Virgin Mobile adds social networking tool for prepaid customers

Virgin Mobile USA announced that it was launching its "Connect" social networking tool for its prepaid subscribers and also launched data packs that prepaid customers can purchase.

The MVNO originally launched the Connect dashboard in November 2008. The tool allows users to to connect directly to Facebook, MySpace, Flickr and YouTube to aggregate status updates, photos and videos. The service will now be available on devices including the Shuttle, Jax or X-tc handsets. The company also said that the Opera Mini 4.2 browser will be available on most Virgin Mobile prepaid handsets including Slash, Shuttle, Arc and is also available on certain postpaid handsets including the Helio Ocean 2.

Additionally, the carrier launched data packs for its customers. Prepaid customers can get 5MB of data for $5, 20MB for $10 and 50MB for $20. For those on monthly plans or without annual contracts, Virgin is charging $5 for 20MB data $10 for 50MB. The focus on mobile data fits with the strategy Virgin Mobile CEO Dan Schulman laid out in an interview with FierceWireless in early March, when he said that data and messaging were key growth opportunities for Virgin.

For more:
- see this release [1]

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