Alternative Rural Broadband Solution

Anyone who lives or works out in the boonies faces the frustration of limited bandwidth options. All of the good stuff is in town. Well, maybe not all. There is a way that many rural broadband users can stay connected without breaking the bank or waiting for a national buildout that could take years.

Does this involve DSL or Cable broadband? Not much chance of that. Neither the telephone companies nor the cable companies venture far from the city limits with their digital services. Yes, you can get analog phone service anywhere thanks to a longstanding government policy of universal telephone service. These lines will support dial-up Internet access at 56 Kbps max speed. Actually, there are still a lot of people on dial-up simply because they don’t need much more than email and occasional web browsing. If you are still using dial-up, how would you like much faster broadband service for the same price or less?

That sounds like a pretty tall order, but there really is such a solution. It’s available thanks to the massive nationwide construction of the cellular phone network. Originally for voice only, broadband data transmission has been added to nearly all the cell towers. If all you do is talk on a cell phone, you may be unaware that broadband Internet is streaming from the same towers. All you need is a device to access it.

What I’m suggesting is using wireless 3G Internet as your rural broadband solution. It’s available now, it’s priced at about the same level as DSL or cable broadband services, and it penetrates many rural areas. We’ve become so accustomed to thinking of Internet access through wires, that it’s easy to overlook wireless solutions.

So, can you use your cell phone out in the country where you’d like to be able to also use your computer? Yes? Then you’re probably in luck. Granted, voice service may be available in dead spots for broadband. It’s not a sure indicator that making phone calls means that high speed Internet will also work. The more bars, the better. Sometimes you can connect for data, but at a much lower 2G speed that is more like dial-up. You need a decent signal to support 3G broadband speeds.

Those with smartphones can tell pretty quickly how well they can get broadband service where they want to. There are apps for the iPhone and Android models that run speed tests on your data service and tell you how fast your download and upload speeds are. If you are getting 1 Mbps or better, you’re doing well.

Even faster speeds are available with 4G cellular broadband services. Many towers have been upgraded to support the high speed 4G LTE services that can be 10x the speed of 3G. This is pretty spotty to date. Some areas have excellent 4G service. Others have none at all.

How do you connect? One way is to get a tethering plan for your smartphone and use that to power your desktop, laptop and tablet devices. This saves you the cost of a separate service, but you’ll generally have to commit to the largest and most expensive data plans to get the tethering options.

Another option is to go with a no contract service and a USB modem or mobile hotspot. These plans start at $9.99 a month for a small 200 MB plan. That’s half what you pay for a lot of dial-up and it runs faster. It’s good enough for email and occasional surfing. Heavier users can trade up to larger plans of 500 MB, 1 GB or 5GB.

One thing you need to know about cellular plans is that they aren’t really suitable for streaming movies or download large software updates. There just isn’t enough capacity in the system to handle this kind of demand on the airwaves. Consequently, you will be limited to a maximum of 5 GB or so for the month as compared to 250 GB for a popular cable broadband service.

The other thing to know is that even 3G coverage isn’t universal. Way out in the boonies there really is no service for any type of cellular service. However, there are a lot more towers than there used to be and good coverage in exurb areas around major cities. You need to check the coverage maps for any service you intend to purchase to make sure there is solid 3G or 4G signal where you want to have broadband.

Are you interested in a no contract 3G broadband service with plans starting at $9.99 a month? See if this option can provide your connection needs for a rural broadband solution.

A Plethora of Free Android Phones

Christmas is just not Christmas without the phones you love. The true love of smartphone aficionados this year is the Android phone. But, can you really afford to give an Android to a loved one or yourself? You sure can when that Android is free.

Free is a big deal in the world of smartphones. These phones are the cutting edge of technology and have cutting edge prices to match. It’s not unusual to see a price tag of $500 or $600 attached to the latest models. These are computer prices. Come to think of it, a smartphone, particularly an Android smartphone, is as much a computer as it is a telephone. They run on 3G and 4G wireless networks with enough bandwidth to do the sort of things most people use a desktop or laptop computer for. That includes Web browsing, social networking, email and watching videos.

If you think about it, five or six hundred dollars isn’t that extravagant for a fully functioning computer, but why shell out when you can get your choice of Android phone for free? Save your money for a new tablet computer or something else completely. The trick to getting our phone without paying for it is to order it online with a new service plan. You need a cellular service plan anyway, regardless of what phone you pick. The plans carry exactly the same monthly cost whether you buy them in a carrier store, a big box electronics retailer, or through a high volume online retailer. So, why not be smart about where you make the purchase and get a free smartphone in the process?

