AT&T Getting The Galaxy Tab 8.9 For Expanding 4G LTE Market

AT&T's LTE markets are on the move, but it's going to require LTE hardware to really get people hooked. The company just revealed their second 4G LTE-enabled tablet for customers, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9. Customers will be able to pick it up in stores and online starting Nov. 20th, and for a limited time, customers who select a Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 ($479.99) will receive a Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket or Samsung Galaxy S II smartphone at no cost. A two year agreement is required on the smartphone.

The slate will be exclusive to AT&T, and will ship with Android 3.2, an 8.9" HD widescreen panel, a 3.2MP rear camera, 2MP front camera, a 1.5GHz Snapdragon dual-core CPU, 16GB of internal memory, 1GB of RAM, TouchWiz UX overlay and a microSD card slot.

Additionally, AT&T will launch 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) in six new markets on Nov. 20: Charlotte, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Oklahoma City, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Nov. 20 launches will expand AT&T 4G LTE to 15 markets total, meeting its 2011 market commitment. AT&T plans to reach 70 million Americans by year-end 2011.

AT&T tablet customers can choose a $35, 3 GB monthly data plan option with a two-year contract, and customers who do not choose a long-term commitment may still select one of two existing monthly billing options for tablets:

    Postpaid: $14.99 for 250 MB or $25 for 2 GB. Customers on the 2 GB plan who exceed their monthly data plan will be charged $10 per 1 GB of overage. Charges will appear on customers’ monthly wireless statements offering the simplicity of a single bill.
    Prepaid: $14.99 for 250 MB or $25 for 2 GB. Customers on the 2 GB plan who exceed their monthly data plan may choose to purchase an additional 2 GB for $25. Charges will appear on customers’ credit card statements.

AT&T 4G LTE smartphone customers can choose from tiered data plans starting as low as $15 per month. Existing smartphone customers do not have to make changes to their data plan. All plans include access to AT&T’s national Wi-Fi network of more than 29,000 hotspots.

    DataPlus provides 200 megabytes (MB) of data for just $15 per month. An additional 200 MB of data usage is $15.
    DataPro provides 2 gigabytes (GB) of data for $25 per month. An additional 1 GB of data is $10. Customers who want to use their device as a mobile hotspot can sign up for DataPro 4GB for $45 a month, which lets you tether or share your data connection across multiple devices.

AT&T 4G LTE Footprint

With the Nov. 20 launches, AT&T 4G LTE will be available in 15 markets: Athens, Ga., Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Oklahoma City, San Antonio, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C.