Verizon Wireless Mobile Broadband Internet Review

Recently I decided to switch my Internet service provider. I decided to go hi-tech and give Verizon Wireless mobile broadband access a try.

Verizon Wireless mobile broadband works a lot like a Wi-fi signal, but with much greater range. Verizon beams out an Internet signal from a tower. The signal is picked up by a modem that you plug in to your computer. The service includes nationwide access that works in most metropolitan areas, so you can use it in any coverage area in the U.S.

I signed up for a one year contract at $59.99 a month. I also had to buy a modem for $49.99 after a mail-in rebate and there was a $35.00 activation fee. The Verizon Wireless mobile broadband plan also imposed a 5 GB limit on uploading and downloading data, charging 25 cents per MB for any overages. The guy at the Verizon store told me that the limit wouldn't be a problem as long as I didn't download a lot of movies.

Installation of the modem and software for Verizon Wireless mobile broadband is a snap. You simply insert the setup up disk and follow the instructions on the screen. Make sure not to plug in the modem until the instructions on the screen tell you to.

In less than five minutes, I had Verizon Wireless mobile broadband up and running. I logged on to the Internet and I was surfing through web pages at adequate speeds.

I wanted to see what Verizon Wireless mobile broadband was really made of, so I decided to test it out on something that required a little more speed. I don't download music or movies, but I do enjoy watching streaming video of sporting events. I decided to watch some live streaming video of the Wimbledon tennis championships.

Unfortunately, my first couple of attempts at watching live streaming video failed completely. This failure to play streaming video didn't sit well with me. The inability to watch video online was one of the biggest reasons I had ditched my previous Internet provider.

The modem for Verizon Wireless mobile broadband has a reception display on the side. Not surprisingly the reception display looks a lot like reception bars that they have on cell phones. My reception was two bars out of a possible four. Maybe the problem with the streaming video was simply poor reception.

I searched the house for better reception. I finally settled on my bedroom where I was able to get three bars. Crossing my fingers, I tried to access the streaming video of Wimbledon again. Presto! There was Raphael Nadal dismantling his opponent on the bright green grass of Wimbledon. As I watched the match I noticed a few glitches in the picture periodically, but nothing major.

I was ready to consider Verizon Wireless mobile broadband a good buy, until I discovered an unpleasant surprise on day two of the service.

Only two days after I installed Verizon Wireless mobile broadband, I had already used over 400 MB of data! I did the math and figured that if I kept using data at the same pace I would end up about 1000 MB over the usage limit! That would cost me about $250 in overage fees!

Luckily for me I noticed these facts quickly. Verizon has a five day period where you can cancel your plan without paying an early termination fee. I cancelled my plan at my local Verizon store the next day.

I recommend Verizon Wireless mobile broadband service to people who travel to a lot of metropolitan areas and need to check there email often.

I do not recommend the Verizon Wireless mobile broadband service to anyone who downloads music, movies, or watches streaming video of any kind. The overage fees are ridiculous, making this service not worth the risk.