.....but apparently NOT on the XV6700....at least not YET.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1918150,00.asp

Verizon Blesses Phone-As-Modem Plans

By Sascha Segan
Verizon Wireless has changed its policy and will now let subscribers use several popular phones as high-speed modems for their laptops, company representatives confirmed Thursday.
The shift represents a major policy change for Verizon, which has traditionally restricted this type of usage in its terms of service agreement. The new plans are available starting today. A formal announcement will be released later today or tomorrow, company representatives said.

ADVERTISEMENT Users of the LG VX9800, Motorola RAZR V3c, Motorola E815, and LG VX8100 phones are now able to connect their laptops to the Internet for $59.99 per month in addition to their voice plans, according to Verizon spokeswoman Brenda Raney.

They join users of the Blackberry 7130e handheld, who have been able to use their PDA/phones as modems since the 7130e came out. Users of the new Palm Treo 700w and Verizon XV6700 handhelds are still out in the cold, according to Verizon's initial device list.

All these devices will connect to Verizon's BroadbandAccess EV-DO network, which offers speeds averaging about 700 kbps/sec in most major metro areas of the US. The official announcement from Verizon mentions using a USB cable, not Bluetooth wireless technology, to connect your phone and PC. All the phones listed above can theoretically connect to PCs using Bluetooth, but Verizon disables that modem function. USB cables are available from various sources for $10-20; you can also use the cable that comes with the VX8100's V CAST Music kit.


For a while now, Verizon subscribers have illicitly used their phones as modems; various Web sites have information on how to do so. But up until now, doing so has violated service contracts, leaving users open to Verizon cutting off their service or charging high per-kilobyte fees.

The new policy fixes one of Verizon's major flaws in comparison to its rival Sprint, which offers phone-as-modem plans for all of its handsets. Sprint's plans start at $25/month for 40 MB of data, moving up to a $59.99/month unlimited data plan for users who also have voice plans.

I don't know why anyone would bother for laptop (with PC card slot) use vs. getting a data card (free from Sprint) for the same plan price--so much less hassle.

Todd/Indy

All the stores that i've been in as i recall charge for their cards, and not insignifigantly, correct?