Softbank HTC X01TC Flat Rate Plan Details

A joint press release held today by Softbank, HTC and Microsoft officially announced that the Softbank HTC X01HT will go on sale from October 14 and gave details of a new flat rate data plan.

Users pay a max of 10,290 yen (approx. US$85) for flat rate 3G. The HDSPA connection using the X01HT offers a maximum (best effort) download speed of 1.8Mbps and uplink speed of 384Kbps. The special campaign price until January 2007 will be 5,700 yen (US$47). The X01TC hardware itself will be priced between 20,000 and 30,000 yen (US$166-250). Supposedly you will not be able to make use of the flat rate data plan when using the X01TC as a modem for other devices.

Softbank stressed the main benefits of the HTC X01HT as being the usability of a PC, information access (i.e. access to the 'full' internet), and a high speed connection. They are aiming the X01HT at business men in their 20's and 30's who already use the internet a lot . Compared to DoCoMo and Willcom they stressed the advantages of the high speed connection and wide global roaiming area.

Softbank are also offering easy download access to anti-virus and security software from Symantec and McAffee.