On my Dell Latitude E6400 I use Verizon Wireless broadband – on the train, in taxis, all over New York City. Many of you have built in wireless broadband cards and all of you have WiFi antennas built into your notebook.
Although WiFi is “everywhere”, at times you are simply out of range of a WiFi access point or you’re in the midst of colleagues who don’t have wireless broadband or the WiFi connection is quite expensive.
Seeing a need in the market place, Verizon Wireless launched a mobile, wireless hotspot, the MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot.
The MiFi 2200 is small enough to fit in a pocket, measuring 3.5? x 2.3? x 0.4? and weighing 2.05 ounces. It combines a variety of features into its streamlined form factor, including integrated internal CDMA and Wi-Fi antennas, advanced security and authentication technologies. When one device is connected through Wi-Fi, the MiFi 2200?s rechargeable battery provides up to four hours of active use and 40 hours of standby time on a single charge.
The MiFi 2200 is $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. Customers can select from various price plans: $39.99 monthly access for 250 MB monthly allowance and 10 cents per megabyte overage or $59.99 monthly access for 5 GB monthly allowance and 5 cents per megabyte overage.
I wish Verizon Wireless had an unlimited plan as well.
MiFi is NOT for every professional. But for the professional who travels a lot, needs Internet access and most importantly finds himself around colleagues without Internet access or he as multiple WiFi enabled devices that need Internet access – MiFi could be just the ticket.
Ramon Ray is the editor and tech evangelist for Smallbiztechnology.com
