Virgin Mobile USA Launches $5 Daily Broadband Plan

Sprint-owned wireless carrier Virgin Mobile USA on Monday announced a new daily plan for its 3G/4G Broadband2Go service, offering users 24 hours of Internet access for $5.

The daily plan offers up to 200MB of 3G service, and unlimited 4G service where available, for $5 per day. It joins Virgin Mobile USA's existing $35 and $55 monthly plans, which offer either 2GB or 5GB of 3G service, plus unlimited 4G.

The carrier's Broadband2Go service is available on two devices: the $69.99 U600 3G/4G& USB Stick, which can plug into your laptop or tablet, and the $119.99 Overdrive Pro 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot that can connect up to five Wi-Fi devices at once.

In terms of data speeds, Virgin Mobile's Broadband2Go 3G/4G devices average between 3 to 6 Mbps when operating on Sprint's 4G network and 600 Kbps to 1.4 Mbps on the 3G network. Sprint's 4G network currently covers more than 70 markets in the U.S. For more on Broadband2Go, check out Virgin Mobile USA's website.

Virgin Mobile USA, which celebrated its tenth birthday this summer, made headlines earlier this year after becoming the second U.S. mobile phone carrier to . With Virgin Mobile, you'll pay a higher, unsubsidized up-front price for the iPhone than you will on Sprint, Verizon, or AT&T, but you won't be locked into a lengthy contract and your monthly bill will be cheaper.

PCMag's senior mobile analyst Jamie Lendino noted that the way the math works, you'll actually over the Sprint version, which starts at $80 per month for unlimited data and texting and 450 minutes.