Verizon Wireless Introduces MiFi Mobile Hotspot

Filed in archive Wi-Fi on May 11, 2009

On May 17th, Verizon Wireless will release the $99 MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot, developed by Novatel Wireless. The device connects to Verizon's 3G network and creates a personal Wi-Fi network on the go.

"The travel-friendly MiFi measures 3.5 by 2.3 by 0.4 inches and weighs just 2.05 ounces," writes eWeek's Michelle Maisto. "Combined inside are integrated internal CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) and Wi-Fi antennas, and security and authentication technologies."

As InformationWeek's Ed Hansberry notes, battery life could be an issue. "It is strictly meant for occasional use, not all day," he writes. "The battery is expected to last 4 hours when used or up to 40 hours on stand-by, so when traveling, you'll need to keep the charger handy."

"Two service plans are available," writes Crave's Kent German. "A $40 monthly subscription gets you 250MB of data; if you go over you'll pay 10 cents per megabyte. For $60 you can use 5GB and pay 5 cents per megabyte for any additional use."

More here from Wired ... more here from Gearlog ... more here from Engadget ... more here from Electronista ... more here from Gizmodo ... more here from WirelessWeek ... and the press release is here.