Although Alltel is busy courting Verizon's amorous advances, it looks like the carrier is still serious about rolling with the big boys -- it's just announced a nationwide WiFi service powered by Boingo. Subscribers can opt for $20/mo or $4/day plans, and score access at over 25,000 hotspots in airports, hotels, bookstores, coffee shops and restaurants. Alltel wireless customers can also opt for the $70/mo Internet Anywhere bundle, which gives you unlimited EVDO and WiFi access. Of course, all these plans could change when the Verizon deal finally goes down, but we'll see how that plays out in the future -- at least you're not being locked into a contract.

If you're tired of shelling out laptop prices for your WiFi smartphone browsing, Boingo's got help on the way. At Mobile World Congress the company announced Sony Ericsson and iPhone / iPod touch versions of its connection client software, with the SE version to show up in the second half of the year, and the iPhone software to hit as soon as Boingo can get a hold of the SDK. Boingo already has Nokia and Windows Mobile-compatible versions of its software, but with 6 percent of users attempting to connect to Boingo already rocking an iPhone, it looks like this software can't come soon enough.

Based on a new section of Alltel's website, it seems pretty safe to say that the carrier is jumping head first into the WiFi arena. Apparently, Alltel customers can now sign up for a variety of WiFi plans that will enable them to surf the internet via their 802.11b/g-equipped laptop whenever they're near one of the "thousands of convenient hotspot locations." Among those spots are Barnes & Noble, Avis, Embassy Suites, Hilton Hotels, Holiday Inn Hotels, Marriott Hotels, Tully's Coffee and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. As for rate plans, you can snag unlimited access to the "North and South American WiFi network" for $21.99 per month so long as you have any voice or data plan already, while the Premium WiFi plan requires that you're already paying for an Alltel Wireless Internet plan. Of course, there's also the Pay As You Go approach, and while it's yet to be confirmed, we're hearing that the company could be in talks with Boingo Wireless.

[Via GigaOM]

Ah, Boingo just keeps getting sweeter. After showing off its mobile service and partnering with FON, now the WiFi operator is making it even cheaper to hop online via its worldwide hotspot network. The company has announced that it will be hitting us up with a flat-rate service for $39 per month, which will enable users to utilize "more than 100,000 WiFi hotspots" across the globe sans roaming charges. Of course, this won't impact those Boingo users who manage to stay within the confines of the US of A, but globetrotters will certainly appreciate the end of per-minute roaming charges when surfing abroad. [Warning: read link requires subscription]

Boingo, which just recently flashed its Boingo Mobile services in your grill at 3GSM, has now made its somewhat sensational claims seem a bit more justified by partnering with FON to roam on its worldwide network of WiFi hotspots. Once the agreement is executed, Boingo's customers will reportedly have "access to an additional 130,000 hotspot locations," which will more than double the company's network size. Of course, this isn't the only partnership FON has inked in recent memory either, and while one may expect to fork over slightly more than the previously advertised $7.95 per month for an expanded Biongo Mobile network, it looks like the rates are staying put. No word yet on when the WiFi roaming will go live, but if you happened to be swarmed by Foneros in your neck of the woods, Boingo Mobile just might be worth the effort.

3GSM is cranking along and so are the carrier and manufacturer announcements. Among one of the brightest ones today has been the announcement that Boingo Wireless -- the world's leading wholesale network aggregator (fancy term for WiFi ISP) -- will soon unveil the "Boingo Mobile" service to provide what appears to be the first global WiFi Internet service. Sounds rather solid -- but it gets even better because Boingo Mobile is specifically designed for WiFi phones and devices as opposed to dedicated computers and computing devices (not that there's anything wrong with the 802.11n lappy). So, you have a feast for that newer UMA handset and have looked for a solution that goes beyond that slower-than-I'll-get-out HSDPA access? If you're near on of the thousands of Boingo WiFi hotspots around the world, you can tap into the Boingo Mobile network at the flat rate of USD $7.95 per month by visting mobile.boingo.com/download to get Boingo's free software and to check for mobile handset / device compatibility (hint -- WM5 is all for now). It's great to see a global WiFi operator differentiate -- and treat -- two different uses of WiFi at separate and appropriate price levels, since, ya know, not many are BitTorrenting from their handsets these days.

A Boingo pass for when you're near a hotspot, EV-DO for when you're not. That's the gist of Helio's latest product, dubbed "Hybrid" -- only their third since launching earlier this year -- and the first dedicated to data device from the MVNO (and among the first data devices from any MVNO, so far as we know). Technically, Hybrid is more of a package than an actual device, composed of a rebranded Sierra Wireless Aircard 580, EV-DO service, and WiFi access (provided by Helio pal and Sky Dayton venture Boingo, of course) with Helio's "Hybrid Connector" software calling the connectivity shots. Though the concept doesn't seem to go after the same core demographic as the MVNO's handsets, the $85 package deal could still be a compelling one for folks that maintain separate WiFi and 3G data accounts. Look for Hybrid to be available for a nice, round $0 on two-year contract through Fry's locations and Helio's site directly.