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Virgin Mobile USA picks Netgear Mingle as first no-contract 4G LTE mobile hotspot

Virgin Mobile USA announces the availability of the Negear-made Mingle mobile hotspot, its first 4G LTE broadband device on its Broadband2Go portfolio.

Dong Ngo SF Labs Manager, Editor / Reviews
CNET editor Dong Ngo has been involved with technology since 2000, starting with testing gadgets and writing code for CNET Labs' benchmarks. He now manages CNET San Francisco Labs, reviews 3D printers, networking/storage devices, and also writes about other topics from online security to new gadgets and how technology impacts the life of people around the world.
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The Netgear Mingle mobile hotspot for Virgin Mobile USA. Virgin Mobile USA

You now have another option of 4G LTE mobile Internet access.

Virgin Mobile USA, the prepaid subsidiary of Sprint, announced today the availability of the Netgear Mingle, its first 4G LTE mobile hotspot on the Broadband2Go portfolio. This is the result of a collaboration between the wireless carrier and the networking vendor Netgear, who also made the Zing a while back.

Like the Zing, the Mingle works on the Sprint network and is the first Sprint Spark-enabled tri-band device that's designed for no-contract customers. Like any mobile hotspot device, it allows you to bring Internet to multiple Wi-Fi-only mobile devices while traveling.

According to Virgin Mobile USA, the Mingle can host up to 10 Wi-Fi devices simultaneously, can connect to both 3G and 4G LTE cellular networks. The mobile hotspot comes with a 1,800mAh battery to provide some 12 hours of usage on one charge.

Very similar to the Zing, the new Mingle comes with a 1.77-inch LCD display screen and support common features of a mobile routers.

The Netgear Zing is available now at $99. Data plans start at $5 a day for 250MB for casual users. If you need more bandwidth, Broadband2Go also offers 1.5GB monthly access for $25 or 6GB for $55.