USA Broadband

[big fan]

Has anyone taken a laptop to Florida and used mobile broadband?

What network did you use?

Did you use an American SIM card?

What were the costs etc?

 

[Danauk]

I take both my laptop and our mobiles every time we visit the USA. For the laptop I usually use it free in hotel rooms if offered (luckily we get it free at WDW because of DVC). Then we just plug it in and it works.

For our mobiles, we just use our regular UK sim card and use what ever network our phones connect to. As for price, it can be expensive (especially if you have a smart phone and don't turn the data roaming off!!), but we always phone up O2 before we leave and have the cheaper US rate put ont he phone for a month (it is a minimal charge but makes the minute/media message cost cheaper.)

 

[wayneg]

Have you checked with Villa owner if there is a free connection?
We stayed in a condo at Windsor Hills last Easter, free wirless connection and when we looked on list available there were about 10 to choose from.

 

[bod diddy]

I too am looking for the cheapest solution to this. I found the following, but I don't think it's available anymore.

wapreview.com/blog/?p=546

 

[disneylove69]

IF you stay on property and not a DVC it is $10 a night for internet.

 

[juliebro]

For info - I spotted on our recent trip that MCO now has free wifi.

 

[wayneg]

For info - I spotted on our recent trip that MCO now has free wifi.

It has, we always use laptops waiting for flight home. Wish all airports were free.

 

[juliebro]

I noticed that Philly had free wifi at weekends and every day for students, I think.

Hopefully the idea will spread.

Had never felt the need to take a laptop until we were there last month and found that Emerald Island had started to charge for usage of their internet PCs in the clubhouse. Fair enough, I suppose, but you could only rent by a minimum of an hour and had to use the whole hour up in one sitting. That didn't fit with our needs. We only wanted to use it for 5-10 mins at a time.

Have just bought a netbook (although DS has 'borrowed' it while he's down in London on his industrial placement from uni) that we'll take with us on the next trip.