Skip to content
Now more coverage! Still unlimited talk & text for $30/month

Tag Archives for nature

Mobile Broadband – Advantages and Disadvantages

Wireless is the new kid on the block that seems set for greatness. How could it not be, after all, when it offers various degrees of freedom that previously simply did not exist? By avoiding the clutter of wires, and allowing portable notebooks to truly be as portable as they should, wireless technology has found a place in the hearts of even the most jaded computer users.

Mobile broadband is an extension of this newfound freedom. By offering high-speed, broadband, internet access of a wireless nature through portable modems, telephones or other custom devices, it allows, again, for more freedom. Unfortunately this freedom comes with disadvantages too.

Two major advantages of mobile broadband

Firstly, mobile broadband offers unprecedented levels of convenience as far as broadband internet is concerned. All that is needed is the modem, and internet access is readily available, in theory anyway. If coverage is good enough, it would be completely possible to use mobile broadband overseas from any computer terminal you happen to pass by.

Secondly, the complete lack of need for a landline makes for further flexibility. Whether at home, work, or the park, a land line is completely unnecessary. This translates into even less cables dangling around, and even greater portability.

Two major disadvantages of mobile broadband

Firstly, rather unfortunately, the range of reception for most mobile broadband networks seems to be decidedly limited for now. Sometimes the bad reception exists in ‘pockets’ here and there from which connecting to the broadband internet is not possible, but at other times it can be entire areas that are simply not covered. Also worrisome is the fact that when there is a high concentration of users in a particular area utilizing the mobile broadband, it can cause a general slowdown in service.

Secondly, the bandwidth available to mobile broadband customers is generally much smaller than their more conventional cousins. Although this particular limitation would go unnoticed to most casual users, heavier internet users would find it stifling to their activities. Some current mobile broadband providers charge on a per-MB usage basis and this too can end up being costly unless the broadband is used sparingly.

As a verdict, mobile broadband has a vast potential that can be tapped into and taken advantage of, however it remains very much limited as of yet. That said, it should be noted that the same was said of wireless networks at one point in time, not so very long ago, and as such never underestimate what tomorrow may bring.

For the casual user that values mobility and convenience over speed and consistency, mobile broadband is still a pretty attractive option. However for heavy internet users, and others that simply cannot, or do not, wish to handle the reception problems or bandwidth limitations, it may be unwise to sign up to this particular option just yet. Once the kinks are worked out of the execution, mobile broadband really will come into its own as the preferred form of internet access.

under Mobile Internet

Mobile phone, history and technology

In recent years, handsfree systems, and car-mounted systems, have become commonplace to support mobile phone conversations in cars you must choose the best equipment with mobile phone plan. These systems are motivated in terms of traffic safety, in comparison to the mere use of handheld phones to make and receive calls while driving. The safety of mobile phoning whilst driving has become a central topic in the public debate and among legislators. It has been subject to legislation in many countries around the world (McEvoy et al., 2005). Despite legislations, observational studies reveal that phones are still being used in cars (McD Taylor, Bennet, Carter and Garewal, 2003; Johal, Napier, Britt-Compton and Marshall, 2005).

The fact that people talk while driving, and the safety problems this might infer, has received a significant amount of attention from researchers. As early as 1969, well before the widespread use of mobile phones, a psychological study aimed at understanding the effect telephoning had on driving, was published (Brown, Tickner and Simmonds, 1969). Drivers were given logical problems which they needed to respond to over a telephone connection, while driving a car. Since then, numerous studies using similar cognitive perspectives have been presented. (e.g. McKnight and McKnight, 1993; Manalavan, Samar, Schneider, Kiesler and Siewiorek, 2002; Alm and Nilsson, 1995; Fairclough, Ashby, Ross and Parkes, 1991; Reed and Green, 1999; Brookhuis, de Vries and de Waard,1991). The topic has been addressed using controlled experiments where the driver takes part in staged conversations. The studies support arguments that mobile phone use dramatically increases the cognitive load of the driver, which multiply the risks for accidents. The increase on drivers’ attention is either explained by the need to handle the phone device per se, or by the demand to handle the conversation.

However, we argue that these conclusions are based on theoretical and methodological assumptions that are questionable from a sociological approach. First, traffic safety and mobile phone use is approached from a cognitive perspective. We argue that safe driving is not only about the responsibility for the individual driver. Traffic is a social activity (Juhlin, 1999) where risks are handled in collaboration. Mobile phone talk is a social activity taking place in this context. Second, safety is not only a concept which draws upon traffic theory and research. It is of practical and everyday concern for drivers, and as such has to be investigated in real use situations. Third, the emphasis to control the data collection in earlier research has raised concerns about the validity of these experiments (Goodman, Tijerina, Bents and Wierwille, 1999). ”The relationship between the intelligence test Q&A dialogues and the content of normal cellular communication is unknown. […] A better understanding of the nature of actual cellular telephone communications in business and private calls is sorely needed.”

MobileBuddy is owned and operated by the same people behind the finance comparison site MoneyBuddy.com.au & the broadband comparison site MobileBuddy.com.au. To find a better mobile plan visit www.mobilebuddy.com.au

under Mobile Phones