Wireless data services options

by Graham Camp.
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You can choose among, and access from your mobile phone, many different wireless data services and options. This list describes some of the more common mobile Internet options:

- Text messaging: Text messaging service, commonly referred to as SMS (Short Message Service), lets you send and receive alphanumeric messages on your phone. Pay-as-you go text messaging can be quite expensive. For example, in the United States, a single text message sent or received when not under a metered services or unlimited plan can cost between 15 cents and 25 cents per message — or more. If you plan to use text messaging, make sure to select a metered text messaging service option or bundled billing model.

The break-even threshold between the typical unlimited and the pay-asyou go billing models for text messaging can be as low as 28 messages per month. That number is next to nothing if you have a teenager sending 400 to 600 messages per month.

- Picture messaging: Picture messaging (often referred to as MMS or Multimedia Messaging Service) is used for exchanging pictures, videos, and related content by using your phone. As with text messaging, payas- you go picture messaging can be expensive. For example, in the United States, a single picture message sent or received when not under a service or bundled billing model can cost between 25 cents and 50 cents message, or more. So, if you’re going to use picture messaging, make sure to select a picture messaging service or a metered package in the text messaging billing model.

- E-mail: E-mail is becoming an increasingly popular data service and is used for both personal and company e-mail. Wireless carriers tend to sell the e-mail option in a metered bundle or unlimited billing model, especially for the BlackBerry, smartphones, and PDA phones.

- Mobile Web: The mobile Web option lets you access the Internet by using a mobile browser on your phone and usually supports your use of mobile Web applications, such as instant messaging, maps, e-mail, and related applications. In the United States, accessing the mobile Web under a pay-as-you go billing model costs between 99 cents and $1.99 per megabyte. To put this cost in perspective, viewing a single mobile Web page can cost 12 cents a page; downloading a ringtone can cost 50 cents or more on top of the price of the ringtone; and downloading a fulllength music track or large video file can cost as much as $2 or more. So, if you want to surf the mobile Web and download content to your mobile phone with any regularity, buy a metered package, or truly unlimited service plan.

- On-device data-enabled applications: This generic term refers to the use of applications that are downloaded to your mobile phone, such as maps and navigation applications (for example, Google Maps or Verizon Wireless Navigator), or other applications that leverage wireless data connectivity to exchange application specific data to and from your phone. As for the cost of a model for on-device data-enabled applications, we highly recommend that you buy at least a metered package or an unlimited plan for the best cost savings.

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