If you're in the US and looking to use the 3G capabilites of the PS Vita's pricier model, you'll need to purchase a monthly data plan from AT&T. While we've known about that exclusive arrangement for quite some time, the actual details — cost, bandwidth caps — remained a mystery.
In a presentation today at the Consumer Electronics Show, AT&T filled in those gaps, revealing a the two pricing plans that they'll offer consumers. The pair is identical to the carrier's iPad offerings, with 250 MB for $14.99, and 2 GB for $25. Both plans are monthly without a contract, but they'll recurr automatically unless you opt out.
Like with AT&T's other offerings, subscribers will also be able to access all of AT&T's public Wi-Fi hotspots at no additional cost. Anyone who activates a 3G plan on their Vita will also be eligible for a "free download from a list of select games available on the PlayStation®Store." It's unclear whether the offerings will include full retail games or not, but it seems like a decent sweetener for those shelling out the extra money for 3G.
The announcement also came with an unexpected tease. According to Engadget, AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega stated that the Vita will be even better when it "gets LTE", the protocol AT&T has branded as their 4G service. This is the first we've heard of Sony's new handheld getting 4G support, meaning Vega either misspoke or let the cat of the bag a bit early.