Okay, I admit it, I'm just cheap when it comes to getting the most bang for my boating bucks. I hate monthly smartphone fees just to get email and the web when I'm cruising under sail. I used to be one of those guys with a "road warrior" extended power wi-fi antenna so that when I anchored in some quiet cove, I could tap into someone's unprotected wi-fi signal ashore. Sadly, people finally learned how to protect their routers and it became nearly impossible to find free wi-fi on the water unless you took on a monthly cellular plan. But for those boaters who still balk at the big monthly charges, or the extra charges for tethering your laptop, I'm happy to report that FreedomPop's mobile wi-fi hotspot may be your perfect solution! For about $4 a month you can get 3G or 4G connectivity (where available) in limited megabytes that won't allow streaming lots of movies but that will give you more than you actually need when cruising. Read all about it!
