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Join the band: go on tour with these mobile broadband systems

Now that cellular networks are starting to achieve broadband speeds in major markets, entrepreneurs are taking advantage of the faster data speeds on their mobile phones. But there's no reason you need to be limited to your phone. Why not bring your laptop or PDA to the party? Assorted hardware devices let you capture data over broadband cellular connections.
For example, OmniWav Mobile's MBR-1100 (www. omniwav.com) is an in-vehicle system that lets you connect any Wi-Fi or Ethernet-enabled device to the internet. The vehicle broadband package costs $979, and the data service contract through Verizon Wireless is about $80 for unlimited use. Its range extends up to 300 feet, so you can still get online out side your car. A portable package version is also available so you can connect at your hotel, at a trade show or at a customer's site.
For a less expensive alternative, check out Novatel's Merlin V620 Wireless PC Card Modem (www. novatelwireless.com), which runs about $100 with a service plan. It also works with Verizon's EV-DO network and will keep your laptop connected on the go. Generally, data speeds aren't quite up to your office broadband line, but they're sufficient for use on the road. Check provider websites to see if these services are available in your area yet. As broadband network rollouts continue, expect the number of similar solutions and providers to grow.

Free phone calls with broadband offered by Eclipse Internet

Eclipse Internet, a broadband provider, has announced the launch of a new service called 'Home Broadband + TalkMore', providing customers with a combined broadband and home phone service.
The new service gives home users speeds of up to 2MB/s and free evening and weekend telephone calls to UK landlines for GBP19.99 per month.
The service combines broadband and phone services onto one bill and includes a free broadband modem for customers who are new to broadband, while those who already have broadband can switch to Eclipse free of charge.
Customers will also be provided with fixed rate calls for landlines and mobiles and competitive international call rates with the new service. Calls to other TalkMore customers are free and unlimited and customers continue to use their existing BT landline and phone number.

What is Broadband Phone?

A broadband phone is one that makes phone calls over the Internet using the IP protocol. Several large broadband phone companies have come to the forefront in recent months offering the ability to make phone calls with a regular phone, that are routed over Internet Protocol using broadband Internet access. The most popular method of using voice over IP among the household users of this technology is connection to IP telephony via a digital adapter. This is the device that is connected between a broadband modem and a normal house phone to gain access to the broadband phone line. The digital adapter unscrambles the digital voice data that is received via the Internet and converts it to an analogue signal that can be heard and understood with regular non-digital phones.
Without a doubt, voice over IP is the future in telecommunications and long distance communication. Making phone calls over IP is much cheaper than either conventional phones or cellular communication. The technology is extremely efficient and it is very easy to implement due to the fact that it uses the infrastructure of the Internet, a communications structure that already exists.
As internet telephony and its surrounding technology become more and more refined over the coming years, so will the technology that gives us access to it. Even over the coming twelve months, we will see a change from the use of a digital adapter to convert digital data from the web into analogue. Instead, we will see an increase in the availability of digital telephones and USB phones that plug directly into a USB port and that can make and receive phone calls digitally. You will also notice other mediums produce products that will attempt to bridge the gap between old technology and new. While other companies will keep their eye on the digital future and come up with more advanced variations of voice over IP to take us into the future.

The Pros and Cons of Broadband Internet Phone

Most people don't know that they already have everything they need to start saving money using internet telephony, or VoIP. All you have to have is a regular telephone and high-speed internet access. That's it! If you have both of those, you are ready to start saving loads of money on local and long distance phone calls.
It is inevitable that VOIP will replace traditional telephone service at some point. The only question is when should you jump in?
VOIP is quickly becoming more reliable and receiving wider acceptance. In fact, phone companies are already taking advantage of the technology to provide cheaper long distance rates. Like any emerging technology, however, there are kinks in the system that are still being worked out.
Advantages:
Internet Phone Service has numerous advantages over traditional telephone service. The most obvious is the cost benefits. If you have a high-speed internet connection, you can make phone calls from PC-to-PC anywhere in the world for FREE! More common PC-to-Phone calls usually come with a small charge but are still much cheaper than regular phone service.
For a small monthly fee, you can sign up with a VoIP service provider and get unlimited calls within the country! International calls can also be made for a fraction of the cost of regular service.
Another advantage is its portability. You can make and receive phone calls wherever there is a broadband connection by simply signing in to your VOIP account. This makes VOIP as convenient as e-mail. When you're traveling, you simply pack a headset or Internet phone; then you can talk to family or colleagues for next to nothing.
Phone-to-phone VOIP is also portable. Internet phones are small and light enough to take anywhere. When you sign up with a VOIP service provider, the Internet phone or adaptor used by that service is assigned a unique number. This 'phone number' remains valid, even if your VOIP service is in Los Angeles and you're connected to the Internet in London. When plugged into a broadband connection, anywhere in the world, you can make and receive calls as though you were at home.
Features like call forwarding, call waiting, voicemail, caller ID and 3way-calling, are included with Internet telephone at no extra charge. While you're talking on the phone, you can send pictures and documents at the same time.
Disadvantages:
Unfortunately, there are a couple of minor drawbacks you may experience. The first is the fact that you would loose service during a power outage and the other is limited emergency calling.
Conventional phone service continues by the current supplied through the phone line during a blackout. This isn't possible with Internet phones. When the power goes, there goes VOIP service. Battery backups and power generators that provide electricity are the current solutions to this problem.
Emergency (911) calls are another concern for many potential customers as well. In the event that you need to call 911 but can't speak or have to leave, your call can be traced when dialed from a traditional phone. However, this is not the case with VoIP. Fortunately, there is currently technology being developed called 'e911' that will make this possible, so this will not be a problem for much longer.
VOIP also has sound quality and reliability problems. Data sent across the Internet usually arrives at its destination scrambled. E-mail and documents can be reassembled in the correct order when it arrives. Voice data also arrives scrambled, but it's more complicated because of the real-time nature of VOIP. Some data packets may have to be dropped when they don't arrive in time, in order to make voice connections with the least delay. This can cause brief silences in the audio stream.
Your internet connection speed and the distance of the call are the two biggest factors in the quality of the call. If you are in a high-traffic area this may also cause some loss in the quality of the conversation. Once again, technology is constantly being improved on and this is becoming less and less of an inconvenience.
While the disadvantages mentioned above currently present minor problems, it is expected that these will be corrected by the year 2008 and VoIP technology will have become the industry standard for telephone communication.