CELLULAR PHONE SERVICE

Cellular phone coverage is available in all Long Term Visitor Areas featured on this web site but as of the winter of 2000 most were analog service rather than digital. Slab City and Imperial Dam had the worst reception due to the mountains around.

You should check reliability of your cellular phone features with you service provider before counting on all of them to work. For example, cellular phones that have email receiving capabilities or that provide an answering service do not work unless you are in a digital service area.

STANDARD INTERNET AND EMAIL SERVICE

Any of the large communities offer free internet and email service at the public library. No library fee is requested although there is usually a small charge for use of their printer. If you plan to do internet banking or other business at a secure web site, finding a computer that has 128 bit encryption may be a bit of a challenge. This is a high tech security program that needs to be installed on the browser (free of charge to non-commercial users) before you will be allowed to proceed. 

There are a number of companies that offer internet and email services.

WIRELESS INTERNET SERVICES

Evolving from the wired plug-in ports (such as those installed in airports and hotels to provide business travelers with internet service), wireless network (Wi-Fi) has become more practical.  Most portable communications devices now come with wireless connectivity included at the time of purchase or adapters can be purchased for any device that has a USB port on it, such as your old laptop.

Choosing a wireless access provider will depend on the type of device (desktop computer, laptop, notebook, netbook or web-enabled phone) that you want to use. If you are on the road and simply need to check your stocks, get news and weather reports or check your email,  the small screened web-enabled phone may be all that is required. The service is quite slow but it is still the most secure for this purpose when compared to Wi-Fi.  The top providers, Sprint, Verizon, Telus and AT&T Wireless offer a variety of plans and rates, too numerous to mention here.

Alternatively, it has become quite easy to find and access "hotspots" established for wireless service for portable computers.  Every wireless access point, which is really a box with an antenna and a wired internet connection that sends out radio signals within a limited range, creates a region of connectivity around it.  For example, some coffee shops install access points so that you can get online from an outside table.  These access points, as well as those in private homes or large office buildings, create regions of internet access that roving laptops can access.  More and more of these "hotspots" are being made available to the public every day, some free, others at a (usually quite reasonable) service fee. Although it is possible to accidentally stumble onto wireless access that isn't legally open to the public, it is advisable to find one that is intended for public use.

To access public hotspots it is generally just a matter of asking the establishment that is offering the service for the password and paying the fee, if any. 

There is an increasing security concern surrounding the use of Wi-Fi services.   Quoting CNET.com, "It is common for people to unintentionally use others' Wi-Fi networks without explicit authorization.  As operating systems such as Windows XP SP2 and Mac OS X automatically connect to an available wireless network, depending on the network configuration.  A user who happens to start up a laptop in the vicinity of an access point may find the computer has joined the network without any visible indication. Moreover, a user intending to join one network may instead end up on another one if the latter's signal is stronger. In combination with automatic discovery of other network resources (see DHCP and Zeroconf) this could possibly lead wireless users to send sensitive data to the wrong destination.

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A good source of information regarding cellular and wireless connectivity can be found on the Your RV Lifestyle (.com) or John's DOS Web pages. (Please remember to use your browser's BACK button to return to this page.)