When would you want to use Mobile Broadband?
Frequent business traveller
If you’re more often using your notebook in a place far from your home, 3G mobile broadband is an excellent choice. As the underlying technology is based on mobile phone systems, you’ll often be able to get access overseas, in first world countries where 3G is deployed. Also, you’re guaranteed to get access in major cities and airports across Australia, even along the length of most major arterial freeways.
Living in multiple locations
Similarly, if you’re sharing your time between a number of abodes, and aren’t spending the majority of time in one particular house, mobile broadband is brilliant. Just open your laptop lid, and you’re online. Importantly, you’ll only have one broadband bill, rather than the expense and hassle of trying to set up a number of ADSL or cable connections at each locale. Mobile broadband will even work at your holiday house, if there’s 3G coverage there on your network.
Mobile office / mobile worker
If you’re often setting up your workspace far from a settled, bricks and mortar establishment, then mobil broadband is your friend. A prime example of this time of work is demountable administration offices on construction sites. In these situations you’ll have power, but phone, fax and Internet connection lines can be a bit of a challenge, especially if you have to set up in a hurry. Nobody wants to wait two weeks for Telstra to provision a phone line with ADSL, when you could be online today, right now. And when you change locations, you’ll have zero Internet down-time between projects.
“Road warrior” salespeople
If you’re always on the road, chasing business down the dotted lines, it can be tough to do everything on a smartphone. Obviously, it’s better to have a full-on broadband Internet connection attached to your notebook, ready to go. Mobile broadband was built for these kind of workers, who can have a rough time staying in touch. Get the latest version of documents from the home network, email from your colleagues, update presentations and distribute them from the passenger seat of your car, or hotel room.
Real estate agents / property inspectors
In real estate jobs, agents are often on the move throughout the day, going between appointments to show properties or inspect them, often in places where the phone isn’t connected, and there sure as heck isn’t any Wi-Fi. Again, mobile broadband is perfect in such a situation. It could remove the need to return to the office as regularly, which could save valuable time, especially for agents with a large geographical area of responsibility.
Logistics / delivery tracking
One of the first occupations to be fitted with GPS tracking and mobile reporting tools, this area already has quite a lot of automation going on. But this equipment is often fairly customised and expensive, if you don’t buy it in bulk. It could well be cheaper to equip a small delivery team with notebooks and mobile broadband, using web applications to log the work.
“Extreme” technicians
It’s handy to be able to access technical documents, especially for technicians working in difficult or hazardous locations, such as checking equipment high above the ground, like as electrical transmission lines. Mobile broadband is again an ideal assistance to such a dangling technician, suspended high above the ground.
Maritime access
Whenever you’re on a boat, your Internet options are severely limited. If you stay regularly within ten kilometres or a shoreline or mostly within a city harbour, mobile broadband is probably your best option. It’s far cheaper than Satellite and the equipment is far less bulky, and requires no installation. Welcome to the wireless age.