Using cell phone for internet connection

[Raleigh]

I've moved to a rural location where my main options are dial up and satellite internet, which both have huge downfalls...  I've got a Treo 750 with windows operating system on the Cingular/AT&T network and have used it as a modem for my laptop over the last month.  My first 1/2 cycle I ended up using 1.25Gigs in bandwidth, I know they have a user agreement that you can't use it as a modem and so forth, but with the new I-phones on the At&t network will I just blend in or am I going to end up being kick from their unlimited data plan.  Any insight???

[patrickl]

I'd say internet over a cell phone is slow, but it's probably faster than dial-up.

I have an unlimited data plan for my cell phone/pda and I love it, but I use that only for when I'm on the road. At home/work I have broadband.

I wonder how unlimited my data plan is though. I guess it's one of those fair use things. So I don't use it for everything, but I do get up to 20MB of traffic on it on a "busy" day (web browsing, e-mail, trafic info).

Don't they warn you first before you get kicked off? Or do you always need that much traffic?

[Raleigh]

Yea, unfortunately I was connecting at like 28K via dial up, and using my phone I average 125k but can go faster.  My unlimited data plan adds $20 to my cell phone plan compared to $25 for local telephone service (which I don't need besides for internet) and whatever my dial up provider costs.  I would hope that they give me warning if they think I am abusing it.  If I am downloading something large I do go to the library and use their WiFi, but just in regular surfing and such I used 1.3 gigs for my first 1/2 month.  I think since I-phone is on AT&T I should have a break.

[patrickl]

Yeah, when the iPhones start watching YouTube they will use up a lot of bandwidth too.