Need Broadband Service In The Field? Consider A Pay-As-You-Go Plan.

In a recent article in The Business of Consulting - the web business magazine that covers the ag consulting profession - I recommended that my readers look into a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) mobile broadband plan if they didn't want to sign a 2-year contract and shell out $60 to $70 a month for service that they may only need part of the year.

The 2 plans I outlined were with Verizon and Virgin.

At least one more plan also is available now. This one is from Telava, which appears to be using the T-Mobile network to deliver 3-G internet connections on a PAYG basis.

With the plan, you pay a $100 security deposit to use the USB modem ($200 if you want to buy the device) and then spend $50 a month for 5GB of service or $60 for a month's worth of unlimited broadband.

The great thing about a plan like this: you can buy a month of service when you need it, then go dormant (for example, in the winter) if you're out of the field. It's also an option for people (like me) who travel intensively but in limited periods of the year.

- Owen Taylor