NetZero unveils affordable mobile hotspots

While most know about NetZero's affordable home Internet, the next step is in mobile connection

Anyone that works from home knows that pains of trying to get out of their house but still feel tethered to the confines of Internet -- or at least a reliable public Wi-fi hotspot. It ruins many sunny days when you'd rather be filing your work from a park but, sadly Golden Gate lacks secure Internet connectivity. 

Well, one company just launched two devices to better keep you connected whether you are in a restaurant, airport, local park or in a cafe, for a modest fee.

NetZero, previously known for its bargain pricing for dial-up Internet, has debuted two 4G Internet devices and five monthly payment plans for those that want to stay connected everywhere they go.

The two devices are the NetZero Stick and the NetZero HotSpot. For $50, a user can order a NetZero stick that fits right into their laptop (or netbook) and provides 4G Internet with great coverage in 80 US cities. The NetZero HotSpot, on the other hand is $100 and works to bring 4G connectivity to laptops, netbooks, iPads, tablets and other Wi-fi enabled devices -- and can offer the same speed with multiple devices running on the connection at the same time.

I caught up with NetZero's President, Rusty Taragan, and he pointed out that there were more than 100 million people in the US accessing public Wi-fi, but that many had an interest in more connection and better security at a reasonable rate.

"NetZero was looking for a way to get into the mobile space," said Taragan. "But a lot of the people using public Wi-fi didn't want to make the major investment in paying for the service, so we created an affordable system where they could even get some Internet for free each month."

One such plan with NetZero is, after you buy one of the devices, you can get 200 MB of data per month for free. And unlike other services that charge overages once you surpass the data plan (I mean who even knows when how much Internet is 200 MB?), NetZero notifies that you have reached your limit and stops service until you choose to upgrade to the next plan (for that month) or choose to "top off" with some additional data service.

Plans include $9.95 for 500 MB, $19.95 for 1 GB, $34.95 for 2 GB and $49.95 for 4 GB.

Also creating your own mobile connection or hotspot also relieves the concerns around cyber hacking when you share a common, unencrypted connection.

This new service offered by NetZero is the result of a deal the company made with Clearwater that allows users to design the plan they want in monthly increments. 

"We also have the opportunity to create more partnerships with other providers if that helps us reach and better serve more customers," Taragan added. "And when Clearwater finishes its work of the LTE network, we will be there to increase that service to our customers."

At the moment, NetZero serves more than 800,000 subscribers on its various Internet plans and thinks that the mobile world will provide even more opportunities.

Taragan pointed out that nearly three-quarters of all iPads are not 3G enabled, but with a personal hotspot, at the fraction of the cost AT&T or Verizon offer, people are able to get the same functionality at a fraction of the price. People can even add some more mobile value to their 3G iPads in place of running out to buy the 4G new iPad.

The Woodland Hills-based company, is not requiring any contract and users can cancel coverage at anytime. Many companies require a two-year contract and start their minimum data plan at $20 per month.

Let's hope that with the growing demand for more Internet connectivity everywhere you go, more companies offer competitive prices and devices that are easy to transport and use -- I know that I would love to be a little more mobile.