Sprint Overdrive – Mobile Broadband Internet Access

January 17, 2011 / in Information Technology / by Jason Terry

Most companies rely heavily on the internet as an important part of their daily business.  The Blue Gurus absolutely rely on a reliable internet connection as part of our social media training efforts.  There are many times that I can remember arriving at a location and realizing that internet connectivity was going to be a problem.  We have solved that problem with the Sprint Overdrive.  This is one of many mobile broadband solutions out there from Sprint, AT&T, Verizon and Clear.  I did a lot of research on the best solution based on coverage, bandwidth and pricing and my choice came down to either Sprint or Verizon.  It was so close that I went with Sprint to give business back to our local economy.  (Note, Clear is doing a lot of advertising right now, but buyer beware.  There are many more negative comments about Clear than positive and one ranking site for ISPs gave Clear a 2.5 out of 5 stars)

What is the Sprint Overdrive?  Physically, it is a square shaped hockey puck with an AC adapter.  Technically, it is an extremely portable broadband device with a built in WiFi network.  You plug it in, and as long as you are within Sprint cellular network coverage you have instant broadband access.  The Overdrive WiFi hotspot that can accommodate up to 5 WiFi enabled devices at once.  For example, I was able to have 2 laptops, an iPad and an iPhone sharing the internet connection provided by the Overdrive at one time.  This is incredibly useful when you want to collaborate with someone but don’t have easy access to an internet connection.  I have been using the Overdrive for 2 weeks now and am happy with the speed (average connection speed of 5 MB download, 1 MB upload), reliability and convenience.

Pricing for the Sprint Overdrive is $35 to activate, $60 per month and a contract length of 2 years.  If you don’t like contracts, you can purchase the device outright for a little less than $300 and then pay month-to-month.  There is an equipment coverage protection plan that is an additional $7 per month.  I usually don’t buy these, but I have a feeling the Overdrive is going to get used a lot and moved around a lot.  Probably worth the $7 “no hassle” coverage for repairs.