The latest announcement out of Little Rock, Ark.'s Alltel is the addition of Wi-Fi to its lineup. Today, the fifth largest carrier launched Alltel Wi-Fi, powered by Boingo Wireless, which allows subscribers to gain laptop access to hotspots throughout North and South America.
The operator is offering its EV-DO customers the option to bundle in Wi-Fi service for an added $9.99 a month to its $60 Wireless Internet Plan. For customers on less expensive voice and data plans, the Wi-Fi option can be added for $22 a month. Alltel is also offering pre-paid Wi-Fi cards for $19.99 per week or $9.99 per day.
According to David Maddox, Alltel's director of product marketing, Wi-Fi is an excellent complement for the company's existing portfolio of wireless Internet solutions and is a good fit with Alltel's strategy to provide customers with more ways to connect wirelessly to the Internet, e-mail, or corporate intranet.
With the current economic climate, wireless operators face shrinking marketing budgets and reduced consumer spending.
Globally, the credit crunch is very much alive, and operators will be tightening their belts into the foreseeable future by putting off capital purchases.
