TruConnect Mobile and Walmart launch mobile broadband service with data that never expires

The rise of the tablet and highly-portable laptops (like the MacBook Air and Intel’s line of ultrabooks) is making mobile broadband a highly desired commodity. As such, the big carriers are starting to launch more flexible, no-contract plans — and now Walmart is getting into the game through a partnership with TruConnect Mobile (which runs on Sprint’s 3G network). The new joint offering is dubbed “Internet on the Go” and has one major differentiator. Once a user purchases a block of data, it doesn’t expire as long as the service is used at least once a year — there’s also no monthly fee, so if you’re an infrequent mobile broadband user, this plan might make sense for you.

Data plans start at $10 for 100MB, $25 for 450MB, or $45 for 1GB; this certainly isn’t the cheapest data plan out there, but users will at least have the comfort of knowing unused MB won’t disappear at the end of the month. To use one of these plans, you’ll need to purchase either a Novatel 2200 MiFi hotspot; unfortunately, pricing for that device hasn’t been released, but it typically sells for $99 from TruConnect online. There’s no online sales available for Internet on the Go — if you’re interested, you’ll need to get over to your nearest Walmart store.