Verizon debuts MiFi 2200 portable EV-DO router

It was hardly a secret 'round these parts, but Verizon Wireless is finally ready to confess to that MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot we've heard so much about. Like the Novatel unit it's based on, the device harbors 802.11b/g and EV-DO Rev. A radios, and can share a 3G Verizon connection with up to five different WiFi devices simultaneously. Battery life is pegged at four hours of active use, and 40 hours of standby on a single charge. Data plans include a $40 monthly subscription for 250MB and 10 cents per MB overages, or $60 for 5GB and half the overages price. If you want to forgo the subscription and pay full-price for the MiFi, you can pick up a 24 hour "DayPass" for $15 -- any way you slice it, you'll be paying good money for the privilege of using the thing. The MiFi 2200 itself hits stores May 17th, and will run you $100 after a $50 rebate.

[neodorian @ May 6th 2009 6:43PM]

You can also do this with any Windows Mobile phone. Plug it in, fire up WMWifiRouter and boom! Instant hotspot.

[BossTalk @ May 6th 2009 6:51PM]

^what he said...though it would be a god deal if it was $40 flat for unlimited

[neodorian @ May 6th 2009 6:54PM]

Yeah, I pay $15/month for unlimited on my phone but I think that has a "soft cap" of 5GB. I've run it up to maybe 9gb or so one month when I had no internet access and they didn't complain but it's kind of abusing the system. I'm not sure what a Phone-as-Modem plan would run since I normally only use it for browsing and don't go over the limit. The 9GB month included a few decent sized torrents.

[Ivan @ May 6th 2009 7:35PM]

You beat me to it!

[Totalfixation @ May 6th 2009 6:57PM]

major fail with the tier pricing.

[TRAFFICBLOWS @ May 6th 2009 7:18PM]

mos def, the plans are a big verZero

[Will @ May 6th 2009 9:44PM]

I'm annoyed by this use of 'fail' already and it's just come about...

[scootle @ May 6th 2009 9:49PM]

"fail" has to do with the 5G soft cap on the data plan. makes most "unlimited" data plans a bit... limited.

[cbragg @ May 6th 2009 11:58PM]

Well, AT&T, at the same price, also has a 5gb cap and their overage is a whopping $.49/mb. Plus, I don't even see a lower cost option with them. And Sprint, also at the same price & 5GB, has an overage rate of $.05/mb, the same as VZW's.

So, moral of the story: Everybody rips you off.

[Eh? @ May 7th 2009 11:26AM]

""fail" has to do with the 5G soft cap on the data plan. makes most "unlimited" data plans a bit... limited."

Especially when they don't even brand them as Unlimited anymore, at least AT&T and VZW don't.

They both now brand them as their 5GB plan.

[Leindurstit @ May 6th 2009 7:02PM]

Good, now where's the damned BlackBerry 9630!?

[Rollins @ May 6th 2009 7:25PM]

I wouldn't even mind seeing the 8230, myself. And really, there's no excuse now that Alltel has it.

[Phil @ May 6th 2009 7:04PM]

I never thought that the US would have pricier data plans than OZ, we pay $40/month here for 5gb with 10c/mb on top of that

[Dry Bones @ May 6th 2009 7:10PM]

I completely agree as they should have tiered pricing with a few more options along with rollover bytes - they could be the first to launch that feature and boast the marketing behind it like AT&T has done well lately with minutes.

The $40/month plan should at least provide 2 GB and they basically back you into the $60 per month plan.... Also, is there a GB cap for the day pass - if not, load up on it!!!

[Tech Head @ May 6th 2009 7:14PM]

What about packaging??? For example, if one has a family plan or have services billed monthly of at least $150 and at least 1 smartphone plan (i.e. Blackberry), they should provide some really attractive discounting, such as the 5 GB plan for $25!!

[John M @ May 6th 2009 7:18PM]

Hmm... I have a Verizon Mobile Broadband account for the modem built into my VAIO P but I find myself very, very tempted by this considering that I could use it with my MacBook Pro or really any of the WiFi enabled devices that I buy over the next two years of my contract.

[momotarosan @ May 6th 2009 7:20PM]

I want a router to use with Sprint's Wimax...if it ever rolls out

[Dry Bones @ May 6th 2009 7:24PM]

I'm dying to use it with my iPod Touch!!

[Jonathan Loor @ May 6th 2009 8:53PM]

Does that mean its $15/day for unlimited access? If so, does that mean it will cost $450/month for truly unlimited service? Thats one way to avoid a headline grabbing Overage bill for downloading Wall-E.

