Set up my Verizon national-access wireless-internet plan today

[MicroBob]

This is not an endorsement for Verizon specifically.
I don't know if it's any good or not because I haven't done anything on it yet.
Cingular is out there as are a couple of other plans.

Just relating my experience so far because I suspect there are many people who are interested in this stuff.

Verizon is running TV advertisements for their national-access unlimited internet packages.

It's $59.99/mth IF you already have a Verizon voice-plan (meaning your cell is with Verizon).

It's $79.99/mth otherwise (as is the case for me...but I may switch to Verizon by Jan 5 for phone-service if all goes well to get the internet price cut-down to $59.99).


I also had to purchase a wireless network-access card.
He recommended the Kyocera KPC650 which also has a little external antenna. Costs $150 if you get the 2-year broadband/national access plan.


There are a couple of cheaper cards...including one for $49 which was their very first card but that one doesn't even get the broadband access because it's so old.


Anyway - the cust-serv rep was VERY helpful and mentioned that he's been selling quite a few of these lately (I told him it's because of the TV spots they've started running for this).


The digital cell-phone coverage area is pretty good in the Eastern half of the U.S. (they have coverage maps on the website).

Anywhere you can get Verizon digital-service you can get the internet-service which will usually be approx. 2x the speed of dial-up (which is plenty for playing online-poker...I play on regular dial-up all the time).

In the major cities you will have broadband speed...but this isn't available in Memphis yet.
No problem...probably moving in May or June anyway so maybe our new location will have it (initial plans to move to one of our favorite cities, New Orleans, have now been cancelled obviously).


I get a 15-day free-trial to see if I like it and how it works.

Obviously drop-outs are the primary concern for me.
Tdarko says he takes his with him throughout his travels. when he is in an area where he would normally have a decent cell-phone signal he doesn't have drop-out problems for the most part. He has a different plan than Verizon though I believe but I suspect it's mostly the same (no matter how much each one will tell you that they have the BEST coverage in america, blah blah blah).


There is also a concern about whether Verizon will get upset if you are on non-stop. but this is for purposes of running a server or a web-cam or something that they would have a problem.
They can terminate your service at any time if they think you are using it to host a web-site (or something like that).

but I think that even up to 10-15 hours a day surfing and internet-poker type usage would not fall into their range of problem-areas.
They teminate your internet-connection after a few minutes of non-usage anyway.

So probably they won't be as happy if you are a hard-core overnight-type data-miner on the party tables for example (which I am not).


I'm really looking forward to getting it and then purposefully going out of my way to play in a park or some area where I would not normally have internet access.


If I like it enough after the 15-day trial-period then I will be cancelling my stupid dial-up service and just using it as my primary (and also using my WiFi card when in such an area).


I especially like the idea of not paying $8-10/day for wireless service in an airport or a hotel or some other hotspot that only allows specific services (like TMobil at Starbucks) as seems to be a growing trend.

And if we happen to move to one of the markets that have the broadband access (and they should hopefully be adding more) then I will hopefully be doing even better speed-wise.

We're likely taking a road-trip at end of Sept up to Wash DC and then over to Cumberland, MD/Keyser, WV area (to visit my grandmother).
The thought of getting to play poker on the internet while we're heading up there is particularly appealing to me.

We'll see how good the coverage is...as we will be travelling through some areas that definitely won't have digital-cell service at all (especially Western Maryland and West Virginia). But for most of the trip I expect it should work pretty well.


Hope this info helps some of those who are looking to become even more portable with their computers like I am.