im moving from the US to England specifically Norwich and I was wondering if my American laptop is going to be compatible with Englands wireless internet. If not I need to figure out what to do with my laptop.

You won't have any problems using your laptop . . .

yep, no problems. 802.11 B, G and N are all international standards.

You will need a plug <b>adapter</b> however - something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Adapter-Plug-G.../dp/B000BMC5OQ

It's going to cost, great British pounds worth.

spaarne, why is it going to cost?

Usually, free wifi in UK is confined to certain areas (e.g. some train stations, within a shopping centre etc), in some shops and cafes (e.g. Starbucks, McDonalds - meant for customers only but no login required) and very occasionally an open wifi when someone fails to set up any security (though strictly speaking this can be regarded as theft). In most other cases you have to pay. There are various wifi zones by several operators, such as BT Openzone, T-Mobile HotSpot etc which you usually have to pay to connect, either by taking out a subscription, bundled with mobile phone contract or pay-as-you-go by credit or debit card.
Normally, if you want to connect your laptop to the internet in your place of work or study, you can normally obtain login details to do so, free of charge. If you want to connect at home, you'll have to pay. Either by taking out a landline broadband (ADSL, cable etc) or mobile internet through a 3G USB dongle/modem or using a 3G phone as modem. Some places you stay at (hotels etc) or rent (apartment, flat etc) come already equipped with wifi or wired internet by ethernet, and there is usually no extra to pay. But if it isn't you have to pay, one way or another. If you are going to be in UK for a year or more, it will be cheapest to get a landline broadband by subscription (typically £10 to £15 a month). If your stay is more limited, you can buy a USB modem from around £20 (there's a special offer on at the moment with T-Mobile and 3), plus a monthly charge of £10 to £15 for up to 1-3GB download. If you only surf the net occasionally, you can get a daily plan from around £1 with T-Mobile etc.
So you have a wide option in UK, and what is best for you depends on your circumstance.

If you do the TMobile USB dongle option (we did) - make sure you get the age restrictions lifted (for IM and youtube if you need/want, and who knows what else) and find out about topping up - you can't do it online unless you have a UK credit card. You can buy top-up vouchers from most stores, or purchase at a TMobile. Keep your dongle 'box'.