We have all become accustomed to lightening speed web surfing on our computers and laptops with the introduction of broadband high speed internet connections. To use our cell phones for finding information on the internet can be a laborious and time consuming task. However, broadband technology is now moving nicely into the cell phone market and we can now have a broadband cell phone as part of our surfing armoury.



The Broadband Cell Phone Technology

Initially we had the introduction of GPRS and more recently, 3G (Third Generation). Apart from their speed, your web surfing time or indeed email downloads, are based on the amount of data retrieved or downloaded whereas the traditional use of cell phones for internet connection calculated cost on the length of time connected to the internet. A broadband cell phone is far more convenient therefore as it stays permanently connected and you only pay for actual usage.

The latest offering of 3G allows connection/download rates of between 220 - 320 kilobits per second, peaking at 380 kbs and is much faster than GPRS and considerably faster than normal cell phone internet connections. Whilst this is not up to the speed of our cable or DSL broadband connections, it is certainly a welcomed improvement on what we have been used to so far.

The Costs

The majority of cell phone contracts will encompass a fixed level of data usage i.e. the amount of information you can download, but going over this level will attract further fees which can add up and become costly. It is very important therefore to monitor your usage closely if you do not want to be faced with massive bills. Rather than downloading all of your emails, why not consider just downloading the header information and only download those emails you really need to see immediately and leave the others until you get home to your computer.

It is not necessary anymore to have a fixed price monthly contract to avail yourself of the broadband cell phone services as this is now also available on Pay As You Go cell phones.

Notwithstanding the broadband cell phone speed, viewing the internet on such a small screen can be irksome. The cell phone could however, be used as a modem for your laptop so that you can view the web pages in a larger format whilst still taking advantage of the broadband cell phone's speed capabilities.

Not All Good News

There are drawbacks to this service though. It is necessary to have a clear and strong signal and if you find yourself in an area that has poor coverage, you are going to struggle connecting to the internet. However, the cell phone service providers are continually improving their coverage all of the time and this is becoming less of an issue. You will need to research your potential service provider to check on their area of signal coverage.

Whatever the drawbacks, this enhanced technology is all good news for mobile connectivity and communication with quality and coverage improving all of the time. Just be aware of the potential costs involved with your broadband cell phone for mobile internet surfing.