Verizon obsoletes Pantech USB modems

If you go to the Verizon Wireless website today, you'll find the selection of 4G USB modems (the kind that work well with audio and video codecs) quite reduced. The UML290, and it's newer cousin UML295, have been given the ol' end-of-life treatment. The only remaining option is the Novatel 551L, which does the job but has a very quirky USB connector and doesn't support the new Verizon XLTE service.
USB modems are waning in popularity in general, in favor of Wifi Hotspots, so this isn't a big surprise. We're working on alternative plans but for now, UML295s are available for good prices on eBay. I've bought a bunch and they work very well. Just carry it down to the Verizon store and have them activate it. It gets you out of a 2-year commitment when you bring-your-own anyway. You can even put a prepaid sim into it for a one-time event. And Hotspots (or Jetpacks as Big Red calls them) also work well in conjunction with our codec Wifi adapters.

Edit 10/1/14: The Pantechs appear back on the VZW site today, although my contacts there maintain the ax has fallen on them. So get 'em while you can.