Reader Mail: Best Plans for Broadband Cards?

Reader TomtomC writes: I'm having a harder and harder time finding open Wi-Fi hotspots for my laptop when I'm on the road. Any recommendations for broadband plans from cell carriers? What pitfalls should I look out for?

Hey there! I'm actually in the same boat as you, but for a different reason. I used to tether my trusty Treo 700p (on Sprint) to my MacBook Pro for on-the-go broadband, but I left it on an airplane last month, and I've decided to replace it with a broadband card. I'll probably stay with Sprint since I'm still under contract, but each of the major U.S. carriers has their own plans and lineup of data cards.

Which one's right for you? Short answer: It depends on where you live, how you're planning on using your broadband access, and how much you're willing to spend. Here are a few points to consider before you choose:

Coverage: Both Verizon Wireless and Sprint offer more-or-less national 3G data service (you may get stuck with slower 1XRTT access in outlying areas), while AT&T's HSDPA coverage is still relatively spotty (click here for a list of cities that are covered). So if you do a lot of domestic traveling or you don't live in one of the 3G areas covered by AT&T, you'll probably want to go with either Sprint or Verizon Wireless. (T-Mobile has yet to roll out a 3G data network, although that should change later this year.)

Usage: How do you plan on using your broadband card? Do you just want speedy surfing and e-mail, or will you want to download music and videos, or transfer large files? Both AT&T and Verizon Wireless cap your broadband data usage at 5GB a month; go over that limit, and you may face extra charges (two cents per KB in the case of AT&T) or termination of your service (in the case of Verizon Wireless). For its part, Sprint doesn't appear to have a specific cap on its broadband data plan (or at least, not one that I can find in the fine print), and I've downloaded good-sized videos from iTunes over Sprint without a problem. However, there is a clause in the contract that says you may be disconnected for unspecified "heavy" data usage. (Anyone out there ever run into any downloading limits from Sprint?)

Data cards: Prices for data cards range from free to about $150 (you'll have to sign a two-year contract for the best deals), and in general, you'll have three kinds of cards from which to choose: PC Cards (or Type II PCMCIA), Express Cards, and USB cards. PC and Express Cards tend to be the most compact when they're plugged into your laptop, provided your laptop has the appropriate slot (check your documentation if you're not sure which slot you have). USB-enabled cards tend to protrude more from your laptop; however, almost any laptop under the sun has a USB port. Also, most broadband cards now on sale will work on PC, Mac, and Linux systems, but make sure to check the specs before you buy.

Prices: OK, let's cut to the chase. Broadband data rates are constantly changing, so the prices I'm quoting may be out of date by, oh, tomorrow. But here are the going rates:

• AT&T: $60 a month for 5GB of data, two cents per each KB over 5GB
• Sprint: $40 a month for 40MB of data, one cent for each KB over 40MB (with a maximum charge of $100/month); $60 for unlimited data
• Verizon Wireless: $60 a month for 5GB of data (your service may be disconnected if you exceed the data cap)