iPad plans coming from Vodafone and 3

Stephen Withers
Thursday, 15 April 2010 12:01

Your IT - Mobility

Vodafone and 3 have announced they will be offering iPad-specific data plans.

It can't be a complete coincidence, can it? On the day that Apple announced that the iPad would arrive in Australia a month later than initially revealed, Vodafone and 3 announced they are going to offer "dedicated iPad price plans for all models" from the end of May.

And that's it. No clues about the nature of the plans at all.

Will we see US-style 'pay only when you use' plans, or will Vodafone/3 customers only get the choice of fixed monthly charges or short-expiry prepaid top-ups?

Will Vodafone/3 offer subsidised (or at least amortised) iPads with 12 or 24 month contracts?

Will the charges be similar to those offered to users of wireless modems, or will they be more like the relatively expensive 'data to handset' rates?

Who knows...

It looks like we're in for a repeat of the original iPhone launch, where the various carriers held their cards close to their corporate chests, with the apparent intention of making it difficult for desperate buyers to compare plans and get the one best suited to their expected pattern of use.