FreedomPop is set to continue spreading its free wireless data offering, with reports indicating the company will unveil a device targeting the growing tablet market later this year.
Forbes is reporting that FreedomPop will roll out its “Clip” product during the second half of the year, enabling Wi-Fi-only tablets to connect to 3G and LTE cellular networks. The device is said to work with both Apple iOS and Android-powered tablets and will access cellular services from Sprint Nextel.
A report last year from Cisco found that a vast majority of tablet users accessed data services over a Wi-Fi connection, while a 2011 report from NPD Group found that more than 60% of tablet users rely on Wi-Fi connections rather than cellular.
FreedomPop’s offering provides customers with free access to 500 megabytes of data service per month, with customers able to purchase additional data access at $10 per gigabyte. The service does not require a contract, though customers do have to pay for the device.
The company launched its first product, a sleeve for Apple’s iPhone 4/4S and iPod Touch devices, last year that provided access to Clearwire’s WiMAX network. That was followed by a mobile hotspot device unveiled late last year. At the time of the hotspot unveiling, FreedomPop CEO Stephen Stokols said the company had “given away given away more than 15 million Mb of free data.”
The new device is expected to be the first from FreedomPop to take advantage of Sprint Nextel’s rapidly expanding LTE network. The current WiMAX coverage provided by Clearwire is limited to around 130 million potential customers, with no plans by Clearwire to expand coverage.
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