Ultra Mobile is targeting heavy data users with the launch of two new monthly plans. And it’s splitting the monthly data allotments between 4G and 3G speeds.
The T-Mobile MVNO introduced a $45-a-month plan that includes 5 GB of LTE data and 5 GB of 3G data as well as unlimited international text and unlimited talk to more than 60 countries. A top-end plan offers 10 GB of LTE data and 10 GB of 3G data plus unlimited international text and unlimited talk to more than 60 countries for $54 a month.
Ultra Mobile said its new plans, which mark the company’s biggest monthly data packages, are designed to meet ever-increasing demand for mobile data and international calling. The company pointed to a recent study from Ericsson that indicated the average monthly data consumption last year was 5 GB per month per user.
“Our customers and retail partners continue to request larger data offerings and we’ve listened by rounding out our portfolio with these new data plans,” Ultra President Tyler Leshney said in a press release. “At Ultra Mobile, we are always looking for the next best way to service our rapidly growing customer base and with these new data plans, we truly see an opportunity to satisfy the needs of a growing customer base while also offering our current subscribers additional upgrade options.”
Ultra Mobile offers discounted talk, text and data services on T-Mobile’s network, targeting the 45 million foreign-born people living in the U.S. Last year, the company partnered with Univision Mobile to better tap the market of Hispanic Americans.
In December, Ultra launched “Data My Way,” a feature that enables users to choose between three data speeds to maximize their monthly LTE usage. The two faster data options use 4G speeds and automatically set to Optimized, allowing customers to toggle back and forth as they wish.
Like a handful of rival players that target niche markets, Ultra Mobile has thrived as the MVNO market in the U.S. has experienced a resurgence over the last 8 years. Bloomberg reported last year that U.S. MVNOs roughly doubled their subscriber numbers since 2009, and Ultra’s revenue reportedly grew from $1 million in 2012 to nearly $200 million last year.
Ultra Mobile is co-headquartered in New York City and Southern California, with more than 150 employees based in the U.S., Europe and Asia. The company supports its customers in English, Chinese and Spanish.