FreedomPop FREE 4G Mobile Internet 500MB per month with $49.99 deposit

Quote from iyg : Does anyone see the warranty policy?

As far as I can find, there is no warranty on the device. For $3/mo you get the following however:

FreedomPop Protection Plus

Category: protection

$2.99 / month Activate
This service includes the following:

Direct access to FreedomPop experts
Support with any internet problems
Global repair coverage if your modem is damaged
Mail-in repair for modems
One stop support, service, & replacement

The way that sounds is there is repair or replacement without the $3/mo. Unsure. All this is still beta so i'm just answering the best as I can find from their site.

keeping an eye on this but not pulling the trigger until I see more info about the longevity of this.

I ordered from them via KickStarter, and then cancelled, because of inconsistent messaging. They were telling two stories, one on FaceBook and another on KickStarter. Red flags galore.

They initially announced the project over KickStarter and then got booted for violating the terms. I would exercise extreme caution.

Quote from MeatCatalog : As far as I can find, there is no warranty on the device. For $3/mo you get the following however: FreedomPop Protection Plus Category: protection $2.99 / month Activate This service includes the following: Direct access to FreedomPop experts Support with any internet problems Global repair coverage if your modem is damaged Mail-in repair for modems One stop support, service, & replacement The way that sounds is there is repair or replacement without the $3/mo. Unsure. All this is still beta so i'm just answering the best as I can find from their site.

Thanks for the info. My gf has a habit of dropping item a lot, so I need to make sure =(

Quote from discounteggroll : keeping an eye on this but not pulling the trigger until I see more info about the longevity of this.

Quote from sphere2040 : I ordered from them via KickStarter, and then cancelled, because of inconsistent messaging. They were telling two stories, one on FaceBook and another on KickStarter. Red flags galore. They initially announced the project over KickStarter and then got booted for violating the terms. I would exercise extreme caution.

According to WSJ (you need a subscription to read it) http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1...53628.html : "A start-up backed by a founder of Skype is set to launch a wireless data service that promises to save customers hundreds of dollars a year, at a time when cellphone bills are chewing up a growing share of the household budget.

The start-up, called FreedomPop, is the latest and most extreme experiment in low-cost wireless pricing to hit the U.S., and it comes as the largest carriers are hoping to push up bills another notch by offering faster Web-browsing speeds. Monthly fees for one smartphone already often top $100.

FreedomPop's service, which begins operations on Monday, will offer users half a gigabyte of high-speed wireless data per month free and sell more at cheaper rates than what the big carriers charge: one gigabyte for $10 a month and five gigabytes for $35 a month."

Skype is pretty successful, so I think it will last for at least a couple years.

is there a way to absolutely make sure that I get capped for overage and know when I use my 500 megs? I carry a 15" MBP and 11" air, and decided to toss my ipad. This would be ideal granted I know when my limit is reached

does it say anywhere that if you upgrade from the free to the paid plan that you cannot downgrade back to free?

this would be great for parents that use the internet very lightly.

For no reason whatsoever, I did some simple bare-bones calculations without taking tax/shipping into consideration.

If you want 2.5GB/month (500MB free + 2GB plan), then over the course of a year it would be more cost effective to buy five USB adapters at $49.99/ea. That is, assuming you get 500MB free per device, per month, forever.

In a nutshell: this is only a good deal if you only use your free data allotment each month, for more than twelve months OR if you're a light user looking for no commitments, over a period of many, many months. It comes out to be $0.008/MB if you use 500MB/month for 12 months, not including taxes or shipping.

Also note that this is for the modestly priced USB adapter and not the more expensive "Freedom Sleeves". Will you really be using the same old iPod Touch or iPhone 4/4S over a year from now?

It's not going to pay off for itself if you break your phone and get a new one with a different docking connector, or if the Freedom Sleeve/USB adapter breaks.

If you're looking to consume 2GB or more, Sprint offers 6GB at $0.008/MB [sprint.com] and T-Mobile offers 3.5GB/5GB at $0.01/MB [t-mobile.com].

Nice concept, though. It's not about money... it's about sending a message. Right?

the NetZero 4G Mobile Broadband [netzero.net] seems similar to this where you buy the Stick ($25)/Hotspot ($50) and get 200MB free data. it says that the free plan expires at the end of 12 months. it does say that if you upgrade from the free plan to a paid plan that you cannot downgrade back to the free plan. it also says that it cannot be renewed, meaning you have to buy another stick or hotspot.

Quote from pissonyou : the NetZero 4G Mobile Broadband [netzero.net] seems similar to this where you buy the Stick ($25)/Hotspot ($50) and get 200MB free data. it says that the free plan expires at the end of 12 months. it does say that if you upgrade from the free plan to a paid plan that you cannot downgrade back to the free plan. it also says that it cannot be renewed, meaning you have to buy another stick or hotspot.

Netzero is still in business?

Quote from Iceboie : Netzero is still in business?

yep, been using them for years, from the dialup days

Well, the Netzero "free plan" only lasts for a year [netzero.net].

Quote : Access to the Free plan from a specific device expires (and may not be renewed) twelve (12) months from the date of initial registration, or upon upgrading to a paid plan.

Using the same method as in my previous post, it comes out to: 25/(200*12) = $0.0104/MB. It's good for those who need occasional emergency Internet access over a period of a year.

Digging a little deeper into the FreedomPop webpage, I found this gem [freedompop.com]:

(Under ACTIVE AND SUSPENDED BROADBAND SERVICE + REACTIVATE SERVICE)

Quote : Your Broadband Service becomes inactive after 30 days of Broadband Service activity under the 5mb threshold or if you fail to pay any fees for the Broadband Service and Value Added Services when due. If you choose the free Broadband Service and use less than 5mb in any given month, we'€™ll charge you a $.99 Active Status fee to keep your account active. If your Broadband service is canceled for any reason, you can Reactivate your Broadband service by making payment for all outstanding fees due and reactivation payment of $19.99.

Nope. Nope. Nooope.

Quote from Atachi : Well, the Netzero "free plan" only lasts for a year [netzero.net]. Using the same method as in my previous post, it comes out to: 25/(200*12) = $0.0104/MB. It's good for those who need occasional emergency Internet access over a period of a year. Digging a little deeper into the FreedomPop webpage, I found this gem [freedompop.com]: (Under ACTIVE AND SUSPENDED BROADBAND SERVICE + REACTIVATE SERVICE) Nope. Nope. Nooope.

hidden fees! RUN!

Any reason? Like what? No downloading mp3 music files or porn?

Quote from pissonyou : the NetZero 4G Mobile Broadband [netzero.net] seems similar to this where you buy the Stick ($25)/Hotspot ($50) and get 200MB free data. it says that the free plan expires at the end of 12 months. it does say that if you upgrade from the free plan to a paid plan that you cannot downgrade back to the free plan. it also says that it cannot be renewed, meaning you have to buy another stick or hotspot.

Great. I bought my NetZero hotsport for $100 a few months ago.

I also have the FreedomPop iPod touch sleeve pre-ordered. May want to change it to a hotspot instead.