My totally unscientific poll

[Chancellor]

Good morning everyone! I have a totally unscientific poll for you.
As some of you may remember, my little town is trying to bring broadband in. Unfortunately, there are a few in town who are trying to block this.

One of the risks they have apparently identified is that people are "going mobile".
So, if you have a mobile phone/tablet, is that your only source of internet?

[viscountessleftfield]

We have broadband at both houses and use at least 10gig on our mobile devices. I'm moving from our Ohio house because I can not get fast enough internet to run the business on the island. We're relocating back to the mainland.

[zevida]

I'm not sure the question is worded correctly - you really want to know if we are using broadband or mobile data plans, right? Because I use my phone and tablet devices almost exclusively, but always on wifi from my broadband connection. It's phrased as [type of connection] or [type of device].

[Hayburner]

Zevida - thanks for clearing that up for me..

To answer the question - I use my wifi from my broadband anytime I am in my house. I use my ipad with it never use my phone (mobile data plan) when I'm home. I figure I am paying a flat monthly fee for the broadband so that's what I should use. I also prefer my ipad over my phone for internet searches, etc.

[Chancellor]

So, there is one person who thinks that since people are "going mobile" that they don't use broadband. In other words, if you are using your tablet on your broadband wifi, you are NOT going mobile. You are using your broadband.

I am also curious, if you use your tablet/phone almost exclusively, do you watch television or movies on those devices?

[Chisamba]

Definitely use wifi as much as and whenever possible. Have both mobile and less mobile devices .

[Sunshine2Me]

I live in the sticks. My internet to the house is mobile (I have a mifi unit). I do not view movies or TV on my computer or phone. I even try not to download anything while at home, as I don't want to use up data (which is limited).

[StraightForward]

I'm not sure the question is worded correctly - you really want to know if we are using broadband or mobile data plans, right? Because I use my phone and tablet devices almost exclusively, but always on wifi from my broadband connection. It's phrased as [type of connection] or [type of device].

Yes, my tablet only works on our broadband Wifi, and I will surf the web from the couch, or from a hotel room on that. My phone also switches over to our wifi while at home. I still spend a lot of time on wifi via my home computer though, for the bigger screen.

It's especially nice to be able to access Wifi at businesses in smaller hamlets where the cellular data signal might be not so good, and some phones are on roaming.

[PaulaO]

I don't know what broadband is! I have AT&T Uverse (I guess that's wifi) and mainly use my iPad for surfing and streaming. I still use my laptop though. I would not want to rely on just my iPad. And I never use my phone for surfing. Screen is too small.

[Imperini]

I don't know what data plans are like in the US anymore but it would be outrageously expensive to use just mobile data for me. I do use it but certainly not exclusively.

[orono]

I only have wifi on my tablet, and use my phone on wifi as much as possible. Data plants in Canada are still quite pricey, and when i have tried to do anything other than basic searching/messaging on data it has not worked well. I live in a mid sized city (ie not in the boonies) and we're suppose to have high speed internet.

[Josette]

I'm a homebody and use wifi for internet access. I confess I still need to learn how to use my new apple iphone.

(Verizon FIOS bundle package for tv, home phone, internet)

[WheresMyWhite]

I have cable internet.

I do use both desktop (actually hardwired) and wifi (for mobile devices).

I rarely use my phone for internet outside the home.

For me, no broadband might be a deal breaker in terms of buying a new-to-me home.

[WheresMyWhite]

For those with wifi, how does that connect to the internet???

Does your municipality offer wifi or do you have cable/DSL/similar?

[Suzon]

We have business class internet here in California and DSL in Oregon. I only use my phone for internet when I'm out and about, need directions, stuck waiting for an appointment and want to be entertained, etc.

[Chancellor]

We have business class internet here in California and DSL in Oregon. I only use my phone for internet when I'm out and about, need directions, stuck waiting for an appointment and want to be entertained, etc.

Yes. This is EXACTLY what I am talking about. Just because I interact with the internet over my phone now more than I did five years ago, doesn't mean I will go totally over to using just my phone! But that is what some people in town are trying to convince others is happening.

[Suzon]

Yes. This is EXACTLY what I am talking about. Just because I interact with the internet over my phone now more than I did five years ago, doesn't mean I will go totally over to using just my phone! But that is what some people in town are trying to convince others is happening.

Oh that's right! You live in that town that still selling TV in black and white and refuses to switch to unleaded gas. Have you broken the news that man has walked on the moon yet?

