Mobile Broadband From O2 - Is It Too Little, Too Late?

O2 recently announced their mobile broadband offering, making them the last of the big 5 operators to get involved in that online world. But is their offering good enough? Is it too little too late?

Mobile Broadband - why is it important?

Mobile broadband is changing the world, no two ways about it. The ability to get online, and to get broadband speeds of upwards of 1.8Mbps, while in motion, is a great thing to have. Just imagine surfing the net on the train, or on holiday, or in a pub, or even on the beach, all using your own connection, and all getting the kind of super-fast speeds you'll get at home. That's what mobile broadband is, and that's why it's great.

Of the big 5 networks, 4 of them already offer amazing deals on mobile broadband. You've got T-Mobile, the trend-setter, the first ones to really go headlong into it. You've got Three, the funky one, offering super-cheap mobile broadband deals. You've got Orange, the unlimited one (well, unlimited, but capped), with a sexy, slim modem. And you've got Vodafone, the fast one, with speeds up to 7.2Mbps. But where's O2 in that list?

O2 Mobile Broadband - was it worth the wait?

Well, now, O2 have announced their mobile broadband offering. And, I'm sorry to say, it's rubbish. The cheapest package comes in at 20 per month, which is nowhere near good enough, when compared to the other 4 networks. And then there is the big killer, the big fly in the ointment. You can only get O2 mobile broadband if you're already an existing O2 customer. Erm. Hello? O2? That's rubbish. Do you not want new customers on your network?? All in all, it's a serious let-down, and a real shame.

Looks like it can be summed up in one phrase, unfortunately. O2: great for mobile phones, absolute bobbins for mobile broadband...

Expert on mobile phones and mobile broadband, having worked in the industry for over 7 years.

Streamyx Value Added Services
Streamyx Combo 140
Streamyx Business
Streamyx Combo 384k
Streamyx Combo 90
Streamyx Business
Streamyx
Streamyx Business
Streamyx Broadband
Streamyx Tmpoint
Streamyx
Streamyx Combo 4MB
Streamyx Corporate
Streamyx Registration
WIMax

Broadband, Policy and the Future

There is no heavy technology in a recent New York Times story on growth of Internet congestion. That's for the best, since two of the worthwhile points the piece makes would be obscured if readers were knee-high in bits and bytes. The takeaway is that the dramatic stresses on the Internet - in the form of both a higher volume of data and the need to support far more finicky convergence applications - is being met by an equal growth in the technology. In other words, demands are growing, but so are the Internet's capabilities.

Maintaining this equilibrium going forward is more than a technical issue. The writer says it also is a matter of public policy, which is a big deal in an election year. Clearly, there are more pressing issues for the candidates to deal with, such as the overall economy and the war in Iraq. The approach to broadband infrastructure nonetheless is a very important issue in terms of the nation's competitiveness.

The Internet is so fundamental that broadband policy has become an important national issue. A recent executive summary from a long report from EDUCAUSE backs provisioning of 100 Mbps of capacity to every home and business in America by 2012. This would be paid for by a $100 billion Universal Broadband Fund.

The organization, which advocates the use of information technology in higher education, suggests that there will be a shortfall of capacity in the near future and says that the United States is lagging behind other nations because of our deregulatory approach. The writer concedes that such an approach offers some benefits. It has a fatal flaw, however: Many elements that are important to society but not in the interests of the companies building the network get short shrift. Benefits of upgrading to 100 Mbps include fiber's lower maintenance costs and a huge stimulus to the economy. Such networks could expand beyond 100 Mbps.

Public versus private seems to be shaping up as a vital issue. Here, Reclaim the Media editorializes on California's Broadband Task Force's final report. The report and the editorial say that there are about 2,000 communities in the state without broadband access and many others that are underserved. The editorial bemoans the fact that the task force advocates the use of private providers to build out the system. A better approach, the paper says, is public ownership. This will give communities more control over their telecommunications futures.

