FreedomPop's Home Broadband Router Launches With Promises Of Free

FreedomPop's Home Broadband Router Launches With Promises Of Free

Wednesday, March 06, 2013 - by Ray Willington
If there's one industry that could stand to be disrupted, it's probably the pay-TV industry, but if there's another, it's the home broadband industry. Not surprisingly, these two are often joined at the hip, offered in "bundles" by the same ISP. FreedomPop has set out to rearrange the equation, and the latest from the company is a pretty big promise: "free home broadband." This week, the company announced the public availability of its new Burst home router device, offering 100 percent free high-speed Internet in the home or small office. FreedomPop's new home broadband device provides speeds faster than typical DSL and comparable with most major cable providers. The Burst wireless modem router is $89 and requires no additional installation requirements, contracts or cancellation fees, and can connect up to 10 devices wirelessly. The catch?


Well, it uses WiMAX for now, though the company hopes to switch to LTE later this year. FreedomPop home users will receive 1 GB of free data each month and can earn unlimited data by adding friends to their network via email and social media networks, and engaging in partner promotions. The company also offers heavier data users a variety of cost-effective plans, starting at under $10 per month – 80 percent cheaper than today's DSL or cable offerings.

So, this won't be useful for those who do much more than check e-mail, but for your grandmother? Probably a solid way for her to stay in touch with the extended family.
Via: FreedomPop | News Archive | Tags: LTE, WiMAX, wireless, Router, modem, freedompop
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By sevags on Mar 6, 2013

It feels sort of like NetZero all over again, which I loved... But I always kept my paid internet provider which was MSN Network. I can see people adding this as a backup service if the main source of internet goes down, a travelers device in hotel rooms etc, low income homes, and for the elderly or not so tech savvy like Ray said. I know I want one :)

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By Morely the IT Guy on Mar 7, 2013

WiMAX has proven itself to be an unreliable networking method, at least in every case I personally have investigated. My stepson used it briefly; the modem had to be hung (by the cable) out of the window to get a usable signal, and even then the speed was slower than dialup. He lives in a densely-populated urban area. So before throwing $90 down the toilet, I'd strongly advise getting a written promise of full refund if the service proves unsatisfactory.

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By Dorkstar on Mar 7, 2013

Is there anyway to check WiMAX signal strength?  My parents live a little bit in the country, enough where they can only get satellite.  This might be perfect for then even at slower speeds.

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By digitaldd on Mar 11, 2013

I know someone who has one of their MiFi devices. he can get 10Mbps down and 1Mbps up. with it in NYC.

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By Dorkstar on Mar 11, 2013

digitaldd:

I know someone who has one of their MiFi devices. he can get 10Mbps down and 1Mbps up. with it in NYC.

Damn, that's promising.  Although, I think it's safe to assume this is only going to be fast within large cities then huh?

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By digitaldd on Mar 12, 2013

Dorkstar:

digitaldd:

I know someone who has one of their MiFi devices. he can get 10Mbps down and 1Mbps up. with it in NYC.

Damn, that's promising.  Although, I think it's safe to assume this is only going to be fast within large cities then huh?

Yeah that is pretty much it.  At least they got the price right.

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