AT&T adds Unite mobile hotspot to GoPhone prepaid line up

Adding a little more data flexibility to prepaid services, AT&T is offering up a handy mobile hotspot to the GoPhone line up.

The Netgear Unite is an LTE enabled rectangle about the size of a deck of cards which shares a 4G data signal with up to ten devices. It’s controlled via a bright 2.3″ color touchscreen, and the battery life should be good for around 10 hours of sharing.

Throwing a product like this to prepay is an interesting move. For families or small workgroups who might not need this kind of functionality mainline all the time, but they can fire it up and pay for the usage when they need it.

The Unite will launch with two basic plans 250MB for $15 a week, or 5GB for $50 a month. It’ll be available starting November 12th for $99.99, and you should be able to find it online and at Walmart.

More details after the jump.

AT&T adds FIRST GoPhone MOBILE HOTSPOT to THE NATION’S FASTEST AND MOST RELIABLE 4G LTE NETWORK 

CONNECT UP TO 10 WI-FI DEVICES WITH NO ANNUAL CONTRACT

DALLAS, NOV. 5, 2013 – AT&T* GoPhone customers can now choose from new data-only plans with the AT&T Unite mobile hotspot from Netgear. New and existing AT&T GoPhone customers can enjoy the flexibility of a mobile hotspot and the affordability of a wireless data plan with no annual contract on the nation’s fastest and most reliable 4G LTE network.**

The new plans*** include:

• ·         250 MB of data for $15 a week
• ·         5 GB of data for $50 a month

AT&T Unite is available beginning Nov. 12 for $99.99 at approximately 1,000 Walmart stores, with no annual contract, credit check or deposit.

“We’re excited to be introducing new data-only plans and adding the first mobile hotspot to our GoPhone lineup,” said Mark Collins, AT&T Mobility senior vice president of data and voice products. “We’re continuing to add more value and options for our customers, and with AT&T Unite, they can make the most of their wireless experience, while accessing the latest technology and network speeds.”

GoPhone customers will have secure mobile Wi-Fi and will be able to connect up to 10 Wi-Fi enabled devices to AT&T Unite. Additional features include:

• ·         2.4-inch touchscreen display
• ·         Up to 10 hours of battery life
• ·         Ability to manage connected devices, change network and device settings and block unwanted devices from joining the network.

AT&T has the nation’s fastest and now most reliable 4G LTE network. According to independent third-party data, AT&T has the highest success rate for delivering mobile content across nationwide 4G LTE networks. And AT&T was named America’s fastest 4G LTE network  in PC Magazine’s2013 Fastest Mobile Networks 30-market study – and also swept the top rankings in all six U.S. regions from coast to coast: Northeast, Southeast, North-Central, South-Central, Northwest and Southwest.****

From the initial purchase to ongoing service interactions, AT&T is focused on providing an unparalleled customer experience.  AT&T was recently recognized with two significant achievements, outperforming competitors for customer service and wireless purchase experience.  J.D. Power awarded AT&T the “Highest Ranked Customer Service Performance Among Full-Service Wireless Providers” and “Highest Satisfaction with the Purchase Experience among Full Service Wireless Providers” in their 2013, Volume 2 studies.

For more information on AT&T GoPhone Mobile Hotspot service, please visit att.com/gomobiledata.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

** Speed claim based on comparison of national carriers’ average 4G LTE download speeds for Android^TM and Windows smartphones and iPhone 5. Reliability claim compares data transfer completion rates on nationwide 4G LTE networks. Limited 4G LTE availability in select markets. LTE is a trademark of ETSI.

***Data plans are designed for use with eligible stand-alone mobile hotspot devices. A voice service is not required with data plans.  Unused data allowances do not roll over. If the data allowance included in the data plan is depleted prior to the end of the applicable rate plan term, an eligible data package can be added for an additional cost.  If you add a data package, the use of data will be counted against your data package instead of being counted against the data allotment remaining in your data plan.  The unused portion of your data plan will remain available for use until the last day of your rate plan, provided you deplete your data package

**** PC Magazine, June 17, 2013; http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2420333,00.asp

AT&T received the highest numerical score among full service wireless providers in the proprietary J.D. Power 2013 Wireless Purchase Experience Full Service Study^SM – Vol. 2. Study based on responses from 8,693 consumers measuring 4 full service wireless providers and measures opinions of consumers who purchased a wireless product or service within last 6 months.  Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed January-June 2013.  Your experiences may vary.  Visit jdpower.com