Cellular module questions

Hello

So I have seen cellular modules on the market I've never had one or really understood them so I have a few questions. I dont know much about wireless interfacing so i may sound like a newbie.
If you could answer as many as you can please.

  1. what should I be looking for if I just want to relay a bit of info over long distances every so often?

  2. do you need a "network" like verizon or something to use them? (I'm gonna guess no)

  3. how would an arduino communicate with one? Through spi, i2c, or what?

  4. anything else I should know?

  1. what should I be looking for if I just want to relay a bit of info over long distances every so often?

You need to define how much data "a bit of info" is, and how often "every do often" is.

  1. do you need a "network" like verizon or something to use them? (I'm gonna guess no)

Guess again. Someone is paying for the network, and is going to charge you to use a share of it.

  1. how would an arduino communicate with one? Through spi, i2c, or what?

Which one? Most use SPI.

  1. anything else I should know?

This is not a newbie project.

By a little bit, I mean about 16 bits of data every 15 minutes.

So whos network would I be using? Would I choose?

So whos network would I be using? Would I choose?

Depends on who you buy your SIM card from. Yes, you choose.

So the payment would just be the sim card, I wouldn't need a plan or something, right?

So the payment would just be the sim card, I wouldn't need a plan or something, right?

Typically, the price per minute depends on just how committed you are as a customer. Very committed (got a plan) == low price. Uncommitted == high price.

Well I just want to send 2 bytes of data every 15 minutes. How much would that typically cost?

How much would that typically cost?

Go ask at your local phone store.