Autonet Mobile Launching First ISP for Cars

[Paul Martin]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9007143' target='_blank'>http://www.computerworld.com/action...ticleId=9007143</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Autonet Mobile Inc. is a San Francisco-based start-up that claims to be the word's "first ISP for cars." ...Autonet Mobile will sell a black box starting in March that plugs into a car cigarette lighter (or standard wall outlet) and connects to the Internet via a 3G cellular connection. Then, just like your home Wi-Fi network, it makes that connection available to wireless devices, such as laptops, at rates of 400 Kbit/sec. to 1 Mbit/sec, depending on the speed and quality of the available cell network."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/autonet.jpg" /><br /><br />For an initial cost of $399 + $50 per month in subscription fees, you can surf the web on the road at EV-DO speeds (where available). According to <a href="http://www.autonetmobile.com/">Autonet Mobile</a>, any Wi-Fi device will be able to connect using a secured connection up to 100 feet away. While I don't spend enough time in my car for this to be worth it, for those who work out of their car, I can imagine it would be very useful. Would you be interested in going with an "auto ISP"?

[ricksfiona]

This could be pretty cool. I MAY go for it and the addition of a WiFi AP makes it especially good. That's actually a really great plus in my book. I can just imagine people looking for access points and seeing "RicksSAAB-AP":)

I think $50/month for EV-D0 speed is pretty reasonable. I know of Road Warriors who put 100,000 miles/ year and something like this would be very helpful.just think of potential: taxis, buses, trains...

Cool Stuff.

[Paul Martin]

If you go for it, let us know how it goes! If I had the need and the cash, it sounds very handy, especially since uses the built-in wifi setups to use...no special card to buy and support for each device.

[T-Will]

Why use this when you could just share your Smartphone's/Pocket PC Phone's high-speed connection over BT or USB?

[TOCA]

I can just imagine people looking for access points and seeing "RicksSAAB-AP":)
.

He he, no point in hooking up on "My_Ferari_AP", it'll be gone before you've entered the first URL 8) :lol:

[inteller]

Why use this when you could just share your Smartphone's/Pocket PC Phone's high-speed connection over BT or USB?

no kidding! I seriously doubt this antenna laden thing is going to pull in spotty EV-DO coverage any better than your phone.

Who wants to be tied to a dead end tech anyways? I'd rather have HSDPA.