HP devices to include free mobile internet

Hewlett-Packard has announced that new PCs and tablets sold in the Asia-Pacific region will come with immediate out-of-the-box mobile broadband connectivity in 13 countries.

HP DataPass comprises of embedded "mobile broadband in select PCs and tablets" and "a flexible mobile data service with locally competitive rates", according to a statement released at the vendor's media event in Mumbai.

Devices with DataPass will have 3G or 4G LTE mobile internet immediately out-of-the-box - a service HP claims is the "first of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region".

A spokesperson said DataPass will make its regional debut in Hong Kong and Singapore before the end of the year, with those markets joining the existing service in the UK, Sweden, Denmark, France, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Spain and US.

HP's Slate 7 Voice Tablet Ultra will be the first device that includes DataPass when the service is launched in Singapore and Hong Kong.

"The service will be progressively made available across more devices and markets in 2015," said the HP statement. A spokesperson said that the service will be rolled out to Australia but could not provide a launch date.

The mobile data service, powered by Fogg Mobile, will include a free 250MB every month for two years without a contract. The statement from HP added that customers "also have the option to purchase additional data packages at locally competitive rates, and without a contract".

When CRN asked if devices will be locked to Fogg Mobile or its local partner telco, the HP spokesperson said: "A device with HP DataPass is ready out-of-the-box with no need to get a contract or sign up for a carrier plan."

The vendor stated that DataPass "offers an affordable solution for users locally and when they travel to [the other participating] countries" in a signal that the feature is intended to attract users who regularly travel internationally.

However, when Singaporean media enquired about customers in the UK reportedly not being able to use their DataPass account in other countries, an HP spokesperson referred to "data roaming" in a statement that was ambiguous whether travellers would be charged local rates.

"When HP DataPass comes to Singapore in end 2014, data roaming service will be supported across the markets where HP DataPass is available," said the spokesperson.

The reporter travelled to Mumbai, India courtesy of Hewlett-Packard.