MetroPCS revamps unlimited plans

MetroPCS unveiled a new pricing scheme for its unlimited prepaid plans, called Wireless for All, which includes the cost of taxes and fees in the total cost of the plans. The company, which has suffered weaker subscriber growth in the face of intensifying competition in the prepaid market, said the new plans--ranging from $40 per month to $60--will entice subscribers with simplified pricing. The carrier also released preliminary subscriber numbers for the fourth quarter.

The flat-rate carrier's new base plan is $40 per month, and offers unlimited voice, texting and Web access. MetroPCS also has plans for $45, $50 and $60 (as well as a $50 smartphone plan), which add services as subscribers go up the price ladder. The company also offers individual services in its pricing mix, such as $5 bundles for social networking or navigation.

As for its performance in the fourth quarter, MetroPCS said it added 317,000 net subscribers during the period, up significantly from the 66,000 it scored in the third quarter. However, churn rose to 5.3 percent in the quarter, up from 5.1 percent in the year-ago quarter. MetroPCS faces challenges on the unlimited, prepaid front from the likes of Leap Wireless, TracFone Wireless and Sprint Nextel's Boost Mobile unit, which plans to offer $50 monthly unlimited service on Sprint's CDMA network this week.

For more:
- see Metro's new plans
- see this release
- see this Reuters article

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