The “3″ Mobile network run by Hutchinson Telecom has announced today that plans for the iPhone 3G will begin at just $24 per month.

Subscribers who join a 24-month contract can buy an 8GB iPhone for HK$2938 ($377) or a 16GB for HK$3738 ($479) and then choose a HK$188 ($24) tariff that includes 500 basic minutes, 500 heart-to-hear minutes, 25 multimedia content messages, 15 text content messages, 500 MB of data usage and unlimited Intra SMS messages.

“The 500-megabyte capacity is currently priced at around HK$300 to HK$500 in the market,” Hutchison’s Hong Kong spokesperson Mickey Shiu said.

“We believe the (minimum price) plan is comfortable enough for average data users,” she said, adding that 500 megabytes will allow users to send 250,000 emails or browse Apple’s Web site 2,000 times.

Users wanting more can join a HK$268 ($34) contract and buy subsidised 8GB iPhone 3G for HK$1738 ($233) or 16GB for HK$1738 ($223), they will receive 1500 basic minutes, 1200 heart-to-hear minutes, 50 multimedia content messages, 35 text content messages, 500 MB of data usage and unlimited Intra SMS messages.

An 8GB iPhone 3G is also available for free for subscribers who join a HK$498 ($64) contract. On the same contract a 16GB iPhone 3G costs just HK$138 ($18).

From 1600 GMT Monday, Hutchison began accepting online preregistration for retail customers, 500 of whom will be guaranteed an iPhone on July 11.