With WiFi, laptop-toting road warriors were no longer tethered to cords for internet access. Cutting the cord, however, put the user at the mercy of finding a nearby Starbucks or other hotspot location, only partially providing the sense of freedom that users wanted. Eventually, cell phone companies realized providing high-speed data over cellular networks could be a major business boom, especially if the access could be relatively speedy. Now, we've got a few competing standards that can get you on the internet wirelessly, but there are a few gotchas with each standard. Read on as we break down the basics of wireless net access.

EV-DO

National providers

Sprint and Verizon

Maximum throughput speed:

Rev 0: 2.4 Mbps download, 153 Kbps upload
Rev A: 3.1 Mbps download, 1.8 Mbps upload

Provider bandwidth caps

5GB download per month on both Sprint and Verizon.

Pricing:

$59.99 / month for Sprint & Verizon

EV-DO was one of the first acceptable-speed mobile internet acecss methods, and its tried and true approach to 3G data works effectively. Rather than being offered as a sort of wired broadband replacement, the pricey services from Sprint and Verizon are seen as more of an office broadband augmented luxury rather than a way to replace the home DSL service to which users have grown accustomed. EV-DO gets the job done in the mobile broadband department, and currently its what I use when I'm on the road (although through a tethered phone). However, take note of the 5GB download cap per month. If you're planning to use this as your primary connection and are any sort of power user, 5GB gets eaten up pretty quickly.

HSDPA / UMTS / EDGE

Providers

AT&T and T-Mobile

Maximum throughput speed

HSDPA: 3.6 Mbps dowload, 1.2 Mbps upload
UMTS: 700 Kbps download, 500 Kbps upload
EDGE: 384 Kbps download, 236 Kbps upload

Provider bandwidth caps:

AT&T: 5GB
T-Mobile: none

Pricing:

$60 for HSDPA / UMTS on AT&T
$49.99 for EDGE / HSDPA (coming soon) on T-Mobile

Though it's coming late to the game, 3G connection through AT&T and T-Mobile could end up being more appealing than EV-DO. The primary reason? Speed. EV-DO isn't seeing nearly as much speed increase as HSDPA and UMTS. However, the biggest problem with current implementations by AT&T and T-Mobile is that the network coverage is rather spotty. EV-DO access stretches nearly nationwide, and Sprint and Verizon have roaming agreements on each others' networks, meaning there are few EV-DO deadspots. HSDPA and UMTS, however, started rolling out slowly after EV-DO, and haven't yet caught up. In fact, T-Mobile literally just started rolling out its 3G network in August 2008, and its technology isn't cross compatible with AT&T's technology, due to some differences in implementation -- meaning T-Mobile and AT&T high-speed users can't roam on each other's networks for increased coverage.

HSDPA and UMTS are in their infancy still, so if you're in an area (or travelling frequently to an area) with good mobile broadband coverage with UMTS / HSDPA and are looking for higher speeds than EV-DO, it might be worth a look. However, do some coverage area research before plunking down the cash. Be aware that the 5GB download cap still applies, too.

WiMAX

Provider

Sprint XOHM

Maximum throughput speed

5 Mbps download, 2.6 Mbps upload

Provider bandwidth caps

No caps on bandwidth

Pricing

$35 / month for "home"
$45 / month for "on the go"
$65 / month for combo
$10 / single day access

The least widespread but most exciting high-speed data technology is WiMAX. While currently it's only deployed using Sprint's XOHM network in Baltimore, this up and coming technology shows the most forward looking promise of any of the cellular data options. Currently, the throughput speeds are around 5 Mbps, but WiMAX has a forward looking approach that'll have higher speeds as the netowrk continues to be deployed. Remember those 5GB bandwidth caps of UMTS/ HSDPA and EV-DO? WiMAX doesn't have them. Sprint says the real story behind WiMAX is the capacity story, rather than the high-speed story, in that the architecture behind WiMAX allows providers to more efficiently manage the network, thereby allowing people to use it as their primary internet access method. Sprint's bargain basement pricing for the Baltimore-exclusive WiMAX rollout looks very inviting, however those of us outside of 'Monument City' will be stuck waiting for WiMAX rollouts nationwide over the next few years.

Other notes

Getting online with cellular data means you'll have to meet a couple of requirements. For starters, you'll have to have a semi-modern laptop that has at minimum a USB port, but most of the providers also offer solutions using ExpressCard. For PC users, that means you'll need to have a system that has either an available USB port or ExpressCard 34 slot (the skinny kind, pictured left). For Mac users, MacBooks only have USB ports, while the MacBook Pro has an ExpressCard 34 slot as well as a USB port.

Some laptops, like many in Sony's Vaio series, include built-in mobile broadband without having to plug in an external device. These notebooks will work with a specific network type, and you'll have to contact your provider to figure out how to sync up the laptop with the network.

Also, while we're mainly focusing on adding broadband to laptops, many of the service providers listed also offer some form of "tethering" to cell phones, meaning your phone turns into the modem. Often times these plans are less expensive than the plans we've outlined above, but you'll again have to check with your provider to see if your phone is compatible.