Orange UK iPad 3G monthly data plans run £15 for 3GB, £25 for 10GB

Users can pay monthly for what they use, at a cost of 5 pence (7 cents U.S.) per megabyte through the Orange plan. Daily plans, offering up to 250MB of use, cost £2 ($2.94), while a weekly plan with 1GB of bandwidth runs £7.50 ($11.01 U.S.).

A recurring monthly plan with 3GB of 3G data and unlimited browsing at Wi-Fi hotspots costs £15 ($22.02 U.S.), while a £25 ($36.71 U.S.) plan offers 10GB of monthly bandwidth. Activation of any Orange iPad data plan also earns customers a £10 credit for use at any time.

Orange U.K.'s iPad 3G tailored data plans will be offered starting Monday, May 10, the same day the iPad is available for preorder internationally. Users can also preregister for an iPad-compatible MicroSIM at Orange.co.uk/iPad.

Orange UK will offer tailored 3G data plans for iPad Wi-Fi + 3G, from 10th May, and will launch a pre-registration site for SIMs at Orange.co.uk/iPad.

For comparison, AT&T offers iPad users two data plans in the U.S.: $15-per-month for a 250MB cap, and $30 for unlimited access. Orange's plans do not include an unlimited option, though both companies' plans offer Wi-Fi hotspot access.

In the U.S., most data-only plans on wireless carriers run $60-per-month, and often come with subsidized hardware that is discounted in exchange for a contract commitment. Apple's iPad is unsubsidized, with the 3G model costing an extra $130 in the U.S. and £100 in the U.K. over the Wi-Fi-only counterparts.

Apple announced earlier Friday that both the Wi-Fi and 3G models will be available in nine new countries, including the U.K., on May 28. Nine more countries will see the device in July. Apple has delayed and staggered the international launch of the iPad due to strong demand for the hardware in the U.S.