Atlanta — The youth-oriented wireless firm Helio announced a new wireless Internet access solution today that promises to fuse 3G and Wi-Fi on a single laptop with a single bill.
The Helio Hybrid package combines a software application, an EV-DO PCMCIA card and a Data Connect membership for 3G and Wi-Fi hotspot roaming. Laptops loaded with the software can switch between 3G networks and commercial Wi-Fi access points, in addition to free and private Wi-Fi networks. The package will be available free with a 2 year contract and an $85 monthly fee.
The software can discover and organize Wi-Fi access points by signal strength. It can locate free hot spots and those in the Boingo network. The software also includes a hot spot directory, which is available offline.