Let’s take a look at what’s available in the way of free Android phones as of this writing. The selection changes all the time, but there are always lots of models to choose from.

You’ve hear of the DROID INCREDIBLE? It’s an Android 2.2 phone from HTC for Verizon Wireless. This phone is widely discussed and desired. It has an advanced 8 Megapixel digital camera with a 2x power LED flash. The processor is a screaming fast 1 GHz Snapdragon with 8 GB of internal Flash memory. It comes with the HTC Sense user interface that organizes all of your incoming texts, emails, tweets and Facebook messages by sender. You could pay the retail price of $550 to get this incredible INCREDIBLE or you can get yours free when you sign up for a new Verizon Wireless account online.

How about the popular Motorola DEVOUR in silver? It’s a $500 Android smartphone that you can get also get for free with new Verizon Wireless service. This one features a slide-out full QWERTY keyboard in a durable shell. The MOTOBLUR user interface syncs all your messages, status updates and contacts to your customizable homescreens. Your favorite Google apps come preloaded and include Google Maps, GTalk, Gmail, YouTUbe, Latitude and more.

Other popular Android phones available for free right now include the T-Mobile myTouch 4G, LG Optimus T, DROID X by Motorola, Samsung Intercept in gray steel or satin pink, HTC Aria for AT&T, LG Ally, DROID 2, LG Vortex in black or violet, Motorola BACKFLIP, Bravo, CHARM, Citrus, CLIQ, Cliq XT, Flip Out, Flipside, Captivate and Fascinate. That’s a lot of models just from Motorola. The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 for AT&T and T-Mobile Comet are also free.

Do you think that one of these free Android phones might be just what you are looking for this year? Well, don’t wait too long. You want to get yours delivered in time for the holidays and before supplies inevitably run out. Learn more and check out all the free Android special offers, plus an amazing array of other cell phones and high-end Android phones at deep discounts.

Pink Android Intercept Means Business

Remember the movie “Pretty in Pink” with Molly Ringwald? Gotta love the '80's. Anyway, the same title might be applied to the Samsung Intercept in its stunning satin pink case. This is not just a pretty phone, its a pretty hot business machine.

The pink Android's beauty starts with a large three inch touch screen display that gives you access to all your apps. There are thousands available through the Android Market. But unlike lesser touchscreen phones, this one also sports a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard for high speed email, instant messaging and texting to family, friends and colleagues. The email client is equipped to handle Microsoft Direct Push as well as mobile email like Gmail and Yahoo! You’ll be able to view document attachments in Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint to take care of business.

Yes, you have full access to the Internet. The browser is a full HTML Web browser. You’ll be connected at 3G speeds wherever possible through the Sprint 3G network. If you want more download speed or just want to save your 3G Mbytes for on-the-go usage, you also have WiFi capability.

The Intercept is a multimedia phone that lest you send and receive picture and video messages. You’ll always have a high resolution digital camera with you. The included camera offers 3.2 Megapixel pictures good enough to print as well as send. It also works as a camcorder for capturing video at a moment’s notice. Catch the latest news, sports, weather and entertainment with Sprint TV. You can even control your home’s FrontPoint security system.

Will you be sociable using this phone? Yes, you will. Access to Facebook is built-in, as well as access to Twitter. With the real buttons on that full slide-out QWERTY keyboard, you’ll find it effortless to keep up with your social networks. Of course, you can always use the voice network, a.k.a. telephone, when you want to communicate old school.

Speaking of telephone, the Intercept allows you to “intercept” your voicemail using Visual Voicemail. Listen to your voicemail messages in any order and easily manage your inbox without actually calling in.

Another nice feature is integrated GPS that provides support for location-based services like Google Maps. There’s no excuse now for getting “lost” at lunch time and coming back late. Oh, well.

Have you been looking for a high performance smartphone that also has a flair for fashion? This may be the Android phone that you’ve been wanting. If so, you can get it FREE for a limited time when you order online with new service. Learn more and get your Samsung Intercept Satin Pink for Sprint right now.

Of course, there are many other free and low cost smartphone and cell phone models available to you. Visit Cell Phone Plans Finder and check out today’s cell phone specials.

Fascinated By The Samsung Fascinate

Are you familiar with the Samsung Galaxy S series of smartphones? Remember that name. This is the hottest design in cellular phone technology since the venerable Motorola RAZR phones. The whole idea of Galaxy S is to give you a mobile telephone, handheld computer, multimedia center and gaming device in a single ultra-portable package. The Samsung Fascinate for Verizon Wireless is the latest addition to this Galaxy S line.

