Prepaid Wireless Broadband Plans

Prepaid wireless broadband plans have really grown, now offering a lot of options for customers.  If you have followed the prepaid broadband industry, you will see that truly unlimited data plans are no longer a reality (they are either throttled or capped).  However, there are still a lot of great options for those seeking to avoid contract plans.  Use the comparison chart below to zone in on the plan and provider that best meets your needs for USB modems!

I constantly monitor the news and company websites to catch any changes to prepaid wireless broadband plans and pricing, and update this table asap.  I do recommend that you always check the company's website to review their broadband coverage maps to ensure their service will work where you generally live, work, and play. There are new prepaid wireless Internet plans being launched all the time, so please check back regularly to see what's new!

Provider	Fee (Data Included)	Notes
AT&T	Pay As You Go: $5 - 250MB (24 hours) $25 - 1GB (90 days) Auto Renew: $15 - 250GB (30 days) $30 - 3GB (30 days) $50 - 5GB (30 days)
FreedomPop	$0 - 500MB (30 days) $4 - 500MB (30 days) $20 - 2GB (30 days)	Free service is NOT backwards compatible with 3G. Extra data for free service = $0.02/MB. Additional data can be earned for free by referring friends or doing surveys. Now available at Best Buy! Learn more about Free Broadband Internet Access!
H2O Broadband	$15 - 100MB (24 hrs) $30 - 300MB (1 week) $50 - 1GB (30 days) $30 - 10MB (global travel)	Sub-brand of Locus Communications & MVNO of AT&T.
NetZero	$0 - 200MB (30 days) * 1YR ONLY $15 - 500MB (30 days) $24 - 1GB (30 days) $40 - 2GB (30 days) $60 - 4GB (30 days) $90 - 6GB (30 days)	Any given device can only be activated on the free plan for a max of 12 months. There's a $2.95/month access fee on all plans except the free plan.
Ready Mobile	$10 - 500MB (30 days) $25 - 1.5GB (30 days) $45 - 3GB (30 days)	Uses Sprint 4G LTE network. $0.10/MB overage cost. Read my interview with Fred Haumesser, Ready Mobile Co-Founder & EVP
Red Pocket	$25 - 2GB (30 days) $50 - 5GB (30 days)	Exclusively a  BYOD provider; buy a SIM card for your unlocked compatible modem, then purchase a plan.
Simple Mobile	$20 - 1.5GB (30 days) $40 - 4GB (30 days)	Exclusively a BYOD provider; buy a SIM card for your unlocked compatible modem, then purchase a plan.
Verizon	$15 - 500MB (7 days) $20 - 1GB (30 days) $35 - 2GB (60 days) $60 - 5GB (60 days) $100 - 10GB (60 days)
Virgin Mobile	$5 - 250MB (1 day) $25 - 1.5GB (30 days) $55 - 6GB (30 days)	Discontinued; plans still available for existing Broadband2Go customers.
Find a Prepaid Mobile Broadband Hotspot!

Note:  Depending on your needs, you may want to also consider Wireless Broadband Rental services.  Also, if you're traveling abroad and looking for a local prepaid broadband provider, compare plans by visiting International Wireless Broadband.

Be Heard!  Let prepaid wireless providers know what you want; fill out the survey now.