A mobile phone, short for cell phone or mobile phone, cell phone or hand phone, can make and receive telephone calls over a cellular telephone service line while the individual is moving around a telephone network area while not using the main telephone service. These devices can be used on landlines as well as mobile phones. Many different models are available for both types. The major difference is that a mobile phone cannot place or receive telephone calls while moving.

Mobile broadband Internet is another option available that connects mobile phones and the Internet through a gateway server. This gateway server is usually a local area network (LAN). The connection between the cell phone and Internet is through the LAN. The cell phone or handheld device connects to the gateway server by connecting to an Ethernet cable in order to connect to the Internet. The connection is secure and private, allowing only those authorized users to connect to the Internet.

Most mobile phones do not have pre-installed software, nor do they come with default software that will work with all carriers. A good way to find out what software and carriers are compatible with your mobile device is to purchase a software-based mobile phone plan from a carrier and use it for a year or longer with no interruption of service. This will enable you to see what carrier specifications your device needs and to determine what packages are available. You may find that there are service options that you did not know about, additional software features and/or plans that you did not know existed. Once you begin using mobile broadband, you will quickly learn what options are important to you and what ones are not.