DataJack to offer $40 unlimited 3G data
updated 04:30 pm EST, Wed December 30, 2009
New entrant vows no 3G cap, contracts
DataJack has promised heated competition in wide-area wireless with the launch of its own 3G service. The provider promises to be the first in years to drop the 5GB bandwidth cap imposed at rivals like AT&T and Verizon and will offer true unlimited access, making it useful as a regular and not just part-time Internet connection. Contracts also aren't required and should let customers jump to another provider at any time without a penalty.
The modem launching with the service promises to be advanced and may be one of the few to support more than one US carrier's 3G. DataJack claims quad-band support that includes AT&T's 850MHz band as well as T-Mobile's 1,700MHz (AWS), although it's unclear if this includes 3G for both. The USB-based device has its own microSDHC card slot for extra storage and should work with Linux, Mac OS X and Windows.
Even while new, DataJack plans to undercut established providers in price and will charge just $40 for its monthly service versus $60 at virtually every larger provider. The necessary modem will sometimes cost less as it should cost $100 outright. Precise availability hasn't been determined, but more will come with a formal introduction at CES next week. [via Chip Chick]
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: May 2001
Two points
1. Doubtful this will be Mac compatible. They never are.
2. This outfit will be leasing its bandwidth from, you guessed it, at&t, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, et al. This outfit has no towers of its own, no hardware, no nothing, I'm guessing. They will piggyback on the incumbent carriers just like every other wannabe telecom does. Good luck with that.