Recently in MVNO Category
MetroPCS now offers unlimited
calling to over 100 countries for
"Unlimited international calling at such an affordable rate can
dramatically reduce monthly long distance costs and is yet another
example of MetroPCS' commitment to providing industry-leading value to
consumers in today's tough economic climate," said
. "MetroPCS is eliminating the worry of high international
calling fees, counting minutes and dialing a connecting number, typical
of traditional calling cards. With MetroPCS' international calling,
consumers are truly unlimited now more than ever."
MetroPCS offers a diverse selection of wireless service plans, which
allows customers to talk 24-hours-a-day, seven days a week, and provides
enhanced service options so customers can create a wireless experience
that best fits their lifestyles.
Consumer Cellular announced that it now offers data services plans for
new and existing customers.
With its new wireless web feature, Consumer Cellular customers, many of whom are limited
cell phone users, will be able to send picture messages, check news from
their phones, as well as download ringtones, wallpaper images, screen
savers and games.
With Consumer Cellular’s messaging service, customers can send and receive both text and photo messages. Messaging service is available on a pay-per-use basis or packages can be purchased to reduce the cost for individuals planning to use the service regularly.
Consumer Cellular’s wireless web service allow customers to access news (CNN and USA Today), financial information, entertainment stories, sports highlights and weather updates from their phone, as well as ringtones, wallpaper images and games. Billing is based on the amount of data transferred and several packages are available to meet various usage needs. Purchased content is charged separately.
Virgin Mobile USA has unveiled new prepaid international calling
rates to Latin America, Asia, Brazil and other markets across the globe
for as low as two cents per minute.International Calling Rates with Even More Value vs. Post-Paid Competition
Virgin Mobile USA customers can make calls to Brazil and parts of Mexico, Venezuela, China, Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan for only two cents per minute. Calls to Argentina, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Bangladesh, India, South Korea and Thailand are five cents per minute.
By comparison, international calling to Mexico with major carrier contract plans range from $0.39 to $0.49 per minute.
Information about the new rates - with specific fees for individual countries - is online at http://virginmobileusa.com/rates/internationalCalling.do. With no annual contracts, no credit checks and a choice of Pay As You Go or Monthly Plans including Totally Unlimited calling for just $79.99 per month, Virgin Mobile USA now boasts some of the best domestic and international calling rates in all of wireless.
Boost Mobile has launched a new low flat rate of 10
cents per minute for all calls, no matter what time of day, for its Pay
As You Go Basic Plan. Their website has a poetic explanation:Just a dime, all the time..
As a Basic PAYGO customer, you will be charged just one low rate of 10c/minute, anytime - day or night. You can also send and receive standard text messages for just 10¢ per message.
Boost Walkie-Talkie is a $1/day. Boost Mobile offers pay by the minute, day and month pricing options.
"No traveling charges, no long distance charges and no peak/off-peak per minute pricing... it's simple to understand and a great value," said Neil Lindsay, vice president of marketing, Boost Mobile.
Cricket PAYGo customers choose one of three rate plans ($1, $2 or $3 per day). At each level, customers will receive unlimited service 24/7 for the features offered at that level. For all three levels of service, customers are charged only for the days they use and customers can easily transition between plans at any time throughout the week or month.
| Cricket PAYGo | $1/day Plan | $2/day Plan | $3/day Plan | |||
| Unlimited Local Calling | √ | √ | √ | |||
| Unlimited Text and Picture Messaging | √ | √ | ||||
| Unlimited U.S. Long Distance, International Text to 100+ Countries, Mobile Web and Directory Assistance | √ | |||||
| Voicemail, Caller ID and Three-Way Calling | √ | √ | √ |
"'Totally Unlimited' for 79.99 per month is simply a better value
than postpaid plans offer," said Bob Stohrer, Chief Marketing Officer
of Virgin Mobile USA. "It is simply not necessary to sign a two-year
contract to get real worth with your wireless plan. This offer
surpasses the regional carriers' unlimited calling plans as well, as
most add on roaming charges that can cost customers as much as 79 cents
per minute. With 'Totally Unlimited,' Virgin Mobile USA is providing
consumers unlimited talk without all the limitations."
