Prepaid cellular companies offer prepaid wifi to individuals who do not want to be tied down to a contract, or to those whose credit will not allow for a full service wireless plan.

With pre-paid wifi, a mobile broadband device delivers wireless internet at speeds comparable to most other wifi methods, but slower than “wired” broadband methods (Cable Internet, Digital Subscriber Line [DSL], T1 Line, T2 Line, etc.).

For those who are not familiar, a mobile broadband device is a physical piece of equipment that looks similar to a USB flash drive, or jump drive. It attaches to your laptop and allows you to connect to the Internet wherever you are (within the wifi provider’s coverage area - just like a mobile phone).