Patent ID: 8776189

Claim:
A service card, comprising: secure memory that stores user credentials used to securely authenticate the service card and access a service foreign to a consumer host device through a wireless broadband network, the user credentials associated with a broadband service provider; one or more processors configured to: interface an external port of a consumer host device; wirelessly communicate RF signals directly with a wireless broadband network; present a request for user identification including at least one of a Personal Identification Number (PIN), user ID and password, or biometric signature through a Graphical User Interface (GUI) of the consumer host device; verify the submitted user identification with user identification locally stored in the secure memory prior to accessing foreign services; when a number attempts to submit user identification exceeds a threshold, deactivate wireless communication; when user identification is verified within the threshold: access the foreign service using the user credentials in response to at least an event and transmit a service request to the broadband service provider using the wireless broadband network; and present information associated with the foreign service through the consumer host device, wherein the information associated with the foreign service is presented through the GUI of the consumer host device; wherein the service card is configured to insert into the external port of the consumer host device and is separate from the consumer host device.