What if your car has 4G LTE Wifi and can turn into a hotspot for mobile devices while you are on the road? That's exactly what AT&T and ZTE's partnership will be bringing to consumers in a few days. The two mobile companies have teamed up to develop Mobley, a plug and play device which can turn vehicles into internet hotspots.
Mobley is able to provide internet connection for up to five wifi connected devices, according to a CNET report. These include mobile phones, tablets, laptops and handheld gaming consoles. The plug and play device is powered by a Qualcomm MDM 9215 processor and for it to work, it should be plugged into the vehicle's onboard diagnostics port (OB II). The port can be found in 1996 models and newer automobile models. It is located under the dashboard of the car.
"Once installed, no charging or charging cables are required for the device," a product description of the ZTE Mobley read. The device automatically turns on when the ignition is started, and it powers off when the car is shut down. If the user is an AT&T user, he or she can just opt to add Mobley to the shared data account and pay an additional fee of $10 to avail of the device.
Mobley will be offered in the AT&T website beginning on Sept 11, Friday. ZTE Mobley will be offered for free if the customer opts for a two-year agreement amounting to $99.99, contract-free. AT&T will be providing data to Mobley every month for $20. This is the price of the 1GB data. The 3GB serving will come at a price of $30. The device can be purchased at AT&T stores and its website, www.att.com/mobley.
ZTE USA Chairman and CEO Lixin Cheng said to the press of the new product and colaboration, "Collaborating with like-minded organizations in the United States has brought innovative Wifi products that fuel our success and industry evolution." Now, owners of both old and new car models will both be able to enjoy Wifi in the comforts of their vehicles, by just plugging in a small device.
