I guess I could see this method of connection as useful if you don't have any hot spots nearby, but I'd think that if you're on the road with your laptop, you're on the road for business, which usually denotes urban/suburban areas. But hey, wtf do I know, right?

"Cellular internet access uses the cell phone network to connect. The performance is limited by the capabilities of the phone and the cell tower it is connected to. That performance could range anywhere from 14.4 kbps to 300+ kbps, but typical digital speeds are 50-120 kbps up/down. 300+ kbps is just starting to arrive in very few cities, but it is expected to continue replacing existing networks."