Three has officially launched its X-Series mobile broadband service, with plans as low as $20/month for 500MB of data.

The service will compete with Telstra's NextG, but the pricing is already significantly cheaper. For example, Telstra offers 1GB of data for $114.95/month, but Three is offering it for just $30/month. Three's coverage will be lacking compared to NextG, however.

Three is aiming the plans at mobile phone users, and does not offer a standalone broadband product. The X-Series plan must be taken with an existing phone service, with Three recommending users connect their mobile phone to their PC, and use it as a broadband modem.

Three is padding the service with a number of added extras, such as services from Google, Yahoo and MSN. But interestingly, it is also allowing users to bypass its traditional voice service by providing free Skype minutes for voice calls over the internet.

The X-series service uses Three's recently upgraded 3G network, which now supports HSDPA. "With HSDPA the theoretical maximum download speed in 3's Broadband Zone will be 3.6Mbps with expected typical download speeds ranging from 600kbps to 1.5Mbps", says Three's website.

Links:

• Three X-Series Pricing