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AT&T announces USBConnect Force 4G modem

AT&T announces a new 4G modem, the USBConnect Force 4G, for PCs and Macs.

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 new USBConnect Force 4G from AT&T.
The new USBConnect Force 4G from AT&T. AT&T

If T-Mobile's recently reviewed T-Mobile Rocket 3.0 4G Laptop Stick doesn't have what you want, you might want to consider the USBConnect Force 4G modem, which AT&T announced today.

This is a 4G USB modem that enables a computer to access the Internet via either a 4G or 3G network. Similar to the Laptop Stick, the USBConnect Force 4G also includes a card slot and works as a card reader when coupled with a microSD card (not included). It supports cards of up to 32GB of storage, which is a decent amount in case you want to carry some data on the go.

AT&T says the new modem works with both Macs and PCs and supports tri-band HSPA/HSPA+ (850/1900/2100 MHz) and quad-band EDGE/GPRS (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) and allows for data roaming in more than 200 countries. Staring July 17, it's available at no cost when you sign up for a two-year service; it costs $50 per month for a data cap of 5GB.

You can also get it for $90 with no contract and use it with a prepaid data plan, which costs $15 per day (100MB included), $30 per week (300MB included), or $50 per month (1GB included).

Unlike with the T-Mobile Laptop Stick, which just throttles down the download speed when the data cap is reached, AT&T will charge you extra when you use over the allowance.