Pay as you go Internet is a way to access the Internet without signing a contract or paying a monthly service fee. There are a few different types; the type designed for home use is usually provided over a dial-up connection, while the type designed for road use uses mobile broadband services from cell phone companies. It is not normally possible to receive this type of pay-per-use Internet at home through a cable connection, which is currently the most common type of standard Internet connection, but this may change in the future.
Prepaid Internet has a structure similar to a prepaid cell phone plan.
Many people find pay-as-you-go services a great option for those who don’t access the Internet regularly or only need to use it for a few minutes a day. Also, it can be very useful when traveling to a foreign country. Anyone who wants to use this type of Internet access at home will usually only need to have a phone line available and contact an Internet service provider to purchase minutes.
Prepaid users should be aware of bandwidth limits, which are set by the cell phone provider and may result in overage charges if the user exceeds the limit.
Once minutes are purchased, the user is free to use them as needed. When the time runs out, the user must buy more to continue accessing the Internet. This structure is very similar to a prepaid cell phone plan and is a great option for people who are budget conscious or have poor credit. That way, they can use a variable number of Internet minutes each month; minutes do not normally expire, but users should check with their service provider to be sure.
Pay as you go Internet using mobile broadband is a very different service. In this type, the user must purchase a USB device that connects to the computer and can receive a signal from mobile Internet providers. These USB devices are usually proprietary and the user usually needs to have an account with that particular provider. Occasionally these wireless devices are integrated into new laptops sold by the vendor.
All the user needs to do is enter their credentials and select the amount of Internet time they want to add to their account. In general, the shortest period of time to purchase is 24 hours. In addition, users should be aware of bandwidth limits, which are set by the cell phone provider and may result in overuse charges if the user exceeds the limit, such as downloading too many songs.