Sorry, don't mean to poke fun, but they seriously need to get a shove into the 21st century.

[Kyra's Mom]

I have cable internet for WiFi at home. Using minimal data does decrease costs by carrying a smaller data plan. Of course you have to pay for the home internet . Anyway, that is what I do. I use WiFi whenever I can but have the data plan for when WiFi is not available (like the barn).

Susan

[Chancellor]

Yes. This is EXACTLY what I am talking about. Just because I interact with the internet over my phone now more than I did five years ago, doesn't mean I will go totally over to using just my phone! But that is what some people in town are trying to convince others is happening.

Oh that's right! You live in that town that still selling TV in black and white and refuses to switch to unleaded gas. Have you broken the news that man has walked on the moon yet?

Sorry, don't mean to poke fun, but they seriously need to get a shove into the 21st century.

ACTUALLY, I live in a town where some people are still mad that they had to put an electric light in the barn! We don't even HAVE a gas station!

IOW, it is ABSOLUTELY fine to poke fun at Princeton. Because this is absolutely ludicrous.

[Racetrackreject]

Even though I can use cellular data on all of my devices, I rarely ever do. Even my new truck has it's on wifi, so I don't have to use cellular data when driving anymore either. If people are watching movies or television, uploading photos, or even playing online games on the internet then they really can't use just their cellular data or they will be paying out the behind.

I have everything at my house using broadband to avoid going over on my data on my phone plan and I still get pretty close most months.

[SnowHorse]

Our internet is a slowish wireless connection to a tower nearby. I don't have a smart phone, so I only connect through my PC.

We live in the stix, so broadband won't be happening here - the only wire that comes to the house is the power line. Our driveway is about 1700 feet to the road with only one other house off the driveway, so pulling any kind of wire here would be a pile of $$$$.

[Melody]

I have broadband out here in tiny town USA, I mostly use my computer with my nice big screen and full keyboard. I hate tiny devices. I do have a tablet I use once in a while. My husband uses his smart phone for emails but will still get on the computer. I don't know what we would do without broadband. I remember the old dial up connection and everything was so slow.

[chantal]

We have broadband and I choose to use my chromebook. I don't like small devices either. I don't have a tablet.

[WheresMyWhite]

Yes. This is EXACTLY what I am talking about. Just because I interact with the internet over my phone now more than I did five years ago, doesn't mean I will go totally over to using just my phone! But that is what some people in town are trying to convince others is happening.

So Princeton is thinking that all the residents will use their phone data plans???

OMG, for me, no, no.

I want the performance of cable/DSL for home where I can LAN connect or Wifi and just deal with phone data when I need to... (and that is not at home).

[Suzon]

ACTUALLY, I live in a town where some people are still mad that they had to put an electric light in the barn! We don't even HAVE a gas station!

IOW, it is ABSOLUTELY fine to poke fun at Princeton. Because this is absolutely ludicrous.

Gosh, even Deadwood has a gas station, and that's with a population of less than 300. The DSL we have through the phone company is 20mbps; that's the fastest they have available.

[Flight]

I use broadband at home and wifi to whatever I happen to be looking at stuff on (laptop/phone/tablet/tv). No way could I afford mobile data!
If I'm away from home and no wifi around I will use mobile data on the phone, but I think I only have 1gig on my plan.

[heddylamar]

We have lots of data, two mobile hotspots with more data, and lots of gadgets that use data. My husband's a computer geek/gamer (that covers everything digital), I'm a freelance (from home) UX/graphic designer.

Home: 100% broadband/wifi
Out/traveling: wifi/data if necessary

We frequently run out of data, even with maxed available data on both phones and hotspots. I can run through the month's data plan on a hotspot in a week.

I've said this before in reference to your situation, but, to reiterate, I would not live or contemplate buying a home anywhere broadband was not available.

Frankly, there are too many digital/biomed employers in MA to rule out an entire population of potential neighbors. I can't even begin to comprehend the shortsightedness of the anti-broadband contingent.

[Suzon]

^^^THIS^^^

[M&M]

Broadband/laptop here. Only use my phone when I have to. tell your obstructionist to get a grip.

[chantal]

I don't understand how getting mobile is a risk. That's a non-statement. We use wifi at home for everything. If the wifi goes out and DH has to work, he uses his phone as a hotspot and we go over our data in about 3 days, or less, with him using all of it, that's a family plan of 15G.

