NETGEAR is kicking off the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show by introducing the Around Town Mobile Internet Hotspot. This is no commitment mobile hotspot, and it is a bundle of a hotspot and data that won’t expire. In fact it comes with 1GB of rollover data and it will be utilizing Sprint’s 4G LTE network. It will deliver WiFi whenever you want it or need it, as long as it is within the United States. It will be sold through Amazon.com and it is available for pre-order today.
The Around Town Mobile Internet Hotspot uses Sprint’s 4G LTE network, which is still being rolled out and performs sometimes well and other times not so much. Before purchasing check out the coverage in your local area, one good feature is that the data is rollover. You get 1GB of data for free when your purchase the hotspot, but you can additional data for $25 per gigabyte. Netgear chose to put 802.11n WiFi for range and performance inside the hotspot and it can connect up to 10 devices. You should get around 10 hours of battery life and over 200 hours of standby. The hotspot features a 1.77-inch color LCD screen that displays information about connected devices, battery life, network name, data usage, and more. You can manage the hotspot via the NETGEAR AirCard application your iOS or Android device.
NETGEAR is also making an accessory available for the Around Town Mobile Internet Hotspot, the Boosting Cradle with Ethernet allows you to dock and charge the hotspot. The cradle has two antennas built-in which will boost your Sprint 4G LTE signal. The ethernet port will allow you to connect wired devices to the hotspot.
The NETGEAR Around Town Mobile Internet Hotspot is available for pre-order today and will cost $199.99, but you get 1GB of data for free with this purchase. The Boosting Cradle with Ethernet will cost $69.99 and 1GB of data will cost $24.99. You can see the full press release and video on the NETGEAR Around Town Mobile Hotspot below! Stay Tuned To NJTechReviews For More Coverage Of The 2015 Consumer Electronics Show!
Press Release
STAY CONNECTED “AROUND TOWN” WITH NETGEAR 4G LTE MOBILE INTERNET WITH ROLLOVER DATA THAT WON’T EXPIRE
Get online securely via NETGEAR Around Town Mobile Internet hotspot and service — whenever, forever, without commitments
LAS VEGAS — January 5, 2015 — Today at the 2015 International CES® trade show, NETGEAR®, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTGR) (www.netgear.com), a global networking company that delivers innovative products to consumers, businesses and service providers, is launching the only 4G LTE Mobile Internet offering in the U.S. that bundles a hotspot with data that won’t expire. Available now for pre-order, the new NETGEAR Around Town™ Mobile Internet (www.netgear.com/AC778AT) delivers WiFi where you want it — in the car, on the train, at your vacation home, at the soccer field — wherever you want to stay connected. The new WiFi hotspot comes with 1 gigabyte (GB) of rollover data. NETGEAR Around Town Mobile Internet is among the exciting new offerings that NETGEAR is demonstrating to press, customers and channel partners this week in their suite in the Marriott Las Vegas.
With NETGEAR Around Town Mobile Internet, you’re able to roll over your unused data, purchase additional data for $25 per gigabyte, and have secure access to the Internet whenever and wherever you need it around town, avoiding the risk posed by public WiFi hotspots. Whether you use your Around Town Mobile Hotspot every day or only twice a year, there is no penalty and no commitment. You can easily add as many (or as few) gigabytes of data to your Around Town Mobile Internet service as you want by simply logging in and adjusting your data balance in less than a minute.
Leveraging the nationwide Sprint® 4G LTE network, NETGEAR Around Town Mobile Internet is ideal for people who need a secure Internet connection away from home, but don’t want the hassle of a contract. Busy parents, students, travelers, renters, retirees, and people with seasonal or temporary homes or RVs will love the convenience of a Mobile Internet offering that gives you the freedom to keep your data, month after month, to use whenever you need it around town.
With the NETGEAR Around Town Mobile Hotspot (AirCard® AC778AT), you can easily connect up to 10 laptops, tablets, smartphones, digital cameras, gaming consoles, or other WiFi-enabled devices. The smart, powerful NETGEAR Around Town Mobile Hotspot features 802.11n WiFi for range and performance, and shares a single secure mobile broadband connection with your friends and family.
“We’ve listened to the market and realized that people want a Mobile Internet service that is free of contracts and restrictions,” said David Henry, vice president of product management and engineering for the NETGEAR Retail Business Unit. “Enough with the use-it-or-lose-it data plans and long-term commitments. If you want mobile data that you can bank and use whenever you need it, wherever you want it, then NETGEAR Around Town Mobile Internet is right for you.”
The clean, compact design of the NETGEAR Around Town Mobile Hotspot includes a 1.77-inch color LCD screen that displays real-time information for monitoring connected WiFi devices, battery life, network name, data usage, and more, making this compact lightweight hotspot simple to set up and easy to navigate. This convenient monitoring feature means you see your NETGEAR Around Town Mobile Internet data usage at a glance so you can more effectively manage your budget and pay for data only when you need it. You’re also able to easily block unwanted devices from your NETGEAR Around Town network due to its secure WiFi encryption modes. There’s no software to install and you can connect additional devices with the push of a button as well as easily set up one-time guest WiFi access to your password-protected network.
You can conveniently manage NETGEAR Around Town Mobile Internet in multiple languages through the handy NETGEAR AirCard® App for iOS and Android™ smartphones and tablets and even your Kindle™.
Key Features
- 4G LTE support
- 802.11 b/g/n WiFi
- Connects up to 10 WiFi devices
- Color LCD display to monitor data usage, battery life, and network connections
- Up to 12.5 hours of battery life on a single charge
- Guest WiFi access
- NETGEAR AirCard App compatible
Consumers on the go will love the small footprint of the NETGEAR Around Town mobile hotspot. About the size of a deck of cards, the hotspot can be easily packed away while traveling or carried in a purse, backpack, or even a pocket for easy accessibility.
Accessories for NETGEAR Around Town Mobile Internet
4G LTE Boosting Cradle with Ethernet (DC113A): The optional, compatible Boosting Cradle is a convenient place to dock your NETGEAR Around Town Mobile Internet hotspot for charging. The cradle has two built-in MIMO (multiple-input and multiple-output) antennas to boost your LTE signal for faster speeds and for more flexible indoor placement options. If you happen to be in an area with a weak connection, you can boost your LTE signal to get high-speed wireless Internet access that goes the distance.
The Boosting Cradle is also equipped with a Gigabit Ethernet port that you can use for connecting wired devices that aren’t WiFi-enabled, such as a desktop computer, laptop, printer, media server, network attached storage (NAS), or any other Ethernet-enabled device. You can even use the Ethernet port to connect a WiFi home router to the cradle if you need the full-fledged capabilities and features of a higher performance router, but still want Internet access through your hotspot’s mobile broadband connection. It can also serve as a failover connection for emergencies.
NETGEAR AirCard App: NETGEAR offers a complimentary app with multi-language support that enables you to conveniently manage the status, connection, and settings of your NETGEAR Around Town or other NETGEAR AirCard mobile hotspot from an iOS or Android™ smartphone or tablet. The NETGEAR AirCard App is available for download from the Apple® App Store℠, Google Play™, and Amazon Appstore.
Pricing and Availability
NETGEAR Around Town Mobile Internet is available for pre-order now in the U.S. at an MSRP of $199.99 including 1 GB of data. The 4G LTE Boosting Cradle with Ethernet is available at an MSRP of $69.99. You can purchase both devices in the U.S. via Amazon®. You can easily reload your device with additional data for $25.00/GB.
