Wireless Internet Air Card Cautions

Wireless Internet Cards or Air Cards have become popular in rural parts of America. This may sound like a safe alternative for high speed Internet, however, let me bring to light some of the issues that may arise with these Air Cards.

Let’s first take a look at the technology behind these Air Cards. Wireless Internet cards share cell phone towers.... Chances are if you do not receive good cell phone coverage you will not receive adequate Internet coverage. I am assuming the vast majority of rural Americans considering this option are dial up Internet users, who sadly may be trading an already unreliable solution for another if they opt for Wireless Internet cards. Air Cards are usually best suited for laptops.  For example you would be unable to use a wireless router in your home if this was connected to a desktop computer. You should also expect installation charges if you do order one of these cards, unless you are technically inclined to install it yourself.

If you are inclined to still opt for a Wireless Air Card, you will need to tread cautiously and make sure there is some kind of opt out or trial period, not a lot of those providers have such options, but spending between $50-$150 to purchase this device and plan can be expensive if it doesn’t work well. Many of providers have two-year contracts with a flat $300 fee for early termination. Check for service guarantees.

The majority of Wireless Internet Aircards services are billed through a cell phone provider.  Think for a minute when you first got your cell phone plan, remember what it was supposed to cost monthly? If you thought your cell phone bill had extra fees just wait. Wireless Internet cards use an allotment, usually 5000 megabytes. When you exceed this allotment, and you most likely will, you are charged rather expensive fees. Just think of the first time you were shocked for texting or data usage on your phone. Now imagine the money you will have to pay after a months worth of Wireless Internet card usage.

There are safer, less expensive and more reliable alternatives to an AirCard Internet provider for rural Americans saddled only with dial up options and that is Satellite Internet service.

Technicians determine your Satellite Internet signal and install if it is strong enough. This is the same process and same technology that applies to Satellite TV. Start up is minimal compared to what it costs years ago. WildBlue Satellite Internet is actually less to start up than competitive dealers and the overall first choice of many rural users. Statements are easy to read and available online with no confusing charges. WildBlue provides the largest data threshold in the industry 7.5-17 gigabytes monthly, so robust in fact that only 3% of WildBlue users actually exceed the limits. If you do, there are no additional fees; your speed is simply slowed down until you have regained enough threshold to get back to full speed. Speeds are approximately 10-30 times faster than dialup.