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Ask the Editors: Use your phone as a modem
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Use your phone as a modem
March 3, 2005
Q
I will be returning to the United States from Asia soon and want to use my Compaq Presario 2100 with a cell phone to dial up the Internet. Question: what cell phone, service provider, software, and cables should I get to do this? I will be on the West Coast, and I use the Internet several hours each day. Thanks.
Submitted by:
Mike C.,
via e-mail
Kent German
Kent German
Associate editor
Most phones have built-in data modems, and most of the major carriers support the feature. To dial up the Internet, all you need is a connection kit (usually a data cable and software available from your carrier) that connects your cell phone to your laptop, your ISP information (this varies from mobile to mobile, so contact your provider for details), and a data plan. For the most part, data speeds aren't much faster than a 56Kbps dial-up modem's, but carriers such as Verizon have introduced 3G services with broadband speeds ranging from 144Kbps to a possible 2Mbps per second.

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Kent German covers the latest trends and devices in cell phones, smart phones, and accessories. He's been covering technology for four years and loves to talk on the phone.