Friday, January 23, 2009

Rural Internet? Is it really that hard to get Internet?


Lately I have read plenty of articles of small town rural areas that have residents and local officials complaining that they are left behind in the digital age. The great digital divide. There is of course Obama's Broadband Roadmap article as well which never mentions some very viable options that are already available. Granted, there certainly are areas that have limited options as compared to a metro area. However when it comes to rural Internet, most people would be surprised to learn that most areas already have High Speed Mobile Broadband from Sprint or Verizon. No, most don't need Cable or DSL to get Broadband! I invite any rural readers to check your actual street coverage especially on Verizon who has lots of rural broadband coverage. There are even amplifiers and antennas that allow you to get service outside the actual coverage areas!

Another misconception is that Mobile Broadband is only for laptops. Not true! Small offices and homes with 2 to 5 computers can easily share one Sprint or Verizon aircard, along with a Mobile Router, to create a wireless network just like with Cable or DSL.

Is Mobile Broadband a little more expensive that some other options? Yes, at $59.99 a month it is a bit more...but don't forget it also works anywhere in the USA compared to just one location with Cable or DSL, so you are getting more actual service as well. Hopefully people will start to realize that Mobile Broadband is a real option. It has been my only connection to the web for over 3 years!

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