This picture shows our Digicel phone on the right, the Vodafone Mobile Connect USB stick in the middle and on the left for comparison a 4GB USB flash drive

Wireless internet over the cell phone network has not the packed speed of transmissions you expect from the normal wifi or a broadband cable, but it has the similar speed of your phone cable 12 years or more ago, when you had your desktop computer hooked up and patiently awaited a download to finish. The other thing is, it does not permit speech on Skype, only the chat option works. The cell phone networks don't shoot themselves into the foot, they want you to use the cell phone for speech traffic and make money on it.
For the hardware to use this technology, you need to have:
#1: A GMS cell phone with simcard
#2: 3G USB Modem Dongle (Vodafone Mobile Connect USB stick in our case)

To explain #1: We purchased a new inexpensive locked Digicel GMS phone on a Kuna Island for $35.00 and a new locked Mas Movil (Cable & Wireless) phone in Colon recently for only $16.99 including simcard. The GMS cell phone you already own might work well, but when you venture to a foreign country, only an unlocked cell phone will accept the new simcard. Many cell networks supply locked GMS phones which don't permit you to change to a different cell network. You don't have to throw your locked, fancy GMS phone away. Most Caribbean nation phone stores have a wizard in-house who will unlock your phone in no time for a little fee. All you have to do is to purchase a new simcard with a new phone number. In our case here in Panama, the price for a new simcard is $3.00 US.

To explain #2: The 3G USB Modem Dongle can be purchased in phone stores stateside or at cell phone networks' own stores, on the internet and as well at the countless phone stores worldwide. G3 stands for "generation 3" or "third generation" technology. The USB Modem Dongle is called also: HSDPA Modem - USB Stick Modem - Mobile Broadband Dongle - USB Modem - mobile connect USB stick etc. Here again, most of these dongle/sticks are locked in to a cell network and you have to get them unlocked to be able to use them everywhere!
We had purchased ours from a fellow cruising guy who had several of these Vodafone Mobile Connect USB sticks and the knowledge to unlock them. His price was cruiser friendly too, so we were happy to get one and he also installed it for us. The Vodafone Mobile Connect USB stick has a little slide-out tray to accept the simcard and another slot for a micro SD card, which permits this dongle to be used also as a USB flash drive.

How does it work?
You load enough money in prepaid scratch cards into your GMS phone. In our case it was $20. We had to dial *142* and the number 40# to purchase one day of internet access for $0.75.
7 day's access is $4.25, purchase number 60#
15 day's access is $8.00, purchase number 80#
30 day's access is $14.95, purchase number 100#
Of course these numbers apply only to the Digicel networks here in Panama. After the purchase, the network will send you a message back to ask for confirmation of your purchase. You have to enter *142*1# to accept the purchase, or if you changed your mind, enter *142*9# to cancel your purchase. After your acceptance you get a message confirming the deal with exact time and day stamp.

Next, you switch off your phone and remove the simcard to install it into the USB Modem Dongle/stick. The dongle/stick is now inserted into one of your computer's USB slots. In case you want to raise the dongle for better reception of the signal above your boat's coachhouse or wheelhouse, or for the reason because your boat is made out of metal which shields the the computer off and prevents the signal to reach the inserted dongle, then you might use a USB extension cord of no more than 15 ft. to raise the dongle. For a longer than 15 ft. run you have to use an amplified USB extension cord. To do this, run the extension cord to the outside thru a hatch or portlight and tie the dongle up with a plastic cable tie and perhaps slip a small ziploc bag over the dongle to prevent rain to shorten it out. On the Vodafone Mobile Connect USB stick the internal software will now bring up a menu and you click with your mouse the "connect" button. Now you are ready to browse on the internet in the cell net coverage area. The other manufacturer's stick/dongles will work similar!

As an addendum to the above, please keep in mind the following:

A 1 day subscription will allow you 20 MB (megabytes) of data download
2 days of this service will limit you to 40 MB of downloads
7 days will permit you 1 GB (gigabytes) of downloads
15 days and 30 days are also limited to 1 GB of downloads only.

So, if you happen to run out of bytes before your subscription ends, the Internet will stop working and the remaining balance of money on your simcard will rapidly be eaten away by the service which is trying to connect. AND, you have to wait for the remainder of your subscription time before you are able to sign in again and pay for another time period of Internet usage. Should this happen to you, dial *100 and ask the operator to have the unused Internet time cancelled from your phone number so you can reactivate it.
1 GB is 1000 MB or roughly 1 billion bytes of computer data storage.
1 MB is 1 million bytes.