AT&T unveils $5 cellular 'day pass' for tablets

AT&T is banking that its LTE network is superior to hotel Wi-Fi.

The Dallas telecommunications company on Thursday introduced a $5 "day pass" option for consumers with tablets in need of connectivity.

Users can go here and follow the steps to sign up for a session. Or they can open AT&T's All Access app (which is preloaded into AT&T tablets), click on new customer, and go through the set up to purchase the day pass.

The plan was introduced at the GigaOm Mobilize conference on Thursday.

AT&T had previously allowed customers to buy access to data. But the cheapest previous option was $14.99 for 250 megabytes of data over 30 days. The $5 provides for 250 megabytes of data for a single day, so streaming HD movies is probably out of the question.

AT&T positions this as an alternative to paid Wi-Fi hotspot areas such as hotels or airports. The access gives flexibility and a quick last-minute option for consumers, but is likely too expensive for regular use.

While the service works best in LTE, it will fall back to HSPA+ if LTE isn't available. AT&T has LTE in 437 markets in the US, second only behind Verizon Wireless.