The best and potentially cheapest alternative is find a Wi-Fi hotspot somewhere (preferably free) and do your major downloading on that.
AT&T 3G service is a good alternative if you are in a good AT&T 3G reception area, but in order to use that you must have purchased a 3G AT&T model iPad.
If that is what you have, it is a simple matter to subscribe to the service. On your iPad go to Settings, then Cellular Data, and sign up for the service.
Another option, if you have a phone and provider that permits, is to use your phone as a Wi-Fi “Hotspot” and connect to it from your iPad. See current thread “[iPad] Dumb question :) tethering / mobile hot spot.”
Good luck, and let us know if you have any questions.
Best,
Jim
From: iPad@yahoogroups.com [mailto:iPad@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of NancyR
Sent: Friday, November 25, 2011 12:18 PM
To: iPad@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [iPad] New iPad Question
I have a new iPad. Only 56k dial-up is available in the area where I live - no DSL. There is an AT&T tower nearby and friends with AT&T phone service report good connections.
It took over 6 hours to download the iTunes software, then another hour to sign up with iTunes. Now I have the iPad connected to iTunes and installing a software upgrade. It says it will take 51 hours to download. Is there any other way to get the update or should I just use the old verson?
My plan was to get AT&T service for the iPad. How can I do that?
Nancy
