Boost Mobile offering $50 unlimited plan on CDMA network

Boost Mobile, part of Sprint Nextel's prepaid unit, said beginning next week its $50 monthly unlimited plan will be available on Sprint's national CDMA network. Boost previously offered its unlimited prepaid service on Sprint's iDEN network, though it has dabbled in CDMA in the past. Today's action, though, marks a deliberate move by Sprint to broaden its prepaid offerings.

Boost also said that by late January it will introduce three new CDMA phones, including a BlackBerry device form Research In Motion on a $60 "BlackBerry Monthly Unlimited" plan. The device will be Boost's first smartphone. The prepaid carrier's $50 plan--which offers unlimited voice, texting, Web browsing and walkie-talkie support--has been a hit for Sprint since it was introduced nearly a year ago. However, the sevice was only available on Sprint's iDEN network.

Sprint's prepaid growth has been a bright spot amid the carrier's postpaid subscriber defections. In the third quarter, Sprint added a net 801,000 prepaid iDEN customers, but had a net retail subscriber loss of 135,000--including a net loss of 801,00 postpaid customers.

Boost said it will begin selling the BlackBerry Curve 8330 for $249.99 later this month. Additionally, the company will add support for the Sanyo Mirro, a flip phone that it will sell for $99.99, and the Sanyo Incognito, which it will sell for $149.99. The Incognito is a horizontal flip device that has a "hidden" exterior keypad and OLED display, as well as a full Qwerty keyboard inside.

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