A new MVNO by the name of TruConnect has signed an agreement with Sprint to offer a novel mobile broadband service option for those that use less than 5GB in a given month, but need more than the typical low bucket offerings by carriers. TruConnect is offering a flat 3.9 cent per megabyte rate for a $5 monthly fee with no contract required, making it a better option for those that only need occasional access instead of  monthly access. The current hardware offerings consist of a USB modem for $69.99 or the above pictured branded MiFi unit for $89.99.
Good job, but any info on a WIMAX version? It was mentioned a few days ago in another blog. GigaOM I think.
In general, MVNOs roll out in phases with compelling things along the way. 2G, then 3G, then 4G.
I have no doubt that TruConnect will get to 4G at some point, but I would not be surprised if it takes months, if not several months to actually begin offering it to consumers. If this sounds like the plan that’s right for you, I would not hold my breath waiting for a 4G version and pricing plan.
Na, it’s not a no go for me, but I was wondering if this hotspot has WIMAX backed in? I did get a VM MIFI and it works good for me because I have cable WIFI at home and at work. Just want to do invoices on the road in between appointments.
I get 1GB for 20 bucks (thanks to Walmart) and probably only use 200MB’s.
The MiFi 2200 (regardless of carrier, Verizon, TruConnect, etc) lacks 4G. It only has a CDMA2000 radio inside.
Vi,
Your use case is exactly what TruConnect was designed for. If using only 200MB/month TruConnect costs you $12.79. You won’t pay for anything you don’t use. If you are using consistently 200MB then TruConnect will save you money. If you use less you will save even more.
Thanks
How do you record usage? Does it round up, is it session based, etc?
Say gmail, as you know, has a IMAP Idle connection that keeps connecting. I’m concerned about that more than the mail itself.
Vi,
Usage is not rounded up. For example, 2.6 MB charges at $0.101 out to the third decimal place.
I would send you a screenshot of my account through this page, but it won’t let me. If you go to this page: http://www.truconnect.com/plans/ there is a graphic that shows an example of the account management page. This page shows each session of usage and how much that session cost. The data will show up about an hour after each session is closed.
You can also track real time how much data you are using with the connection manager. On the same page mentioned above you will see a graphic of the connection manager of both uploads and downloads. It is shown in bytes so 1 million bytes is a megabyte.
Data usage varies depending on what type of activities you are performing. If you are visiting web pages and sending/receiving email, then data usage will be minimal (estimated 10-20MB per hour). Other activities like downloading files or watching steaming video will use more data. If you will be streaming video for over an hour TruConnect is not the best solution. It is impossible to calculate exactly how much data is used by different websites and activities because of the different characteristics of each website or activity. In the case of websites that actively check for information there is not significant data transfer for these updates on the static page. It would be very minimal.
Hopefully this answers your questions. If you have anymore don’t hesitate to ask.