2009 Alltel AirCards & Broadband Cards
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Alltel has a variety of broadband cards for PC and Mac users alike.
Alltel has been acquired by Verizon. If you're looking to get a broadband card, check out Verizon AirCards & Broadband Cards.
Alltel AirCards & Broadband Cards come in some interesting shapes and sizes. While their selection isn't as expansive as Sprint or Verizon, they hold their own well enough.
If you've taken the free Mobile Broadband Buyer's Guide, you already know that broadband cards come in 3 forms: USB, ExpressCards and PC Cards. You'll also know the nitty gritty details on why PC Cards are being phased out.
Why USB for netbooks? Well, the whole concept of a netbook is a little portable laptop that does just enough (i.e. hop online or type a couple documents). As such, to conserve on space (and cost), they don't have ExpressCard slots. In my opinion I think that's a bummer. The form factor on ExpressCards usually beat USB as they don't stick out from the laptop as much.
Before we hop down to the actual Alltel AirCards, let's cover some basic to moderate questions.
One that comes up enough to make a worthy mention is "will the type of broadband card I get affect my download speed or coverage?".
In short, no. If a card is labelled as EVDO Revision A, that means you will get download speed up to 3.1 Mbps and upload speeds up to 1.8 Mbps.
Currently, all Alltel AirCards & broadband cards meet the EVDO Revision A standard. As a matter of fact, Alltel's network is part EVDO Rev. A, part EVDO Rev. 0 and the rest 1xRTT. That means its Alltel's network that will affect your speed and not the broadband card itself. For more on this, check out Alltel's mobile broadband speed.
The only potential performance difference between Alltel ExpressCards and USB broadband cards is coverage (or reception to be more accurate). Some Alltel ExpressCards come with and expandable 'flip-up' antenna for 'better reception'. Do they actually work better? I have not personally tested it myself but it is a fact that external antennas do help reception.
While there are not any significant performance differences, USB broadband cards tend to one or more features than ExpressCards. Typically, newer cards come with a microSD expansion slot that can turn your broadband card into a flash/thumb drive (great for those who like combo devices).
Enough lecturing for now, let's get on to some Alltel AirCards and Broadband Cards:
Have experiences with or questions about the Alltel Broadband Devices? Share them here.
Retired Models:
If you'd like to get Alltel, here's where you can get some good deals on Alltel AirCards. We only recommend the best. Also, as I explain in my ethical bribe, it helps the site pay our costs so we can keep providing great content for you.
If you haven't already, definitely check out the review on Alltel mobile broadband speed as well as the Alltel coverage area if you're serious about getting a broadband card. It's definite must on your checklist. For now, let's talk about how Alltel customer service slipped up.
In addition to the regular fine print, there is also one word of caution. While Alltel has the best mobile broadband plans right now, they've been purchased by Verizon. On their site, they have a 'Verizon Wireless Integration FAQs' page that explains the transition. While it's not happening immediately, in coming months, the Alltel name will be no more.
Here's what that may mean for you. If you decide to get Alltel now, and Verizon does not 'grandfather in' your old unlimited plans, you will most likely be able to cancel without any sort of early termination fee as they've effectively broken the contract that you had with Alltel. In my experience, I had my Sprint unlimited mobile broadband plan grandfathered in and I happily download without fear of overage charges. With Alltel things may be different. Consider this your heads up.
