I know I'm not the first to ask and won't be the last.

Someone I know is considering getting unlimited mobile broadband service in the US. They want to be able to get on the net whenever and wherever they need to (don't want to have to serach out the nearest wifi hot spot).They have looked at Sprint, AT&T and Verizon. Whom do you use and why? Are there others they need to check out? Unlimited Service prices run $59 - $79/month and cards start at $9.95 (Sprint is having a special I guess) and average about $49.

OK, fire away!

I'm using Sprint. Verizon unlimited is not really unlimited. Once you hit 5gb (?) in a given month they cut you off until the next month. Their reasoning is if you're using more than 5gb you're doing something you shouldn't be doing, like using the internet. VZW is also famous for blocking net services.

Sprint isn't great, but they haven't yet given me a hard time about bandwidth, usage and all that. The other thing they had in their favor when I signed up was a USB adapter - my primary notebook is a Macbook. Other notebook is an old Thinkpad running Linux (Gentoo).

Sprint.

Sprint @ $51/month unlimited data. See if you can find a sprint employee that can give you a website with the special pricing tiers. I don't remember the price of the pci card, I think it was around 50-100$.

Sprint.

It is most reliable.

Sprint SERO can get you the broadband card for $40 a month.

I'm using Sprint because of our corporate contract. I kept my T-Mobile wi-fi account to use in the RCC. For some reason, the Sprint card doesn't work well there.

Sprint. I've had them all and currently have AT&T and Sprint. AT&T's HSDPA is actually better, but coverage is pitiful. Verizon, as mentioned, has usage policies that are not exactly customer friendly. T-mobile is too slow to consider, and we won't mention Nextel if they even still offer data.

Sprint's network has the largest 3G footprint, their throughput is IME much better than Verizon, their software is less invasive and they offer a great variety of connection devices. They're last on my list of voice providers, but first on the list for data.

[QUOTE=businesstraveler;8214498]I know I'm not the first to ask and won't be the last.

First off there is no such thing as unlimited, no matter what they adverstise. My assumption is that you are talking about phone service and not laptop, If you were speaking about laptop, it is a no brainer Verizon.

Phone service depends pf where you are going and how you are getting there. If you are flying to only major cities (Chicago, Atlanta, New York, Boston) then any service will do and go on price, Here ATT is best. If you are traveling small-big and mid-size cities and along north-south interstates (Minneapolis, Denver, Austin, Bosie, Orlando, Charlotte) then go with Sprint, It and Verizon service overlap 99% with Sprint being cheaper. If you are traveling east-west interstates by car or small towns Helena, Taos, Bangor then Verizon has the most complete and reliable service.

I travel to small towns all the time and have found Verizon's broadband service works where others can not even make a call.

I am using sprint, via SERO so for 30$ a month including the phone plan and I tether the phone. you can certainly get the cards for free, and pay 40$ a month for the broadband service. Nice thing about the phones at least, is that they will roam on the Verizon EVDO network when a Sprint one isn't available, not sure if that is the case with the BB cards themselves.

Service is pretty darn good. I get 1200 at my house, which is WAY more than I expected. I get about 700-800 is most good places and 350-550 is most other places.

nmenaker, which phone do you use for this? Also, I thought that obtaining data thru SERO limited the amount of bandwidth you could use and Sprint prevented laptop use. Is this not the case anymore?

I presume that you can get Sprint without a voice plan..
and if that's so, is the rate higher?

I use the treo 700wx for the tethering, not sure about data limits, they are not in the contract. Tethering a phone, is techincally a no no, but there are nice easy ways around it. I haven't had a problem in three years, come to think of it, I haven't heard or READ of anyone having a problem with it, unlike with VZ which has been known to terminate people if their data usage goes over 5GB a month or something. Technically, it is IN the VZ contract as such.

But my throughput it fine. I am going to buy the new mogul 6800 from sprint in a few months when the Rev A update is out and see if the speed is measuarably higher.

I had VZ but moved to AT&T and have liked it so far. Quick in some aresa, slow in others, but that is what you get.

I recently went with AT&T and have found it reliable. You get 3G in the metro areas and EDGE everywhere else.