[ThreeDee912 @ May 6th 2009 9:21PM]

10 cents for 1MB overages...

In other news, Verizon charges 25 cents for text message overages...

[Dry Bones @ May 6th 2009 9:41PM]

The $60/mo plan is by far the best value, when compared to the $40/mo plan as one gets approximately 20 times more data for only 50% more money.

Plan MB GB

$40/mo 250 0.24
$60/mo 5,120 5.00

Var # $20/mo 4,870
Var % 50% 1,948%

However, for the casual user, the $15 "Day Pass" plan could make sense????

[stevengreen @ May 7th 2009 4:02AM]

Haha in the UK we get 5GB for $23 with a 5GB Soft Cap

[Sean @ May 7th 2009 8:00AM]

This would be better if it did the reverse, allowing you to bypass verizon tethering by making wi-fi hotspots look like 3G. I wonder if it's hackable, certainly seems to be appropriate hardware in the unit, no doubt locked down by wonky proprietary Verizon software.

[GingerFox @ May 7th 2009 11:26AM]

you guys are getting screwed on prices you can get a 3G USB dongle from o2 for £29.38 per month for 10GB, now i know its not a router but come on that amount of data for that price is insane

[Eh? @ May 7th 2009 11:29AM]

Woohoo! Now instead of going over on one connection, you can go over on several!

[ive9th @ May 7th 2009 11:44AM]

The pricing and the 5bg cap are horrible. We need to start a "flight" from one company to the next and site the fact that the cap and the tiered pricing are the reason...now granted it is obvious that everybody does it so you cant really win with this action but if we targeted one carrier like say Verizon, they would have to change and thus forcing everyone else to change eventually. Can anybody say "Win"?
---
I do understand that you dont want people to use the wireless card for their primary internet use, thus the cap but 5gb is really weak in todays business environment considering attachment sizes and conferencing. Id say something between 10gb and 15gb is more reasonable. My opinion.

[blacc @ May 7th 2009 4:01PM]

Presentation - a new MiFi:new MiFi

[blacc @ May 7th 2009 4:04PM]

Presentation - a new MiFi:new MiFi

[blacc @ May 7th 2009 4:22PM]

38816610

[johnagan @ May 9th 2009 7:48PM]

This sucks! I bet I use 5gb an hour...

[Allen @ May 13th 2009 11:39PM]

I don't think you'll have any problem downloading for an hour and not reaching the 5GB total.

[Bob Gezelter @ May 10th 2009 6:19AM]

I think that many miss the advantages of devices of this type. Devices to provide VERY local 3G service (femto cells) have been offered for quite some time. They provide a very small (e.g., single residence) cell, and uplink to the wireless phone provider over the subscribers broadband Internet connection.

For a variety of reasons, including the physics of capacity, I do not see these devices replacing landline broadband for most users.

I do see an intriguing possibilities for devices of this ilk in the business context of making broadband connectivity available in situations where it is not currently available. In the IT Datacenter context, it has a potential niche for emergency broadband as part of a contingency plans. It also has potential for providing broadband support in places that presently do not have it (e.g., tables in parking lots). It also affects the economics of broadband connections at trade shows, which often have heavy installation charges.

In a corporate context, even the potential overuse surcharges on the 5 GB/month plan are dwarfed by the costs of lost connectivity

A somewhat longer discussion of this potential is contained in my blog, Ruminations -- An IT Blog under Corporate Tool: Mobile WiFi Hybrids (see http://www.rlgsc.com/blog/ruminations/wifi-as-mobile.html),

[jon @ May 11th 2009 3:35PM]

these things never work as expected...

[dejavuyou @ May 12th 2009 11:42AM]

Well, when the price comes down, whether it's Verizon's prices or somebody else's, I'll install one in my car...

[Free Solutions @ May 25th 2009 7:59AM]

RE: The $15 Day Pass requires you to pay full retail for the MiFi 2200 and can't place this order online. Call to Verizon sales gave price quote of $400 for the Intelligent Mobile Hotspot. Even at the other price point of $270 +15 per day from Pogue's NY Times article of early May, that's a lot to pay for an unrebated thick credit card of connectivity. More about reviews, different plans, and a VAR already discounting the card from $99.99 to $59.99 with two year contract here: http://gnivas.com/verizon-mifi-sale-price-drop-3g-novatel-personal-wifi-cloud/