I think they are being cheap and certainly not looking toward the future. No one will want to move there.

[no.stirrups]

I'd use WAY too much data without wi-fi! When I've briefly been without, I'd go to the local coffee shop to work via their wi-fi.

[Chancellor]

Yeah, it seems this selectperson has read one article in the Wall Street Journal which suggests that the younger generations are "going mobile" and not using broadband at all. However, what he fails to understand is that while they are in fact mobile (with a tablet or cell phone) they are more likely to be connected to wifi which is of course, connected to a broadband wire.

[WheresMyWhite]

I think you are exactly correct.

Sounds like a non-tech-literate person thinking 'mobile' means no wire (true) but doesn't get that at some point, there has to be some sort of "connection" to the internet and that connection is a wire usually (whether the wire is the router at the local coffee shop or the "wire" at your home) unless the "wire" is at the phone company and you're using some type of hotspot to get to it.

Where is that glass of wine as you beat your head against the wall

Wonder if there is some way you could do a "local" survey of your town's mobile users and find out how many use wifi vs hotspot and for those that use wifi, where and then go back to that location and find out their internet connection... yeah, labor intensive for sure but maybe a way to help the non-techies understand at a fairly non-tech level??? (and pre-appology if you've already thought of this )

[silk]

We have broadband at home. Where possible, my phone runs via the wifi, as there's waaaaay more data available on the broadband than on my mobile plan (not that I am lacking in mobile data, but we never use the broadband allowance up so I may as well use my mobile data when I'm out of broadband/wifi range).
I do use mobile data on my phone when I am in my bedroom, which is the far end of the house from the wifi router (this house was built before the internet and seems to have lead-lined walls, so I get really poor wifi reception in my room).

I only ever use my laptop on broadband. I suppose I could work out how to hotspot it through my phone, but I have no need. I have to sit on the right corner of my bed to get internet on my laptop... le sigh.

FWIW, I am on a prepay phone plan that gives me 500MB each month and carries over if I don't use it up. I also get bonus data at random when I top up.
The home broadband plan is 80GB/month and doesn't carry over.

[WheresMyWhite]

silk, you can get wifi extenders that often just plug into a wall socket and might extend your wifi through your lead lined walls to your bedroom

I found a few at Amazon just by looking for wifi extender (and NetGear is a decent company).

I know this doesn't help Chancellor... sorry

[silk]

silk, you can get wifi extenders that often just plug into a wall socket and might extend your wifi through your lead lined walls to your bedroom

I found a few at Amazon just by looking for wifi extender (and NetGear is a decent company).

I know this doesn't help Chancellor... sorry

Got one of them!!! It helps, but not enough. Probably need a super powered one Our house truly acts like it's lead lined (solid wood construction).

[WheresMyWhite]

Or maybe more than one sprinkled throughout the house? I know wi-fi is fussy - and I had to move my router out of the fancy little box with the distribution panel where all the "stuff" comes into the house (satellite, cable) and now my router hangs by the cables outside the box (don't know if the box was too hot or just one more level of interference) but at least with the router outside the box, I can get wifi in the bedroom consistently (and the house just isn't that big )

[Suzon]

Once thing they say about Wi-Fi is don't try to hide it. It's much better with line of sight. The more you put in the way (by hiding it behind the couch or in a cabinet) the worse it is.

[Melody]

Wonder if those wifi extenders would help our house to get our phones or tablet to work in the safe room? It's all metal above ground connected to the house. I can get a connection when the door is opened but If we have to shut ourselves up in there the connection is lost. Got to try this before next storm season.

[Suzon]

The metal room is probably a no-go.

[WheresMyWhite]

Melody, can you run a LAN drop from your home router to your safe room (i.e., hardware) to get internet connection inside the safe room? I'd run it through a wall/floor/ceiling...

Then if you need wi-fi, have something inside the safe room.

[mld02004]

Broadband in the house.....why use up your data when there's wifi in the house? That's a dumb argument!

[Jan & PJ]

Even with an unlimited data plan for my phone we still use broadband at the house with my laptop because of the bigger screen. We also have a TV with the adapter that can use the broadband to stream Netflix which I watch a lot.

[Beorn]

While we're probably not the standard case, I will say that when my husband and I were looking for houses recently, we first ruled out towns that did not offer the internet access we needed. We also have unlimited data plans through our cellular provider, but the speed and features don't come close to meeting our needs.