BestBuyConnect
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Best Buy Connect no longer accepting new activations, service to end June 1st (update: confirmed)
Remember Best Buy Connect? If so, you'll soon have a few more megabytes of humanized DDR3 freed up, as it appears that the retail giant is ready to put the kibosh on its own branded mobile broadband service nearly two years after it was first unveiled. According to the internal memo shown in the above screenshot, new activations are no longer allowed effective immediately, and the service for legacy customers will be cut off on the first of June. So why the change of heart? Apparently Connect is the victim of a reshuffling of priorities, and the company determined that it "can achieve greater growth by delivering mobile broadband support in ways other than an exclusive Best Buy-branded service." Of course, this is bound to upset more than a handful of folks who have been relying on Connect for their data needs, and the retailer isn't leaving them completely in the dark: to help smooth out the transition, all Early Termination Fees will be waived, and all customers will receive a $125 or $150 gift card via email to curb the cost of moving to a different carrier. WiMAX Connect users, additionally, will also be given the option to switch over to Clear service. We're still awaiting official confirmation from Best Buy -- as of this moment, the official website remains up and running as if it's none the wiser -- but we'll update as soon as we hear more. Update: Best Buy has now officially confirmed to us that the service will indeed be shut off on June 1st. [Thanks, Anonymous]
Best Buy Connect takes the 4G leap, now stocking over 20 WiMAX products
Took 'em long enough! Nearly a full year has elapsed between the time that Best Buy announced that its 'Connect' program would support 4G and the time that it actually started stocked 4G gear. In fact, the company actually took the time to sign up for LightSquared's wholesale LTE service a full week prior to making good on its commitment to Clearwire, which may or may not say anything about the future viability of WiMAX. At any rate, those who'd prefer to sift through mounds of peripherals (and be hounded at the exit by employees attempting to hawk product protection plans) in order to buy their 4G service can now do just that. BB Connect stores in the US will offer unlimited 4G service for $45 per month with a month-to-month or two-year contract, and if you choose the latter, the $35 activation fee will be waived and a hardware subsidy ("up to $150") will be yours. So, you digging in, or feeling the tug of Long-Term Evolution?
Best Buy partners with Clearwire, will Connect customers to 4G
When we first heard through the grapevine that Best Buy was launching its own branded wireless data service, Connect, rumor had it that 4G was going to be baked right in there. We'd later learn that was just wishful thinking, but today's announcement of a partnership with Clearwire makes it instead simply look premature. Starting sometime next year, Best Buy Connect will offer 4G wireless data over Clearwire's WiMAX network -- and that's all the two are saying about this partnership right now. We're hoping prices for these next-gen data plans stay with their current levels, $30 monthly for 250MB up to $60 for 5GB, but all that extra bandwidth might just make those caps feel even tighter.
Best Buy Connect wireless service is official, offers contract-free plans
We'll admit that we never took Best Buy as the kind of company to sell its own wireless service, but you know what Best Buy does sell? Laptops with unlocked WWAN modems, and to that end, the retailer's Best Buy Connect offering seems to be a pretty attractive one. Monthly plan pricing is about what you'd expect from anyone else, and you'll be able to choose between two-year, one-year, and contract-free packages for the same price -- the only difference is how much subsidy they'll throw in for you upfront. On a two-year deal, you'll get $275 off the compatible laptop of your choice, which compares favorably against all of its competitors -- AT&T at $150, Verizon at $200, and Sprint at $250 -- while you'll pay $60 for 5GB of data, $40 for 500MB, or $30 for 250MB (only available without a contract). Sure, you might not attract the glitz, glamor, and curious stares that a high-fashion name brand like Verizon might... but seriously, who are we kidding? Data is data, and if this works well, it sounds like a square deal. Hit up the source link for all the details. [Thanks, Christian]
Best Buy Connect mobile broadband service launching soon
We've been hearing wind of a new mobile broadband service coming next month from Best Buy for a few days now, and it looks like the company went ahead and spilled the beans in its own Sunday flyer. The service offers a variety of tiers ranging from a contract-free 250MB per month for $30 all the way up to 5GB monthly on a 24 month contract for $60 a month. Interestingly, 5GB monthly contract-free costs the same $60 monthly -- you just get the $35 activation fee waived. At this point we don't know what the hardware looks like, but we're told Sprint is providing those bits and bytes wirelessly and that this new service will work with 4G. The employee news image after the break indicates that Connect will be launching on July 11 in all but 75 of the company's stores. Sometimes living out in the country is a drag. Update: We got a note from Shaun indicating that there will actually not be any modems offered by Best Buy for this service, rather it will only be offered on GOBI-equipped laptops. Additionally, Shaun indicates the service will not work with 4G, but that's contrary to some earlier intel we received, so hopefully BBY goes ahead and clarifies all this soon enough. [Thanks, Jameil and Tyler]
