3 cuts prices for wireless broadband UPDATED

Stuart Corner
Tuesday, 01 April 2008 09:53

Your IT - Home IT

3 says it has seen a 138 percent increase in mobile broadband subscribers (accessing the internet via a USB modem or PC card, via a handset or with X-Series pack) from 82,000 at the end of June 2007 to 195,000 at the end of December 2007. "This is due to three key factors – an increased love of mobility, devices that are really easy to use and very attractive pricing," said Noel Hamill, director sales, marketing and product.

3 has also introduced new combined voice and data cap plans with handset, USB modem and talk, SMS, MMS and data.

The Combo Cap is available at $69, $99, $129 and $149 per month all with 2GB of data on 24 month contracts. The $69 plan includes $550 of talk time, SMS etc and $210 worth of calls 24/7 to other 3 customers; the $99 plan includes $800 of calls, SMS etc and $280 of 3 to 3 calls; the $129 plan $1000 of calls, SMS etc and $350 3 to 3 calls; the $149 plans includes $1400 of calls, SMS etc and $420 of 3 to 3 calls.

Additional data quotas are available on any plan at $20, $40 and $80 per month for 1, 2 and 4GB respectively. Some handsets are at $0, but a wide range is available at various monthly fees.

3 and Research In Motion have also introduced the BlackBerry 8707g smartphone claiming "significant cost savings." It comes with the BlackBerry Enterprise push email service at no additional charge, including installation and client access licenses, to businesses that activate five or more users on one of 3's 24 month plans for BlackBerry Enterprise Solution. All plans include 2GB of data and unlimited emails and start at $79 per month with $300 worth of calls, SMS etc and $140 of 3 to 3 calls.