Sprint added two 3G/4G mobile broadband routers to its lineup Aug 5. The Personal Hotspot PHS300S supports up to four simultaneous Wi-Fi connections and the Cradlepoint MBR1000 broadband router for business supports up to 32 simultaneous Wi-Fi connections.
Used in combination with Sprint mobile broadband devices, the routers can simultaneously connect Wi-Fi-enabled smartphones, laptops, MP3 players, cameras, gaming devices and other Wi-Fi-enabled devices to the Sprint 3G and 4G networks. The routers provide access to the Sprint 4G network as it continues to roll out.
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Both routers will support all of Sprint 3G and Sprint 4G mobile broadband USB devices and require Sprint data plans ranging from $39.99 to $79.99 per month. The PHS300S is priced at $159.99 while the MBR1000 costs $249.99.
“These mobile broadband routers provide an unprecedented bridge to high-speed network performance for multiple Wi-Fi devices or multiple users,” Todd Rowley, vice president of Sprint 4G, said in a statement. “The addition of these mobile hot-spot products offers even faster connectivity speeds to Wi-Fi users without the need to find a Wi-Fi hot spot. These two new products can potentially connect the Sprint 3G and 4G networks to the hundreds of millions of Wi-Fi-enabled devices in the U.S. today.”
Sprint currently offers 4G service in Baltimore and will launch the high-speed wireless service in Atlanta, Las Vegas and Portland, Ore., in August. Other markets targeted for 4G rollouts in 2009 are Chicago, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Honolulu, Philadelphia, Seattle and Charlotte, N.C.