Virgin Mobile to offer prepaid mobile broadband

Virgin Mobile USA will launch a pay-as-you-go mobile broadband service, Broadband2Go, that uses Sprint Nextel's EVDO Rev. A network. There will be no monthly subscription or activation fee for the service.

The service uses Novatel's MC760 USB device, which Virgin Mobile is touting as the world's smallest EV-DO Rev. A USB modem. The device will cost $149.99 and will be available through Best Buy Mobile and at BestBuy.com. The device and service will be available in late June.

The pricing plans break down as follows:

--$10 for 100 MB of data usage
--$20 for 250 MB
--$40 for 600 MB
--$60 for 1 GB

    Users can add more data to their account as often as they want using credit/debit cards or Virgin Mobile Top-Up cards. Matthew Berberian, Virgin Mobile's director of customer experience, said that users will be prompted to top-up their account as they near the end of their data allotment. Additionally, he said that users will be given 30 days to use their data allotment before it expires. Users will be able to keep track of their data usage each time they connect to the service.

    For more:
    - see this release

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