AT&T offers $49.99 netbook with 2-year data plan

Confirming earlier rumors, AT&T has announced it will begin offering subsidized netbooks by both Aspire and Dell with the goal of locking customers into long-term 3G data plans. The lineup includes an Acer Aspire One, Dell Inspiron Mini 9 and Mini 12, and LG Xenia (apparently an MSI Wind rebadge), with prices ranging from a mere $49.99 to $249.99 – down from their regular price of $449.99 to $599.99 according to the carrier.

Also available are full size notebooks from makers such as Lenovo and those models start at $749.99. AT&T's “Internet at Home and On the Go” two-year broadband bundle itself starts at $60 a month, which seems like a good enough deal for both a 1.5Mbps residential DSL line and HSDPA connection, though the paltry 200MB monthly cap on the mobile side of things will be a deal breaker for many. Customers also have the option of skipping the DSL bundle offer and buying 5GB/month of HSDPA connectivity for $60 per month. Of course users also get free access to AT&T's 20,000+ hotspot locations.

According the press release, these deals are currently available at select stores in Atlanta and Philadelphia only, but will likely extend to other markets eventually depending on the ability to generate new subscribers.