The technology is as fascinating as the name. This phone sports a 4 inch Super AMOLED screen for a brighter image both indoors and outside where it is really bright. The 1 GHz Hummingbird processor gives you the computing power needed to deal with today’s streaming media. The integrated 5 Megapixel digital camera has both autofocus and the ability to record HD video on the go. Couple that with a DivX video player and MP3 music player.

Software for the Samsung Fascinate is equally impressive. It starts with the Android 2.1 operating system and all the apps that Android supports. You can text with Swype by simply sliding your finger over the letters to draft a text message. An integrated social hub unifies content from your Facebook, Twitter, Email and IM accounts.

How about connectivity? You’ll be connected to the Verizon Wireless 3G network, running the EV-DO Rev A cellular broadband standard. You also have WiFi capability and the ability to create a 3G Mobile HotSpot to wirelessly connect with up to 5 devices. Share your bandwidth or keep mum and enjoy it all to yourself. Oh, is that your boss over there needing a connection? Better enable that device if you know what’s good for your career!

Other fascinating features of this Samsung smartphone include integrated GPS with support for voice-guided, turn-by-turn directions by VZ Navigator. You can download a movie the day it is released with the Blockbuster mobile app. Catch your favorite football team in action with the new NFL mobile app.

Are you fascinated with this exciting new phone? Would you like to have one at a tremendous online discount? If so, learn more and order your Samsung Fascinate for Verizon Wireless now.

Of course, there are many other Android smartphones and other smart and basic cell phones available free or at a deep discount. Check out today’s special deals at Cell Phone Plans Finder and pick your favorite.

POS For Temporary Store Locations

One thing you see every holiday season is the emergence of “pop up stores.” These are temporary retail locations that take over unused floor or store space in malls and strip centers to offer seasonal merchandise. You’ll find them selling christmas decorations or gifts, Halloween costumes, calendars, and other items that only sell for a few weeks or months during the year. When the season is over, they shut down operations until the next year. While these stores are in operation, they need to have the same or even more efficient point of sales systems than regular stores.

Why is POS so important? Simply because the nature of a temporary store is that you have lots and lots of customer traffic in one big burst. Any slowdowns at the checkout lane will drive potential customers to get out of line and go somewhere else. These are sales that can’t be recouped. If you don’t grab them when they’re hot, you don’t get them at all.

Traditional telecom services are a problem for temporary operations of all types. The standard contract for a T1 line or other bandwidth solution is the 1 to 3 year contract. That’s fine for bricks and mortar operations that are a fixture in the community. They know they’ll need the service for at least that long. But what’s a pop-up operation to do? Pay for an entire year’s service even if you need it for only a few weeks to a few months?

Relax. You don’t need to resort to cash only sales or those credit card machines that mangle the cards. You can get highly reliable, fast and secure cashless transactions. What’s more, you can lease this wireless broadband capability on a month to month basis and be up and running in a matter of days. No professional installation is needed. The system comes ready to plug-in and use.

What sort of bandwidth solution is this? It’s a proprietary 3G wireless service from Accel Networks. What Accel has done is make arrangements with the 3G cellular service providers for coverage in the US and Canada. These cover over 90% of business locations, pretty much wherever you can get a strong cell signal. Accel provides you with a bundled proprietary hardware and access solution pre-configured for the best performance at a particular location. Support and monitoring is 24/7. Bandwidth bursts to over 1 Mbps download, considerably more than you’ll likely need for POS even during your busiest times. It’s all PCI compliant so you can accept major credit cards.

Temporary store locations are just one of the important uses for this wireless service. It also works perfectly to provide broadband Internet connectivity to construction trailers, special events, cleanup and rebuilding after natural disasters, or while waiting for permanent wireline services to be installed.

Many businesses use this service on a continuing basis. It takes the place of VSAT satellite terminals, hideously slow dial-up Internet access, and unavailable DSL or Cable broadband. The honest truth is that many smaller businesses don’t need more bandwidth or need to pay higher prices than with this near-universally available business wireless service. These include retail stores, gas stations, convenience stores, quick service restaurants and others.

Do you have a need for temporary or attractively priced wireless broadband service in your business or organization? Find out how little it costs and how fast you can get 3G wireless broadband service at your desired locations. You may wonder why you ever thought you needed a wire.