Because I wanted to be able to trade (and use my laptop on the road in general), I switched to Sprint PCS (from Verizon), bought a Sanyo 8100 phone ($100 with a one year contract), and FutureDials SnapDialer and cable (about $80). I'm clocking in at 115 kbs, which is a lot faster than a dial up (28.8 kbs), but not as fast as DSL or cable (200 to 500 kbs). The signal has been very stable, no problems if you don't move around, and are in an area with good reception (digital signal). The limitations of course are that this works only if you travel within the U.S., and are in an area with a good digital signal.
Information can now travel across the enhanced PCS cellular Network at a rate of between 50 and 70Kbps2âfaster than a dial-up connection.
AT&T Wireless now has the fastest data network, which permits users to download data at about 100 kilobits to 130 kilobits a second. Verizon Wireless expects to offer speeds of 300 kilobits to 500 kilobits a second, which is comparable to typical downloading speeds on digital service lines or cable modem lines ... Cingular and Sprint typically offer slower wireless data transmission speeds. "A few months ago, Verizon and Sprint had the lead," Mr. Entner said. "AT&T has had it for a few months and will have it on a nationwide basis for a while.ââ He added that it may then be awhile before the competitors catch up with Verizon. NYTimes.com