Now with the newest generation of phones and other cellular products, the gap between these two technologies gets smaller still with the availability of true broadband speeds through cellular technology. One product that offers this newest advancement is the Sprint Mobile Broadband card.

What is the EV-DO Advantage?

Sprint Mobile Broadband service takes advantage EV-DO technology, which stands for evolution-data optimized. EV-DO is a wireless standard that is being deployed as part of the new phone networks coming in place today. It is specifically designed to handle faster speeds. Sprint Mobile Broadband is able to achieve true broadband speeds on their broadband cards and devices which utilize this EV-DO technology. It is possible to achieve speeds  ranging from around 1 Mbps transfer rate to about 3 Mbps transfer rate. This is significantly faster than the speed of the older GSM networks, which are more comparable to dial-up speeds.

Potential Disadvantages

Are there any disadvantages to Sprint Broadband Mobile service? Yes, and most stem from the fact that the technology used is still fairly new to the market. Sprint Mobile Broadband isn't yet available everywhere in the US, though it is offered in most of the major metropolitan areas and also in areas with airports. Therefore, some rural customers may not be able to use the service despite its wireless nature. And because the service has only been in use since about 2004, it's still pretty expensive at prices around $50 a month. So for those on a budget, it may not be the best choice for broadband service.

Best Uses

Considering the price of the service, you may wonder who can benefit most from Sprint Mobile Broadband service? Clearly one group who can justify the cost of the service is business professionals who travel a lot, whether it's flying in and out of airports or travelling by car. A mobile Internet service allows business professionals to continue to be productive and to enjoy the benefits of a virtual office wherever they may be. While it still remains to be seen whether this service will evolve into something the average person will choose to use, Sprint Mobile Broadband is helping to forge new developments in Internet and cellular technology.