The popularity of netbooks has drawn interest from mobile phone carriers looking to offer netbooks tethered to wireless Internet plans.
Verizon Wireless is expected to offer the Hewlett-Packard Mini 1151NR this weekend to subscribers willing to sign a wireless Internet contract, numerous media reports indicate. AT&T now offers netbooks ranging in price from $99 up to $249 in Philadelphia and Atlanta, so the Verizon netbook offering is expected to run for a similar price.
With 3G data plans costing up to $1,440 over two years, it's unknown how many consumers will be willing to lock themselves into a contract to save a couple hundred dollars on netbook hardware. If anything, this new initiative could be popular among businesses looking to have their employees stay connected with something other than a mobile phone while traveling.
The netbooks are normally subsidized up to $100, but must be tied to a 3G Internet wireless data plan, which is where the carrier makes up its money. Similar to mobile phone contracts -- which normally offer subscribers mobile phones for a heavy discount, if not free -- mobile providers are looking to lock consumers into two-year commitments that can only be discontinued at the expense of a steep cancellation fee.
As already mentioned, I'm not sure how high consumer interest will be, but we'll have to wait a few quarters to see how many units Verizon, AT&T, and other companies can sell. I'm more inclined to believe consumers would rather pay up front for the low-cost device and rely on free Wireless Internet services, rather than paying more than $1K for 3G services.