The general consensus is that we are at a crossroads in terms of our national telecommunications infrastructure. That was a point made by Michael Kleeman last autumn in the San Francisco Chronicle Kleeman, a senior fellow at UC San Diego and at the Annenberg Center for Communication at USC, wrote that the telecommunications infrastructure is as real as that supporting water, electricity and roads. The basic difference - that it is invisible to end users - doesn't lessen its relative importance. The bottom line, he says, is that the traditional Internet infrastructure can't support the demands increasingly being put on it. Writes Kleeman:

"It's as if every home in America suddenly needed 10 times more water at 10 times the quality coming out of the same sized faucet. Today, the average home uses as much bandwidth as a major office park did a few years ago."

He says that the United States has gone from fourth to 15th place in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's broadband ranking.

The United States isn't the only nation facing these issues, of course. This Telegraph story outlines similar challenges in the UK. If anything, the situation is more stark: 90 percent of Brits connect via broadband. The comments are similar to remarks about infrastructure on this side of the Atlantic. The common wisdom seems to be that demand is growing at a frightening pace, but that if prudent measures are taken - such as herding folks into the type of service that most suits them and transferring some demand onto wireless - the situation can be handled.

Streamyx Promotion
Streamyx Registration
Streamyx Business
Streamyx Free Gifts
Streamyx
Streamyx Home Basic
Streamyx Installation Guide
Streamyx Online Registration
Streamyx Combo Terms and Conditions
Streamyx Combo Terms and Conditions
Streamyx Business Enterprise
Streamyx Business Enterprise
Streamyx Combo 140
Streamyx Technical
Streamyx Business

Free GPS Feature With Sprint Mobile Broadband Cards

There are some new GPS features that are now available for use with Sprint Mobile Broadband cards on your laptop. If you already needed a Broadband Card to access the internet anywhere, now you have a great added feature that does not cost a penny extra.

Most everyone knows what GPS is, but what can it actually do for you? Quite a bit, as you will see.

Equipment needed: Just a Sierra Air Card 595, 597E Express Card, or the 595U USB card and a $59.99 Unlimited data plan from Sprint. After installing the latest connection manager downloaded from Sprint and installing the card into the laptop, you are now ready to go.

Now, anytime you would like to use the GPS feature, simply have the connection manager open and click on the GPS tab. Upon opening the GPS tab, you will see a drop down menu. This includes your Latitude and Longitude, and Altitude readings.

Searching the Map

Under this, you will see several icons for Restaurant, Banks, Hotels, and Gas Stations. All you need to do is click on the icon and you will instantly open a map. In the center of the map, you will see your exact location. Then, if you select restaurant for example, all the nearest restaurants will pop up on the map with a push pin. By clicking on the push pin, you will see details about that restaurant, including exact address, phone numbers, and web site addresses. Now you will have real-time access to all the local info you need. Additionally, if you want to search for something else, simply click on the Search icon. You can search for any type of business or attraction.

Real Time Traffic

This feature can save you lots of time and trouble. By simply clicking on the Traffic button, all the highways will become color coded with Green, Yellow, and Red. Green represents open highways and little traffic, where Red means speeds of less than 25 MPH. If there are any accidents, a caution icon will pop up at the exact location of the incident, so you can avoid the area. Just don't use these GPS features if while you are driving. You don't want a caution icon over your location.

Driving Directions

Have you ever wanted to know the best route from point A to point B? Many people are familiar with online maps. This is very similar, but with a nice twist. Now, you can see yourself move in real-time as you follow the best route outlined by the map.

If you already own a GPS enabled Mobile Broadband Card from Sprint, be sure to take advantage of these great new features that will make your life easier and more fun. Happy Travels.

Steve Sasman is the owner of http://www.MoreMobileInternet.com This site is full of all the latest Mobile Internet information. More Mobile Internet also carries Mobile Routers, Antennas, Amplifiers and other accessories to make the technology work even better.

Streamyx Combo 140
Streamyx Installation Guide
Streamyx 512k
Streamyx Packages
Streamyx Registration
Streamyx Free Modem
Streamyx
Streamyx Coverage
Broadband Malaysia
Streamyx Soho
Streamyx Coverage
Streamyx Free Modem
Streamyx Combo Terms and Conditions
Streamyx Self Installation Guide
Streamyx Value Added Services