Information via social media posts regarding TV and wifi access
Internet access and Wifi aren’t the same thing. Access to the Internet is the service provided by the provider to your home. How you access the service once it's in your home can be via a hardwire connection (usually ethernet) or via wireless (aka wifi). Typically, the Internet provider will give you a modem-router. The modem-router creates a network within your home. On one side, it connects to the Internet. On the other side is the network (and connections) within your home. The modem-router has ports for hardwire connections _and_ has wireless features for wireless (wifi) connections. A desktop computer might connect via either method. A printer might connect via either method. A smart TV might connect via either method. A laptop will likely connect via wireless. A tablet or phone will connect via wireless. Most streaming media devices will connect via wireless. You don’t need a cable TV package to get access to the Internet for your phone and/or other devices. You can order an Internet only package from the cable provider(s) in your area, i.e. Optimum, Verizon FIOS, AT&T Fiber, Spectrum, etc. Internet via a provider like Optimum, Verizon FIOS, or Spectrum is not the same as Internet access as provided by a cellular provider. Access via a regular provider tends to be faster and more flexible. Many of the cellular providers like AT&T Wireless, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile also offer cellular based access to the Internet for the home. It isn’t the same as Internet access as provided by a provider like Optimum or Verizon. Typically, it’s a box that connects to the provider’s cellular network and in turns provides access to the Internet via the cellular-based data connection. It’s slower and may lack some of the flexibility of a standard broadband connection. In your home, the box will provide wifi connection and, possibly, one or more ethernet connections. How well cellular based Internet works is 100% dependent on the cellular provider and how it is in general in the area. It still might be sufficient for your purposes, depending what you want to do with the Internet. Additional Information: Modern TVs can get a significant amount of free programming via an over the air (OTA) antenna. However, it won’t get you programming from providers that you need to pay for via a cable programming package or via most streaming services. It’ll be local channels like CBS, NBC, ABC, PIX11 and a bunch free channels. How much you get via an antenna depends on your location, the antenna and the tuner in your TV. Lots of free programming including content from providers available via cable TV can be had via streaming services. It could be via an app from the provider itself. It could via an app that combines content from various providers. You can watch the content via the app on a tablet or phone, on a computer via the web and/or on a TV via an app on the TV or a streaming media device like an AppleTV, Roku or Amazon Fire device. You’ll need access to the Internet to watch content via streaming services. Although there is a tremendous amount of free content available, many of the popular streaming services require a subscription. Be prepared to cough up the bucks for one or more subscriptions if you want content that is available via the free services or free from the subscription services.
