Verizon Reviewer's Comments

Verizon provides a service called BroadbandAccess to their voice customers. This service supports laptop connections to Internet services in many metropolitan areas of the US.

Price/ Fees:  

BroadbandAccess is $59.99 per month for customers with a qualifying voice plan. The activation fee is $35, if you suspend services before the required two–year agreement is satisfied the early termination fee is $175. If your voice plan is terminated the monthly fee goes up to $79.99 per month.

Unfortunately, they only offer business plans, individual consumers are referred to cell services only. They also offer wireless internet services for phones, BlackBerrys and handhelds.

Please note that in their service agreement they relate that some type of uses are restricted or prohibited, including continuous uploading, downloading or streaming audio or video, automatic feeds and P2P file sharing. Basically, their service is not intended to replace your primary broadband connection and is meant for checking email, casually surfing the Internet or accessing corporate intranets.

Coverage:  

Verizon’s mobile broadband services are supported in 223 metropolitan areas including major cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, New York City and Houston. They also offer coverage in less populated areas like Boise, Salt Lake City, Portland OR, Omaha and Honolulu. They also provide services in 141 US airports.

Help/Support:  

You can contact Verizon by email or telephone and they post information online like account information, terms, manuals and FAQs. Fortunately, they offer PC cards that can work with Macs.

Verizon offers pretty good coverage for the US; however, we think it is shortsighted of them to only offer their mobile broadband services to business accounts with voice plans.