It’s been a long time coming, but at long last, the Novatel MiFi is coming to the US! We had expected Verizon to launch their CDMA-based Verizon MiFi 2200 portable 3G hotspot sometime after May 10th, and today we have reliable confirmation that Verizon will go live with the revolutionary MiFi on May 17th! For those of you not yet familiar, the MiFi Portable HotSpot is basically a credit card-sized hunk of shiny plastic that broadcasts its own WiFi network. It’s safe to say that the MiFi 2200 will have road warriors with a hankering for EVDO-based portable WiFi hotspots in the US drooling for a couple weeks.
The Verizon MiFi 2200 sports up it’s own 802.11b/g WiFi network capable of connecting up to five WiFi devices at the same time. The MiFi uses Verizon’s nationwide 3G network to shuttle all those wireless bytes back and forth, ensuring that your MiFi’s portable WiFi network is always connected. Battery life should get you 4 hours of portable 3G goodness, or 40 hours of standby time.
Verizon’s May 17th launch date should make for an anxious wait, but the $99.99 price tag is welcome surprise (on 2-year contract and after $50 rebate). Customers can choose from a $40/month plan that includes 250MB of data or a $60-month plan that includes 5GB of data. There’s also a $15 day pass available to MiFi users with an aversion to wireless contracts.