HK wrote:
> I'd really like to be able to pay about $50 for a modem that supports
> 1xRTT, EVDO, EDGE, HSDPA, and Wi-Fi. When you fire up the modem it
> would show you which signals are available and then allow you to
> select a network and a "pay-per-use" plan for that day (or other time-
> frame).
>
> I know I'm too ignorant to realize all the complications that would be
> involved in such a device. But I'm kind of frustrated with the fact
> that we basically have two data networks (three now with Wi-Max and
> four if you count Wi-Fi) and neither of these two data networks really
> offer satisfactory high-speed coverage. For those who live in
> metropolitan areas and seldom venture from them, they do not see this
> as an issue. But for the rest of us, it's a big issue. Providers have
> been slow to cover some heavily populated areas that are not inside a
> popular metropolis, thinking more specifically of EVDO and HSDPA.

Actually EVDO coverage does extend beyond major metro areas.

"http://b2b.vzw.com/broadband/coveragearea.html"
"http://www.sprint.com/business/products/products/evdoEnterZip.jsp"

> $10 per day would make me squirm a little. I do like the idea of
> having this available for occasional use, but if you use it more than
> five times a month, you might as well have a data plan. $5 per day
> sounds a lot more agreeable, considering it would raise the "need-for-
> a-data-plan" threshold to a more acceptable level.

It's a fine line between an acceptable level for occasional use, and
losing many of your monthly customers, but I agree, $5 would be acceptable.

> I think some hardware standardization for cell. phones is a critical
> part of providing data services.

Not really. Many notebooks now build in HSDPA or EV-DO, and a CardBus or
ExpressCard modem, would make providing data services less complex.