# Cell Phones Connecting To The Internet **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 4, 2010, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phones-connecting-to-the-internet/541879 "2010-06-04T03:04:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phones-connecting-to-the-internet/541879/1 "2010-06-04T03:04:36Z")
This question is probably very simple for those with a bit more knowledge than myself so please be gentle. I got dragged into a phone shop last night to replace my old mobile (cell ) phone. It was only ten years old and didn’t have a camera or anything but I figured that no one would ever bother stealing it. Anyway… I have a new phone with a whole heap of goodies but the manual is pretty sparse. It can connect to facebook and send email messages etc. However, my carrier for the mobile (Vodafone) is different to my ISP. So, if I access Facebook from the phone does that appear as a cost with Vodafone? Also, I have a Bluetooth capacity on the phone. What can I do with that? Any info appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phones-connecting-to-the-internet/541879/2 "2010-06-04T07:20:40Z")
When you go online with your phone, you typically use the phone’s internal internet connection.\* Prices for those will vary significantly from carrier to carrier and from plan to plan, but they are generally very high. Here’s [Vodafone’s Australia plans page](http://store.vodafone.com.au/mobile-phones-plans.aspx), but check with them to find how exactly how much you’re paying. If I were you, I wouldn’t use the internet from the phone at ALL until you find out the costs. They can often be significant. Vodafone is acting as your ISP in this case (for your phone), so who your PC connects to is irrelevant. Bluetooth is a wireless standard that lets devices communicate with each other. With phones, the most common usage is with headsets (while driving) or headphones (for music).\*\* \*Some phones can connect to WiFi hotspots just like your computer can, but that’s something you typically have to seek out specifically. \*\* Bluetooth can also be used for file transfers, wireless keyboards, etc., but by far the most common use on phones is for headsets ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phones-connecting-to-the-internet/541879/3 "2010-06-04T07:41:39Z")
Thanks\*\* Reply\*\*. I thought afterwards it was a pretty stupid question as it could only be Vodafone but I had some thought that perhaps the Bluetooth on the phone was using the signal from my Gateway. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phones-connecting-to-the-internet/541879/4 "2010-06-04T07:56:02Z")
You bet. Just so you know, in America you can often use text messages in place of a data plan for things like [Facebook notifications](http://www.facebook.com/mobile/?v=texts) and emails (for example, I can text to an email address and receive responses back as text). This is much cheaper than cellular internet, but I’m not sure how things work in Australia. As for your phone connecting to the internet through Bluetooth… though that is theoretically possible with a special phone and/or special software, I’ve never seen it actually happen in the real world. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phones-connecting-to-the-internet/541879/5 "2010-06-04T08:05:21Z")
Oh, and I wasn’t completely clear: Bluetooth is a SHORT-RANGE wireless standard. It works up to a few meters at most. For our hypothetical internet-via-Bluetooth to work, your computer would first have to connect to the internet on its own and then share that connection to your phone over Bluetooth. While possible in theory, an actual implementation seems highly unlikely (a cell phone that’s chained to a computer for internet access? What’d be the point?) ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phones-connecting-to-the-internet/541879/6 "2010-06-04T08:11:01Z")
What sort of phone did you get - it may have a wifi adapter for in-home/hotspot use? Si ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phones-connecting-to-the-internet/541879/7 "2010-06-04T08:11:23Z")
Thanks- I did read in the little manual that Bluetooth connectivity was just 10 metres so I couldn’t figure out how that would be useful for a mobile phone. I had looked at my account to see how much I was charged for access to my email and Facebook last night, and there is no charge. I think it may be free for a short period but I don’t have a need to use a phone to access either so it was more out of curiosity. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phones-connecting-to-the-internet/541879/8 "2010-06-04T08:13:00Z")
