T-Mobile outlines prepaid data plans for smartphones

T-Mobile USA said it will launch prepaid mobile data plans for its feature phones and smartphones. The carrier also unveiled prepaid mobile data offerings for its webConnect plans.

The nation's No. 4 carrier said that starting Oct. 18 it will offer a variety of new prepaid plans. The new prepaid plans break out as follows:

  • $70/month for unlimited voice and texting with 2 GB of data
  • $50/month for unlimited voice and texting with 100 MB of data
  • $30/month for a 1,500 Talk and Text plan (customers can mix and match voice minutes and text messages) with 30 MB of data

The carrier also will offer unlimited text messaging and voice at 10 cents per minute, as well as a $1.49 day pass for mobile Web access. T-Mobile's decision to offer prepaid data packages for smartphones follows a similar move Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) made in September.

Additionally, T-Mobile said it will offer a range of prepaid mobile broadband plans, including a $10 weekly pass for 100 MB of data, a $30 monthly pass for 300 MB of data and a $50 monthly pass for 1 GB of data. The switch to prepaid mobile data plans was first rumored last week by the blog Engadget.

T-Mobile is trying to stave off customer defections after posting net subscriber losses of 170,000 customers in the first two quarters of the year. The carrier has been busy expanding its HSPA+ network, and has launched two high-profile Android smartphones for the network--its new myTouch phone and the G2. The company also is going to launch two of Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 devices later this year.

    For more:
    - see this release
    - see this Engadget post

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