For people who have older vehicles and wish to integrate connectivity to their cars, the wait is over. Now, AT&T is teaming up with ZTE USA in an effort to turn a car into a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot with its great and low-cost plug-and-play solution, the ZTE Mobley.
Launching Sept. 11, according to reports, the ZTE Mobley is a device that users will simply plug into the OBD II (on-board diagnostics) port of their car. The OBD II port can be spotted beneath the dashboard in most 1996 models or newer.
When the vehicle is turned on, the device, which touts to house a Qualcomm MDM9215 processor, will immediately offer a Wi-Fi connection for up to five devices.
The cellular carrier claims Tuesday the ZTE Mobley, tagged as the first plug-and-play vehicle Wi-Fi hotspot, will be powered by its 4G LTE network, dubbed as the country's strongest 4G LTE connection.
"Once installed, no charging or charging cables are required for the device - your Wi-Fi connection is powered by your vehicle, and your Wi-Fi hotspot is always on while your vehicle is on," reads the product description of the palm-sized device shared over AT&T's website.
Reports say, if the user is already a customer of the cellular carrier, he or she can just add the ZTE Mobley to the shared data account for an amount of $10. If, however, the user is not yet an AT&T customer, he or she needs to sign up for a DataConnect plan. The user will then enjoy 1 GB of data for $20 or will get 3GB of data for $30.
If the user opts to sign-up for a two-year contract, the ZTE Mobley is absolutely free. If, on the other hand, the user decides not to avail of the contract, the plug-in device is priced at $99.99.
"We worked with AT&T to define, build and deliver a product that was both useful and affordable," Lixin Cheng, CEO and chairman of ZTE USA told the press. "Collaborating with like-minded organizations in the U.S. has brought innovative Wi-Fi products to market that fuels our success and industry evolution."
The device can soon be purchased in AT&T stores as well as online, via www.att.com/mobley.
