This week, I got cellular broadband added to my collection of gadgets - oops - I mean "usefool technological tools!"  I needed it from my pickup when visiting clients.

Alltel, a chief and probably the most reliable cellular provider in my area, is now offering cellular broadband.  There are two ways of getting it, one offers a plug in PCMCIA card, $99 with a one year contract, for your laptop and dedicated conncection, about $57 per month.

The second was the avenue I chose.  Use your cellphone and a cable, $26 per month. Certain, cellphones like my new Motorola Rzr are ready for this.  I plug the cable to the side of the phone from my USB port, load the connectivity software, and there it is!  It is not quite as fast as my DSL, but close enough to appreciate.  No reason you could not connect to the USB port on a desktop.  While online, the phone is still capable of receiving a voice call.  If I understand it right, it puts the internet "on hold" while taking the voice call.

The service is advertised as unlimited in my home area, and in kilobytes after that.  I'll be watching my bill closely to see how it adds up.

I look for this to improve my productivity.  Many time while visiting the farm, I need to download a new aerial image of a new farm, for example.  Other times, I need to access soil samples at the lab's web site and change planned crops and yields for new fertilizer recommendations.  I have a couple of growers that I email scout reports to, so now, once finished, send the scouting and recommendation reports on to him.  

Of course, it will be nice to have access to email while out as well, weather forecasts and radar, and, one of my favorite places on the web to visit, AG TALK!