TracFone Wireless expanded the lineup of plans for its SafeLink wireless service, which is offered to low-income customers. The service is now competing more directly with Sprint Nextel's (NYSE:S) Assurance Wireless offering.
TracFone said the expansion, which is starting in Delaware, means eligible customers will now have more choices in addition to the basic plan they can get under the federal government's Lifeline plan. That plan offers customers 68 free monthly carryover minutes, 3 texts per each minute, international long distance to more than 100 destinations and a free phone. The new plans break down as follows:
- 250 free monthly non-carryover minutes, one text per each minute and a free handset.
- 125 free monthly carryover minutes, one text per each minute and a free handset.
SafeLink is available in 24 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. Assurance, which is one of Sprint's prepaid brands, is available in 10 states and offers customers 200 free minutes and a free handset. Both programs are subsidized through the federal government.
The actions are a small part of a wider battle in the prepaid sector, populated by the likes of TracFone's Straight Talk prepaid unlimited service, Sprint's Boost Mobile service, MetroPCS and Leap Wireless, among others.
For more:
- see this Kansas City Business Journal article
- see this release
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