AT&T to unleash netbook wireless data plans across the U.S.

Posted May 21st 2009 6:00PM by Brian White
Filed under: Products and Services, AT and T (T)

AT&T, Inc. (NYSE: T) started unleashing its netbook wireless data plans and subsidized netbook PCs in select markets just this year. The nation's second-largest wireless carrier will now be rolling out the program nationwide this summer. That means customers will be able to purchase an ultraportable netbook PC with an AT&T wireless data plan anywhere AT&T's markets are. Call this unimportant, but it's a biggie for AT&T.

The one shining light of the PC industry for the last three quarters have been netbook sales. These sub-$500 book-sized PCs are perfect for travel and normal tasks like web surfing, email use and word processing and spreadsheets. Tap some kind of built-in broadband access inside these low-cost computers outside the standard but limited range of WiFi and you pretty much have a go-anywhere, compute-anything device way smaller than most textbooks.

The threat AT&T has probably lamented over would be overcrowding its 3G network across the U.S., something that has plagued iPhone 3G users to this day in many of AT&T's markets. Can AT&T's network handle all these iPhones and possible netbooks? If customers go nuts with a potential $99 subsidized laptop and start using AT&T's network in droves, the company could have some massive issues on its hands. On the other hand, it may be another way to lock those customers into the AT&T brand for at least two years.

Tags: Aircards, ATT, ATT data plans, AttDataPlans, Netbook data plans, NetbookDataPlans, netbooks