NetZero "Returns" With Free 4G Wireless Broadband

NetZero's new wireless access may be free, but it still comes with a price.

It's like the late 1990s all over again: PC gamers are hacking away in Sanctuary, Billy Crystal just hosted the 84th Academy Awards, and ...

NetZero is now offering free Internet access again. The only thing we're missing is the Netscape browser and a Friends reunion, which for some may be a good thing.

United Online said on Monday that it has launched a 4G Mobile Broadband service under the NetZero Wireless label. Currently it's available only in 80 cities nationwide including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and Miami. Customers aren't required to sign a contract, but they are required to purchase the NetZero 4G HotSpot ($99.95) or the NetZero 4G Stick ($49.95). The NetZero 4G HotSpot simultaneously supports up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices, including iPads and other tablets, within a 150-foot range. 

"NetZero is bridging the digital divide by letting consumers purchase a secure, quality, mobile broadband service at very affordable prices with plans designed to meet the consumers' data needs," said Mark R. Goldston, chairman, president and CEO of United Online. "Our service gives customers the freedom to take the Internet anywhere in our coverage area, without being tied to public Wi-Fi service or having to purchase higher-cost, sometimes multi-year plans offered by other mobile broadband providers. With NetZero 4G Mobile Broadband, there are no contracts or commitments, and our customers can even try our service for up to one year for free." 

Unfortunately, NetZero's Free service doesn't mirror its highly-popular dial-up offering in the late 1990s -- customers aren't required to watch ads in return for unlimited free access. Customers get a maximum of 200 MB per month which is good for checking email and maybe pulling up a web page or two a few times a month. Once that 200 MB has dried up, users can't get additional data until the next month's allotment arrives... unless they upgrade to a paid plan, of course.

"Customers cannot accidentally exceed monthly data allotments," the company said on Monday. "An alert lets customers know when they reach their monthly data limit, at which point, they have three options. Option One: If customers are on a pay plan, they can buy extra data "Top Ups" that they can use through the end of their current billing cycle. Option Two: Customers can upgrade to a higher capacity data plan. Option Three: Customers can wait until the next month to utilize the service with a fresh allotment of data according to their existing plan." 

Additionally, access to the Free plan expires twelve months from the date of initial registration and may not be renewed, thus seemingly forcing those who invested in the hardware to upgrade to the Basic plan (500 MB @ $9.95/m), the Plus plan (1 GB @ $19.95/m), the Pro plan (2 GB @ $34.95/m) or the Platinum plan (4 GB for $49.95/m). Each plan delivers 4G service with download speeds of up to 10 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 1.5 Mbps. 

To see a map of where NetZero 4G Mobile Broadband resides, head here. Texas is the most covered in the nation, followed by California, Washington, Pennsylvania and Florida. There's also New Jersey, New York, Connecticut -- around 80 cities in 29 states total.

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