To be able to operate with no fixed office that is close to seamless compared to an actual office, you need an internet connection. While it is not an essential feature of a portable office, it is really an extra that can be of great use. The greatest benefit of having mobile broadband is being able to access email, and supplier information from where ever you decide to locate your business. As with all parts of the portable office there is a few points worth considering when connecting mobile broadband.
THE MODEM
While the modem is often supplied by the ISP who you connect with, they sometimes have different options. The most common type of modem is an external USB modem, this is usually the best option as it gives you the most flexibility primarily because it can be connected to any computer. Some ISP’s offer a PCMCIA or Smartcard modem, however this limit’s you to using this connection with your Laptop computer.
THE PLAN
Most ISP’s offer a number of different options for connecting. Mostly these plans are based on the amount of data you download (eg viewing webpages, downloading email, etc.). Download limits can vary greatly from one ISP to another, anywhere from 100MB to 6GB. As such prices can vary greatly. Unlike ADSL the speed’s are generally the same and are more likely to vary depending on your connection location then the plan that you choose.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
The first thing that is worth checking is what the coverage is like around your area, or more so the locations that you intend to use the mobile broadband. For the most part if you can give address to the salesperson they can usually show you coverage maps. The biggest consideration with coverage is roaming. While some ISP’s automatically enable romaing, other’s don’t, the costs associated with roaming can be quite high, so it is worth knowing what to expect before signing up.