Why I’ll be Abandoning My Verizon Wireless AirCard

Not too long ago I signed up for the Verizon Wireless laptop data plan which provides access to the internet virtually anywhere. My first experience using the service was a 2-hour trip to east Texas, which if you know this area you’d know this is no small feat. And while I’m perfectly happy with the speed and coverage provided by Verizon Wireless I can’t justify the nearly $70 bill each month when I now have several extremely viable alternatives. Let me explain.

VIABLE ALTERNATIVE #1 (FREE WI-FI TO IPHONE USERS):

Just yesterday, AT&T announced that it is providing all iPhone users access to free wi-fi service at it’s more than 17,000 US locations. This means that aside from my always-connected iPhone via 3G and :gasp: Edge service, I now have the ability to perform more bandwidth-intense functions at a huge number of AT&T wi-fi hotspots.

VIABLE ALTERNATIVE #2 (FREE WI-FI TO STARBUCKS CUSTOMERS):

A few months ago Starbucks and AT&T announced a partnership whereby Starbucks would kick T-Mobile to the curb and make way for AT&T to install wi-fi in all Starbucks company-owned stores. With this came the benefit that Starbucks would now provide 2-hours of complimentary wi-fi to it’s Starbucks rewards customers. To become a rewards customer and eligible for free wi-fi service, you simply need to purchase a Starbucks gift card and register online. The only catch is you have to keep the card loaded with cash and use it at least once per month. Considering Starbucks is literarily a second home (or second office) for my partners and I while in startup mode, maintaining the rewards requirements is a piece of cake.

VIABLE ALTERNATIVE #3 (TETHERING TO AN IPHONE):

Although not officially sanctioned by AT&T nor Apple, the iPhone development community has several software options that enable a user to access the internet on their laptop via an active iPhone connection. The setup process is more involved because it requires jailbreaking your iPhone to enable loading of third-party applications onto your phone. While most of the steps are automated, I would only recommend this option to advanced users. There have been reports of speeds in excess 800kbs using AT&T 3G and obviously a bit faster if your iPhone is connected via wi-fi. If you’re interested in going down this route, check out the following links:

CONCLUSION:

Even though I will be forced to pay an early termination fee of around $150, this represents just two months of billing and significantly less expensive than riding out the balance of the contract. What other free (or close to free) options do you use, is there anything I missed?