**Si\_blakely** it is a Nokia 7230. Link[here.](http://store.vodafone.com.au/handset-nokia-7230.aspx) ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phones-connecting-to-the-internet/541879/9 "2010-06-04T08:20:31Z")
Nice phone - but no wifi. Based on the price info on the contracts on the Vodafone website, I would not ever go on the internet on that phone. I knew the Aussie telcos were the illegitimate children of ladies of negotiable affection, but they are taking the proverbial… Si ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phones-connecting-to-the-internet/541879/10 "2010-06-04T08:48:40Z")
Taking the proverbial what? Ellipsis? Is that slang for something? ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phones-connecting-to-the-internet/541879/11 "2010-06-04T08:53:27Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Taking the proverbial what? Ellipsis? > > Is that slang for something? \ **Taking the piss** \ Si ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phones-connecting-to-the-internet/541879/12 "2010-06-04T08:59:40Z")
It’s a pretty basic phone but it’s all I need. I use prepaid- just throw on $50 and it generally lasts me three months. I am not a heavy user. Umm- I think you may have used “taking the piss” in a different context than is used here 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phones-connecting-to-the-internet/541879/13 "2010-06-04T09:08:54Z")
I used to tether my laptop to my mobile phone for Internet access, but it was in the other direction. The laptop used the phone’s Internet connection. I haven’t looked at the Vodaphone plans but Telstra charge about $10 for 150mb of data. If you pay more you get better value for money. It’s only really useful for basic stuff like email. You chew through the allowance very quickly if you start downloading music and so on. Although to be fair to telstra they don’t charge anything for browsing or downloading from their bigpond website. For some people this means they can access movies, music, email, games and more for no download cost (though the movie itself would cost money.) Over all, using the mobile phone for Internet should be a last resort. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phones-connecting-to-the-internet/541879/14 "2010-06-04T09:13:32Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > Umm- I think you may have used “taking the piss” in a different context than is used here 🙂 Barman: That will be $5 Me: For a beer, you’re taking the piss Barman: nah mate, fair dink’um [QUOTE=wikipedia] In colloquial usage, ‘taking the piss’ is also used to refer to someone or something that makes a claim which is not in line with a recognised agreement e.g. an invoice that is double the quoted price with no explanation for the added charge could be said to ‘take the piss’, or likewise if something consistently misses a deadline. [/QUOTE] They (Vodafone) are having a laugh (all the way to the bank) at the expense of the customer - that is _taking the piss_ in my book. Si ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phones-connecting-to-the-internet/541879/15 "2010-06-04T09:20:40Z")
> [@si\_blakely](#): > > \ **Taking the piss** \ > > Si Hmm, thanks… but taking the piss… and doing what with it? :smack: (You: Telco… illegitimate children… negotiable women… proverbial! Me: Son-of-a-whore went to the bathroom? 😕) ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phones-connecting-to-the-internet/541879/16 "2010-06-04T09:28:44Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Hmm, thanks… but taking the piss… and doing what with it? :smack: > > (You: Telco… illegitimate children… negotiable women… proverbial! > Me: Son-of-a-whore went to the bathroom? 😕) > [@](#): > > I knew the Aussie telcos were the illegitimate children of ladies of negotiable affection, but they are taking the proverbial… \I knew the Aussie telcos were the bastard sons of whores, but they are taking advantage of the public who have no other options\ 😉 Si ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phones-connecting-to-the-internet/541879/17 "2010-06-04T09:58:16Z")
The Urban dictionary has more the sense I am used to: [Link](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=taking+the+piss) “Making fun of someone or something” - talk about thread drift 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phones-connecting-to-the-internet/541879/18 "2010-06-04T13:26:29Z")
I thought the meaning Si is using was well understood in Australia. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phones-connecting-to-the-internet/541879/19 "2010-06-04T14:40:55Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > Thanks- I did read in the little manual that Bluetooth connectivity was just 10 metres so I couldn’t figure out how that would be useful for a mobile phone. > > I had looked at my account to see how much I was charged for access to my email and Facebook last night, and there is no charge. I think it may be free for a short period but I don’t have a need to use a phone to access either so it was more out of curiosity. We’re in different countries so my advice may not apply, but be careful. Wait a few days **and then** check your account. The charges might not show up immediately.