FreedomPop Now Expanding into Free Home Broadband
With the Hub Burst, FreedomPop customers can use up to 1 GB of data for free every month.
FreedomPop said on Wednesday that it is now "disrupting" the $100 billion home broadband market by taking pre-orders for the FreedomPop Hub Burst home modem. This gadget will be "disruptive" because it will pipe in 100-percent free high-speed Internet access at speeds that are on par with most cable providers.
"Major broadband providers, including Time Warner Cable, AT&T, Verizon and Comcast, are pillaging consumers, charging in excess of $500 per year for home Internet," said Stephen Stokols, FreedomPop's CEO. "The Hub Burst puts us in position to offer a compelling alternative for the massive home market much quicker than we initially planned."
Back in October, the company said that it officially launched free internet for everyone. It guaranteed a minimum of 500 MB of 4G wireless Internet service every month anywhere Clearwire's 4G coverage is available. No long-term contracts, no ads, and no gimmicks, the company said. Later that month, the company shipped an iPod Touch 4G Sleeve that snaps onto a 4th-generation iPod Touch, turning it into a 4G-capable smartphone.
Now the upcoming Hub Burst device, costing a reasonable $89, brings free internet directly to a home or small office. The device itself is a modem / router combo, allowing ten devices to connect via Wi-Fi or Ethernet simultaneously. Users are guaranteed 1 GB of data every month, and additional means to earn even more unlimited free data.
In addition to the free service, FreedomPop also provides two plans for data hogs who need more than 1 GB a month. These include a $9.99 monthly subscription for 10 GB, and a pay-as-you-go option that charges $0.005 per megabyte, or $5 per 1 GB.
FreedomPop claims that consumers could pay up to 80-percent less than what they shell out to cable and DSL operators. After all, the median American household uses under 5.5 GB per month at home, yet spends over $50 for Internet service alone, Stokols said.
"FreedomPop will utilize the Clearwire WiMax network, ensuring that installation is as simple as plugging in the device with no time-consuming, complicated installations. Unlike traditional service providers, there are no contracts, no hidden fees and no installation issues," the company stated in a press release.
To pre-order the FreeDom Pop Hnub Burst, head here. The company will determine if coverage is in your area before taking a pre-order payment.
This is not the early 2000's. A family can easily eat through a GB every 1-2 days.
"FreedomPop Software Obtained From iTunes"
Thats a good idea. Used strictly for VOIP and smart phone data access this could be a pretty incredible tool. Service reliability becomes the only possibly hangup at that point.
I am a young single mother living on a budget. In this day in time having internet is a must so I came across Freedom Pop and thought that they might be an affordable alternative to getting internet in my home. I order the Casual 2GB package @ $17.00 a month. Upon arrival I was very excited to use my device, hooked it up, watched a movie the device worked perfect then went to bed. The next day I went onto the website to see how much data I had used and to my surprise I had used the entire data plan! I thought that was a little strange but I went ahead and upgraded to biggest plan they offer 10GB. The next time the device was used my nephew came over and played his playstation online. The next day I started getting email after email "Freedom Pop has added $10 to your account" over and over again. I thought that was strange since I had already upgraded to the biggest package. When I looked at my bank statement Freedom Pop had charged me $131.59 in overage fee's over a 6 day period, $70 in one day! And continued charging my account until I had insufficient funds. So let me reiterate people... I paid $100 for the actual device, $60 for the biggest plan, and now on top of that $130... FOR USING THE DEVICE 2 TIMES! I called the company and asked what the reasoning was for all these charges. They said that much data had been used because I "had a good connection". The best they could do was refund me $40. Needless to say I will never recommend this product to anyone. You've been warned!