Types of Mobile Broadband Technology

There are two main types of mobile broadband:

• Device Based: The device you attach to your computer acts as a modem, connecting to wireless networks and translating back and forth between the internet and your computer. Device-based devices include the following:
• Mobile Broadband Cards (Modems): These are small cards that fit into a USB port on your desktop or laptop computer, allowing you to connect wirelessly to the internet. They have different speeds depending on their wireless technology and varying costs. Mobile broadband is a good way to start exploring the wonders of the internet without paying too much in the beginning. 
• Modems: These are small devices that connect wirelessly to your computer via a USB port. Some have a physical antenna, while others are embedded into the device itself. They come in all shapes, sizes, and costs. Mobile broadband is particularly great for laptops, as you can use it almost anywhere there is Wi-Fi available – at school, work, home pretty much anywhere there is Wi-Fi (which is most places nowadays).  
• Serve Based: The device you attach to your computer is a server ( web server you connect multiple computers and devices to the internet simultaneously. All of these can come with a monthly internet allowance (data plan), or without.
• Mobile Broadband Routers: These are small boxes containing a Wi-Fi router and an antenna that broadcasts data to any and every wireless network within range. These are great for anyone who wants to share their internet connection with multiple devices, but remember that the speed is split between all users – so if you’re sharing with 3 other people, each person gets one-third of the full speed available. Also, remember that mobile broadband routers are for external use only.
• Mobile Broadband plans: Mobile broadband plans come in 5 MB, 10 MB, or unlimited data plans. The fastest speeds available will depend on the phone attached to your computer – many come with LTE versions that are much faster than older 3G/4G versions. 

Mobile broadband technology enables wireless wide area networks (WWAN). Simply put, it provides high-speed wireless internet access to portable devices via cell towers. With mobile broadband technology, you can connect to the Internet wherever GSM- or CDMA-based cellular service is available for mobile Internet connectivity. This allows an individual to maintain internet connectivity while moving from location to location without relying on her Wi-Fi hotspot. Mobile broadband technology uses a cellphone or dongle to provide internet access (often over 3G/4G or LTE networks). You use your phone as a modem to connect to different wireless networks in order to access the web and anything on it.