Consumers who opt for Virgin Mobile USA's new "Totally Unlimited"
calling plan will be able to talk as much as they want each month
across days, nights, weekdays and weekends. The Totally Unlimited plan
- like all Virgin Mobile USA calling plans - will be available for
purchase with cash using Top-Up cards, or with credit/debit for maximum
convenience. For just $10.00 more per month, consumers can add
Unlimited Text & Messaging, with texting, IM, email and picture
messages.
The Lifeline program helps
low-income Floridians maintain essential telephone service through a
monthly credit on their telephone bills. Under the Lifeline program,
residents who participate in certain public assistance programs are
eligible to receive a monthly discount of at least $13.50 - or more
than $160 per year.
TracFone's Lifeline
offering provides a free E911-compliant handset to eligible consumers
and 68 minutes of airtime per month. If a customer exceeds the first
68 minutes, TracFone provides an option to purchase additional minutes.
TracFone will begin offering $2, $5, and $10 cards that are strictly
for use by certified Lifeline customers. These prepaid cards will not
expire, and customers will receive a $0.20 a minute rate. Any unused
minutes will carry over to the next month.
Customers
can apply for Lifeline through the Florida Department of Children and
Families, the PSC, or by contacting a service provider directly.
Kajeet, the cell phone service made for kids, and Turner Broadcasting System’s Cartoon Network today announced a deal to bring mobile content from Cartoon Network to kajeet handsets. The deal brings some of the top names in kids’ entertainment to the unique pay-as-you-go cell phone service.
“As the only cell phone service focused on super-serving kids, it makes perfect sense for us to join forces with Cartoon Network,” said Daniel Neal, CEO and founder of kajeet. “We think it’s important to offer kids mobile content that they love and which reflects their varied interests. Cartoon Network helps us with that goal. “
Drawing from the world’s largest cartoon library, the deal with Cartoon Network will bring select mobile content from the network’s original television shows, such as Ben 10: Alien Force, Chowder, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, The Powerpuff Girls and more, to kajeet handsets. kajeet users will be able to easily access the best in ringtones, wallpapers and games from Cartoon Network through their phone’s browser.
Boost Mobile y announced that it has launched exclusive retail stores. In addition to offering the company’s complete product line-up, the new retail locations also offer products from Boost Mobile’s “Boosted” division, including distinctly styled, multi-device stereo headphones and lifestyle accessories.
Located in Huntington Park, Calif., Hialeah, Fla. and in Houston, Tex., the new retail stores are enabling Boost Mobile to interact with customers, identify trends in the marketplace, and respond with new wireless products and services designed to meet consumers’ evolving lifestyle needs. Each store is approximately 1,500 square feet, and features furniture and interiors constructed of recycled materials. Conceptualized as “home bases” for the Boost brand, all three retail locations offer customers the chance to learn about Boost Mobile products and lifestyle in a hands-on, contemporary environment.
Boost Mobile announced a new daily pay as you go offer enabling customers to talk and text to more people for a dollar a day.
Boost Mobile’s dollar a day Chat Plan offers unlimited nights and weekends and unlimited mobile-to-mobile calling. Boost Mobile’s mobile-to-mobile calling includes more than 40 million Boost®, Sprint® and Nextel® subscribers. Plus, lower daytime rates are provided for 10 cents a minute. Customers still have the option to use Boost’s Nationwide Walkie-Talkie for an additional dollar a day.
With the Chat Plan, unlimited domestic text messaging is also included at no additional charge.
$1/DAY CHAT PLAN INCLUDES: * Unlimited Nights: Mon - Sun 9pm - 7am * Unlimited Weekends: Fri 9pm - Mon 7am * Unlimited Mobile-to-Mobile * Unlimited Text Messaging * 10¢ Daytime Minutes: Mon - Fri 7am - 9pm .
Movida, the United State’s largest Latino-focused MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator), was purchased by Cozac, LLC a subsidiary of APC Wireless. The acquisition of Movida and Liberty Wireless (acquired January 2008) enhances APC Wireless’s commitment to growing its MVNO strategy.
