You bought the RV. Now what? You finally did it. You bought the RV of your dreams and want to see the entire USA. But that one question keeps nagging at you. "How the heck am I going to connect to the internet so I can stay on top of my business, my banking, my bills, and stay in touch with my family & friends?
There are four main ways to connect your Laptop while RVing:
Sprint Phones
1) Wi-Fi hot-spots
2) Using a cell phone to connect to your laptop.
We won't discuss these two because Wi-Fi can be hard to find on the road and using a cell phone is slow, cumbersome, and ties up your voice line.
3) Satellite Service
4) Mobile Broadband Service from Sprint, Verizon, or AT&T using a Data Card
That leaves Satellite and Mobile Broadband as the two real alternatives. In a nutshell, Mobile Broadband is a better alternative for most RVers for the following reasons: Much less equipment cost, lower monthly cost, easier setup, and it works IN MOTION, rolling down the road! The one advantage Satellite would have is that it does work in a few areas where there is no Mobile Broadband coverage, but these areas are very remote (areas where a cell phone does not even work).
Let's compare the costs of each:
Satellite Service - Equipment & Install can cost several thousand dollars for the dish and all the other equipment. Monthly service can be .99 to .99 depending on data speeds.
Mobile Broadband - Cards start at and go up to 0. The monthly rate is .99 a month for speeds up to 3.1Mbps (DSL/Cable type speeds) anywhere in the USA, and include free GPS services. Speeds can vary from dial-up type speed in remote areas to the Broadband speed depending on network build out. See a Coverage Map for details. Setup is as simple as installing a CD in your laptop to add the software. A few more clicks, and you are on the internet.
Clearly, Mobile Broadband is much more economical than Satellite Service. But what other factors are there?
One major advantage of Mobile Broadband is that the service works in motion. Since most RVers drive as couples or have an entire family, this can come in handy. Unlike most Satellite services, passengers don't have to wait for the next stop to connect.
Free Built-In GPS service. Sprint has a new Connection Manager that has a very easy to use GPS service that allows you to see your location on a live map. You can also pull up the nearest restaurant, gas station, or what ever else you may need. Additionally, it even has a Live Traffic service that shows the current traffic conditions, bottlenecks, and accidents on the highways you are on. This service would be most useful to the average RV enthusiast.
Have more than 1 Laptop to connect? Many RVers are learning about the new Mobile Routers which use a Mobile Broadband Card inserted into the router instead of the Laptop directly. The router creates a Wi-Fi signal that up to 5 computers can use at the same time...all for the same .99 monthly fee. This once again adds to the value of Mobile Broadband since more users can take advantage of the service. Also, many RVers now use the Mobile Routers at home also, so they can cancel their Cable or DSL service, saving themselves even more money.
If your life depends on getting internet access every single place you will ever go, and you don't need to use it while in motion, go ahead and get Satellite. If you want to save a lot of money and want a simple and fast way to connect almost anywhere, even in motion, go with Mobile Broadband.
RV Internet - Don't Waste 00's on Satellite!
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