The Internet Inside Your Pocket

YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Google, Yahoo!, MSN Messenger, Skype - riding on the Internet highway, you cruise at ease; anytime, anywhere. Guess what? This highway is inside your pocket. Connecting up to five different devices at any one time, the new DiGi Mi-Fi is a pocketful of wonder -the very epitome of mobility and convenience. Forgive us, but we're pretty excited, and really, you should be too.

By Pauline Wong

Imagine having Internet access with you everywhere you go.

No, really, think about it. No more scrambling around looking for wi-fi hotspots. No more pesky advertisements, login or registration forms to fill out before you can surf the free wifi. No more sharing bandwidth with someone who thinks it is funny to stream high-definition videos on public wifi. And best of all, you don't have to stay in one spot for hours just to surf the net.

Because the DiGi MiFi is here, and it's in your pocket.

As the first ever completely wireless, completely mobile broadband Internet device in Malaysia, the DiGi MiFi will allow you to take the great World Wide Web with you, no matter where you go. And with the ability to connect up to five different electronic devices at any one time, you can access the internet on your iPad, your laptop, your smartphone, or any wi-fi compatible gadget.

And unlike other mobile broadband providers, there is no need to plug in a dongle (hardware), install the software, and then run a device driver on your laptop. Simply turn on DiGi MiFi and connect your device to it as soon as the indicators turn blue - totally foolproof.

Lightweight and portable (it weights only 90g), the MiFi device boasts speeds of up to 7.2Mbps (though the average user experience is roughly 0.7 - 1.0 Mbps) and has a battery capacity of around four to five hours.

Testing the MiFi proved to be an easy task. It was as simple as putting it into my pocket and walking around with wifi connectivity constantly surrounding me, even when I was on the bus or train. The speed in which it loaded pages, streamed videos or downloaded files was not too shabby either - after all, mobility, convenience and connectivity are its strong points.

Even though speeds will most likely not come close to some of the other LAN lines such as UniFi, there is no denying that the ease of access offered by the MiFi is irreplaceable.

After all, how many of us have groaned in frustration each time we attempt to log-in to our campus wifi, only to have MSN Messenger, YouTube or Facebook blocked from access? How many of us have fallen asleep just waiting for a page to load, especially when on free wifi? The freedom to be anywhere and still be connected is exactly what the MiFi offers to users. It also comes with an incredibly user-friendly manual to lead you through on how you can set up your password and protect your wifi from unauthorised access.

Currently, the package offered is the 16 GB package at RM128 monthly, with a RM360 upfront purchase for the MiFi device (which will be refunded to you over a period of 12 months, meaning the device is free). A 16 GB fair usage policy applies, after which speeds will be throttled to 128Kbps with no extra charge. There is also a RM100 advance payment charge (non-refundable).

If you are simply dying to know more, log on to www.digi.com.my/mifi