I got a question via mail the other day from a user on my blog. The question was about a couple wanting to keep in touch using newly bought netbooks and Werizon Wireless 5GB plans. The question and answer in many ways can be interesting for all mobile broadband users because it depicts a need and how to handle that need in the context of mobile broadband, so I hereby give you the chance to read the correspondence as well (permisson granted by the user, of course).
Question
Okay so I am totally new to this and came across your information. I was wonderind if you would give me some information. My boyfriend and I just bought Netbooks from Verizon Wireless and are both using Verizon's mobile broadband service on a 5MB a month plan. My boyfriend is working out of town so we though it would be nice to use the built in webcam on the HP netbook to talk to each other. I am wondering if you have a recommendation as to what program we should use to talk to each other? Also how often will we be able to talk to each other without going over? Do most of the webcam programs let you talk and see each other as well? Thank you in advance for your help!
The following is the answer I provided her
Of course - I'd like to help you as far as I can!
The program my girlfriend and I have used successfully from Sweden to Spain is Skype (http://www.skype.com/). It offers high quality voice calls and video calls (with sound of course). And the best part is that Skype-to-Skype user calls are free (they earn money on the calls you might want to place from Skype to normal phones).
You simply create an account each and "connect" online by exchanging usernames (much like any other instant messaging products like MSN and Yahoo! Messenger).
The only downside is, so to say, also the quality because high quality costs in terms of more data traffic. It's hard to say how much you'll be able to speak each month on a 5 GB a month plan. I don't know the exact data usage pr. minute for video calls, for example. But if you mix text chat (which is also possible in Skype), voice calls and video calls you should be able to keep in contact every day (ordered by amount of data needed, less first).
Your data usage pr. month also depends a lot on the usage pattern that you believe to get. For example, my girlfriend and I saw each other every second week, so we had about 10 days apart to counter.
I don't know much about Verizon mobile broadband / Wireless as such, but I'm guessing that you have some sort of software that you use to go online? I suggest you check if there's any statistics function in it. Or maybe Verizon has some pages on their web site on which you can follow your personal data statistics. If you can't find any of these, I suggest you get in contact with Verizon and ask them how you can follow up on your data usage. Having a plan without data usage overview is more or less like driving in the dark, no? ;-)
I you have any additional advice to this question, you’re very welcome to forward them as a comment to this posting or contact me directly if you want. Thanks! :-)
