...can place in their lap top and hook up to the internet from any where they can get a cell phone signal. How much do these "cards" cost and what is the monthly fee? Do you have to sign a year's contract?

Those cards access what is referred to as Broadband Wireless, and they use the cellular network to provide connectivity between your laptop and the internet.

Verizon Wireless requires that you subscribe to a data package, metered differently than your normal voice/multimedia package in that you're charged by the kb for data usage.

These 'cards' I believe are called 'ethernet cards.' The monthly fee differs depending on the company. Like T-Mobile is about $15 monthly, which is included in your cell phone bill monthly. Sprint is about $20 a month. For both companies, you need to sign a 1 yr. contract.

You should call your cell phone carrier for specific details about this matter.

Side note: (In case you're not aware) Most new computers, since 2006, (or maybe earlier than that) have built in wi-fi connections which lets you connect to the internet without an ethernet card. If you purchased a computer recently, you should try to look into this first before getting an ethernet card.

Hope this helped. Good luck.