Backed by APC Wireless, Movida is now a stronger organization. Samuel Bahreini, COO, of APC Wireless stated, “APC Wireless is dedicated to Movida’s subscriber base and setting industry-wide benchmarks for superior service.” While the company, the rate plans, and subscriber contracts remain the same, the user experience will improve. Through its expertise in hand set fulfillment, software customization services, expansive buying power, and strong balance sheet; Movida subscribers can expect increased satisfaction in services dedicated to the Latin market. “Our strong growth plans for Movida in the Latino market should signify another vote of confidence in the MVNO market” says Samuel Bahreini.
Virgin Mobile USA has unveiled a host of new Monthly and Pay As You Go Plans Without Annual Contracts that offer consumers even better value and more flexibility. Information about the new plans — with clear comparisons to the competition - is online at www.virginmobileusa.com and materials are currently rolling out across Virgin Mobile’s retail partners. With no annual contracts, Virgin Mobile USA allows its more than 5 million customers to change plans at any time without hassle or extra charges.
“There is no reason for consumers to lock themselves into the restrictive terms of a postpaid contract plan to get real value,” said Dan Schulman, chief executive officer, Virgin Mobile USA, “especially at a time when many people need greater control over their spending and use of credit. We’re closing the gap between those features traditionally offered by postpaid carriers and the value available from our plans without annual contracts.”
MVNO Helio has dropped the price for its unlimited plan with GPS and 3G to $99 a month. After Sky Dayton stepped down as CEO, last week.
Helio announced that Wonhee Sull, formerly Helio’s President and COO, has been elevated to CEO and founding CEO Sky Dayton has been named non-executive Chairman of Helio’s Board of Directors.
Helio also announced usage statistics for its nearly 200,000 subscribers, which exceed many industry averages. Helio has an average revenue per user (ARPU) over $85, well above the industry average of under $501 and closed 2007, the company’s first full year since launch, with a revenue run rate of over $240M based on December actuals. Helio members are also voracious users of its data services:
- An average of over 550 text messages per member per month, many times the industry average.
- Instant Message penetration 3 times the industry average.
- 95% of Helio brand members access the Web through their mobile device versus an industry average of about 13%.
- Each month, 60% of Helio brand members access MySpace via their Helio and average nearly 500 page views.
- In December, Helio members uploaded photos from their device to the web at a rate 5 times the industry average.
- 57% of Ocean users downloaded Helio’s exclusive YouTube application within two weeks of its launch
Telespree Communications announced that Virgin Mobile USA has deployed Telespree’s Over-The-Air (OTA) solution to automate its mobile handset programming process. Virgin Mobile USA implemented Telespree’s solution to further improve its customer experience. The service allows new customers to get started to quickly without any hassles.
The San Diego chapter of the American Electronics Association (AeA), has announced that the Jitterbug cell phone and service is a finalist in the Communications Product and Services category.
Jitterbug phones are easy-to-use with a friendly, 24/7 operator service that have been designed for anyone seeking a simplified cell phone experience. Jitterbug is also affordable with service as low as $10 a month and no contracts. The phone service is geared towards seniors and people with disabilities.
The Walt Disney Internet Group (WDIG), will
cease operations of its U.S.-based mobile virtual network (MVNO) phone
service later this year and will instead explore a new business model
for its content and services that might include offering its popular
Family Center product through a partnership with a major U.S. carrier.
The Family Center suite allows users the ability to display the location of a child's handset on a map, to limit when and how the child's phone is used, and to set limits on expenditures in terms of voice and data.
All service will end by December 31, 2007.
Comment from Wireless and Mobile News:
This could be good news for kids who have been tracked by their parents, and bad news for parents who need to know where their kids are.
This is the second MVNO to go under this year. The first was the now defunct bankrupt Amp'd Mobile. The MVNO was one of the top purveyors of content for the young and broke. The Hollywood Reporter reported, "The bankruptcy filing said that nearly 80,000 of its 175,000 subscribers were "non-paying."
