Walmart and TruConnect offer prepaid mobile broadband from $10

[Matthew DeCarlo]

Walmart and TruConnect Mobile have announced a partnership to provide a prepaid mobile broadband service. Meant for casual users, Internet on the Go will offer blocks of data for set rates without a monthly commitment. Rates start as low as $10 for 100MB of data, while $25 gets you 500MB and you'll pay $45 for 1GB. Online automatic refills are also available with pricing set at $20 for 450MB of data.

Those prices aren't particularly awesome, but Internet on the Go could easily work in the favor in limited usage scenarios as the prepaid data doesn't expire. If you pay for 1GB of data, you nibble on it forever, as long as you use the service at least once a year. The press release cites research that suggests 90% of all tablets in the US last year used Wi-Fi because they didn't want to pony up for a cellular contract.

"In today's world of high connectivity, we want to make connecting to the Internet more accessible and affordable for our customers," said Walmart. "Mobile users deserve fairness and honesty when it comes to the mobile Internet, and with Internet on the Go, users get exactly what they pay for and can use their purchased megabytes whenever they want to with no other hidden conditions or fees," TruConnect added.

To use one of the plans, you'll have to buy a Novatel Wireless MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot, then purchase Internet on the Go data from Walmart. The service uses Sprint's CDMA EV-DO network (coverage map here) and should work fine for up to five Wi-Fi devices, including those running Windows, OS X, iOS and Android. Neither the announcement nor the service's site mention pricing for the MiFi 2200.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/49083-walmart-and-truconnect-offer-prepaid-mobile-broadband-from-10.html

 

[Arris]

"Meant for casual users" - Casual users don't need 5 device mobile WiFi.

 

[Guest]

0.1 * 100 = $10
0.05 * 500 = $25
0.045 * 1000 = $45

 

[wiyosaya]

$45 bucks for 1GB of data and they think they will get subscribers? Good luck!!

Meanwhile, you can pay $49.99 at Sprint and get 6GB/mo., and I am sure other carriers have plans that offer more value, too.

 

[Tygerstrike]

This would be more for elderly users who dont super use at all. Literally checking their email once or twice a week to see if their grandchildren sent new pictures. The average consumer would do a lot better going with either contracted service or something like Virgin Mobles prepaid service.
The only saving grace on this one is that it doesnt expire. That right there makes it really useful.

 

[ElShotte]

You guys have to remember that not everyone wants or even can get a contracted mobile service. But even so, a more tech savvy user would know that a better alternative would be to get a prepaid cell service, I currently have T-Mobile which I pay for on a monthly basis, without a contract. I have no need for the broadband really, so I have the $50 plan which includes unlimited talk/text and unlimited data, catch on unlimited data is that the first 100MB are at 4G, the rest is at 2.5G, which I really couldn't care less about because 2G is all I get here, not even 3G. But for I think $70 a month, they have unlimited data at 4G, you can download a Hotspot app for your phone and feed it to your wireless devices... so not only would you have unlimited cell usage, but also unlimited data (at 4G in a major city).

 

[Guest]

I guess some people are either insatiably greedy or infinitely stupid.

When I moved to the country I could no longer get broadband internet service in my area. So I went backwards and tried 56k telephone internet service for awhile. After about a month but I came to the conclusion that no internet in todays data-heavy world is better than 56k internet. Using a 56k modem on todays internet is setting yourself up for disappoint on a daily basis.

It's the same thing as offering a 100MB plan for $10.00. Thats like getting to watch a single "YouTube" video(one of the longer ones). I could rent 10 red-box DVD movies for that much money.

So I have a message for Wal-Mart and Tru-Connect. You can kiss my rosy red fat cheeks before you'll ever see a dime from me. I'd rather no internet than be subjected to a 100MB download restriction. Thanks for keeping your prices egregiously high and your service offerings ridiculously out of touch with the reality of the internet as it is today.

 

[spydercanopus]

You can watch about 5 minutes of HD video for $10. SWEETNESS! -_-

 

[ECHTECH]

And when it doesn't work they will come to my store to make it work. I will tell them to take it back and get your money back.

Better off on spending a little bit more money and getting a USB modem from a carrier that you can get tech support from like Tmobile, ATT, Verizon or Sprint.

Walmart sells the Virgin prepaid USB Modems and 9 out of 10 times they don't work either.

 

[wiyosaya]

@ElShotte, In general, contractual agreements cover at least a portion of the cost of the device. So for my example, if I settle for a contract for 2-years, I would get a USB modem for free. However, if I outright buy the USB Modem, the prices I quoted are available on a monthly basis.

Walmart and TruConnect are actually only reselling Sprint's service at outrageously high prices, IMHO, and worse yet, they are attempting to prey on the tech ignorant in the population.

I agree with "Guest;" they both can kiss my ...

 

[Guest]

I wouldn't exactly say it's being aimed at the "ignorant" user. There are people who aren't "duh" about this who might still find use for it.

For example, if I use the hotspot feature through my current carrier Verizon, I'd spend $20 a month ($240.00 per year) to use it, even if I was a very light user who let's say, only needed it for two weekends a month at a cabin I might go to on the weekends where no web service is available. The initial cost of the Walmart hotspot with a 1 gig card would be $164.00 and the data is good for at least a year, and, unused data to my knowledge, carries over so long as you keep the service active by using it at least once a year, too. So right off the bat someone in a situation like mine would save $76.00 that first year.

The longevity of the data and carryover feature will be the strongest sales points for this device. It would not be cost effective for casual REGULAR web users as the article suggests. But for off-and-on sporadic users who currently own wifi-only tablets or something, it could come in handy. Also a side note: There are people who live in areas where short power outages occur more frequent than some of us might be used to - this would allow them to use the web during those outages, provided the rather limited service area it covers falls within their area.

 

[Guest]

It's still a good deal if you regularly live and work where there's wifi but occasionally find yourself on the road, at the beach, camping, where there is none, and you need casual access. It's not for watching videos, for sure. The attraction is (a) it doesn't expire; and (b) no monthly charge, both of which are show-stoppers to the plans (even prepaid) offered by The Big Guys.

 

[Guest]

I purchased the walmart on the go hot spot about a week ago. The equipment works fine as long as you are in place where the Sprint network is stong. I can't say too much for the accounting though. Very recenlty I purchased more Mbs for $10. At one point it showed I recieved the Mbs. When I checked the next day, however, it was not their. Because it is the weekend, I have to wait til Monday to find out about. My point is that there are still some IT issues with this service. I can expect that since it is still very new. I sure hope they work out the kinks. This has all the potential to go very far.

 

[Guest]

As long as you have Sprint coverage where you plan to use it, this could be a good supplemental service. There are many people who have Wi-Fi at home, school, work and just want a supplemental service to check e-mail, bank account, etc. a few days a month or few weeks a year. Or they have non-Sprint service and have no coverage where they travel. It seems expensive at first, but consider that you'd get 100% of the data because it doesn't expire or have a monthly fee. A good 'just-in-case' service. With other services, you'd pay the fee every month no matter how little you use.