[PLUG] Re: Going online via cell phone?

[Eric House]

sendai at thedustyshelf.com wrote:

> Something to think of in the future when considering your choice of
> providers for a cell phone that will be used with your laptop is
> what type of data technology they are using.
>
> GSM is using GPRS for data which allows up to 56k connections.  Also GSM
> will be the first standard to implement 3G wireless with UMTS and
> maximum data transfer potentials in the gigabit range (although no
> provider will go that high, 256k is not an unreasonable expectation). 
> Actually I am currently working with the new 3G equipment and it is
> sweet from a technical point of view as well.  

Maybe this is getting off topic, but since it's not too late for me to
change my provider let me lay down my criteria for the choice in the
hopes somebody can point me to a better provider -- if there is one.

I need:

1) A cell phone with a Corvallis number that won't charge me for
   roaming in the SF Bay Area, where I spend most of my time.  GSM, or
   at least Cingular, is out because they don't have reliable coverage
   in several of the places I spend a lot of time.  Verizon seems to
   have good coverage where I need to be, and they have a rate plan
   that lets me use the phone without running up bills.

2) I develop handheld apps for a living (current gig is AvantGo, and I
   have a hobby project PalmOS game that's been quite successful; see
   .sig) and want to start playing more with wireless tech, running
   game servers at home, etc.  Unlike some of the other carriers,
   Verizon lets me use my huge bucket of weekend minutes for either
   data or voice.  Contrast my boss's situation: a GSM phone
   (Cingular) that he never uses for data because the per-megabyte
   charge is too high for recreational use.

3) The above two requirements have led me to Verizon, and I'm planning
   on getting a phone/PDA combo branded by AudioVox.  But now I'm
   starting to hear that some phones will work as a modem so that I
   can dial into my ISP from my (Debian) laptop.  (Remember, this is
   my first cell phone; I'm new to this space!)  If indeed it's
   possible to use some phones as modems (not to connect to the cell
   provider's network, but simply to dial to my ISP or even to my home
   phone), but that others won't work (e.g. because they don't support
   the standard AT command set), I'd like to know before I pick my
   phone.
   
I hope that's more clear.

Thanks!

--Eric

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* From the desktop of: Eric House, fixin at peak.org                            *
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