Verizon Wireless said on Tuesday that it will begin offering the Verizon Jetpack 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot MiFi 5510L starting January 3. Developed by Novatel Wireless, the device will obviously run on the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network, and cost a mere $19.99 USD (after a $50 mail-in rebate) once customers sign a new two-year contract.
"A dedicated mobile hotspot device means being able to securely connect three, five or in many cases up to 10 different Wi-Fi-enabled devices without cables, maintaining and increasing productivity in and outside the office or the home," Verizon said. "Using a mobile hotspot, construction site supervisors can get access to architectural plans online, or an entrepreneur can deliver a presentation at the spur of the moment."
The Jetpack comes with advanced security features, including WPA2/WEP security, VPN support and more. Pricing for the compatible Share Everything plans range from 1 GB @ $50 per month to 10 GB @ $100 per month. Need more than that? Additional plans range from 12 GB @ $110 per month to 50 GB @ $375 per month. Want to add the Jetpack to an existing data plan instead? That will be $20 per month, please.
"The ability to share the hotspot among devices means that no one has to be off-line in meetings, airports and other non-traditional work spaces," Verizon said. "A visiting lecturer at a university who needs to have materials available to share with students or real estate agents who are showcasing properties on the road have instant access virtually anywhere."
Hotspot devices are ideal when users don't have a smartphone with hotspot capabilities, or they have a hotspot-capable phone but is limited to the number of connected devices. They're also great if you want to leave your hotspot-capable smartphone open for sending and receiving calls.
Verizon's new Mobile Hotspot MiFi 5510L will likely be available to purchase online on Thursday, and in retail stores in the coming weeks.
