As everybody knows by now, Apple ships the iPad in the Wi-Fi version this month, with the 3G subscription-based model following in April (probably). And as it’s AT&T that has secured the right to provide 3G connectivity to iPad users in America, you’d think Randall Stephenson, AT&T’s CEO, would be the first person to promote sales of the 3G model.

But it’s Stephenson who is now quoted as saying that he doesn’t expect “(…) a lot of people out there looking for another subscription (…)” and that the iPad wil mainly be a “Wi-Fi driven product”. He made the remarks during a webcast of an investor conference yesterday, adding the iPhone, on the other hand, will continue to play an important role for AT&T “for quite some period of time”.

Stephenson also thinks the future holds higher prices for heavy 3G users in the telecommunications industry as a whole. You can read what TechCrunch thought about 3G connectivity on the iPhone (provided by AT&T) in the past here.

To recap, the most basic iPad will cost $499, while 3G adds $130 to every model. AT&T plans to charge $15.00 for 250MB, or $29.99 for “unlimited downloads” – on a monthly basis, without a long-term contract. And AT&T will let you use their Wi-Fi hotspots free of charge.

Via Reuters