Telstra sees the forthcoming release of the iPad as a pick-me-up for pre-paid mobile broadband.
MWC 2010, Barcelona | Telstra is looking forward to a boost for its pre-paid wireless broadband services courtesy of Apple’s iPad.
“Apple create categories and there’s no doubt the iPad is going to have an impact (on prepaid wireless broadband)” Ross Fielding, Telstra’s Executive Director of Wireless, Applications and Services, told APC.
“Prepaid is already very strong, we introduced pre-paid Next G over a year ago and look at how that’s grown” Fielding said.
Although the iPad is due for local release at the end of next month the first shipment will contain only Wi-Fi, with the 3G version to follow anywhere from 30 days to 3 months depending on what agreements Apple seeks with Aussie carriers.
In the US, Apple will offer the iPad through AT&T at US$15 per month for 250MB per and US$30 for unlimited data. Customers will also have free access to AT&T’s wireless hotspots. However, the iPad will be offered unlocked so that buyers can sign up with any carrier able to provide a microSIM card.
For its part, Telstra has made a series of cuts to the cost of its post-paid Next G wireless broadband services. The
most recent lopped prices and did away with the highly criticised excess usage fees.
David Flynn is attending Mobile World Congress 2010 in Barcelona as a guest of Samsung.