The Mobile Internet and Surf Stick Revolution
The mobile Internet is the phrase used to describe access to the Internet from a mobile computing device. With the proliferation of smartphones and tablet computers in the last few years, the mobile Internet is often used to refer to online access from these devices. However, it can also refer to Internet access from laptop computers and netbooks. While many laptops and most wireless equipped tablets have an internal SIM card and modem, many people also use dedicated external modems that connect through the USB port. These wireless USB modems are often referred to as a surf stick (Vodafone Surf Stick) , and look much like regular USB storage thumb drives. There has been a revolution in mobile Internet use over the last few years, and the humble surf stick is how millions of people around the world access the Internet on a daily basis.
There are a variety of network protocols used to access the mobile Internet, including 3G and HSPA (3.5G). These networks are typically referred to as mobile wireless networks or mobile broadband, and can be accessed by smartphones, tablets, and laptops with or without surf stick devices. Part of the confusion that surrounds wireless broadband is the use of the term broadband, which was initially used as a technical description for the 802.16-2004 standard. However, these days, it is often used as a simple way to describe any network with a relatively high speed, either operating through regular physical infrastructure or wireless connectivity. Other than the most widely used 3G and HSPA networks, some of the other protocols that are used to access the mobile web include 4G, GPRS, and CSD.
There are many reasons for the current proliferation in wireless Internet use around the world, including numerous advances in wireless infrastructure and the increasing popularity of the Internet for socialisation and communication. Along with USB surf stick devices for use on laptop computers, and increasing number of people are going online with tablet computers and smartphones. It is also possible for many people to connect their smartphones to their laptops and netbook computers, in order to access the mobile Internet. Internet use is increasing all over the world, and the surf stick plays an important role in how millions of people connect to the Internet on a daily basis.