Updated August 26, 2009
Competition is continuing to cut costs on today’s prepaid wireless plans. When Virgin Mobile undercut the cell phone market in 2008 with a $79.99 unlimited plan, rivals fired back.
Boost Mobile has since unveiled an unlimited plan for $50, Cricket Wireless went unlimited at the $45 level (but without a complete national wireless network) and PlatinumTel also has an unlimited plan for $50 (but only with 100 megabytes of data).
Virgin Mobile on April 15, 2009 became industry competitive again with a new “Totally Unlimited” prepaid voice calling plan for $49.99 with no roaming charges and no contract.
Virgin Mobile CEO Dan Schulman attributed the lower-priced plan in an April 9, 2009 statement to “new network rates obtained by Sprint … [that] allow us to pass value back to the consumer and open a new, addressable market for us at the $49.99 unlimited level”.
It’s important to note that while Virgin Mobile runs on the nationwide Sprint network and Boost Mobile also runs on the nationwide Sprint network, the $50 Boost Mobile plan includes unlimited data usage and unlimited text messaging whereas the new Virgin Mobile plan does not include data or texting.
For an extra $10 a month, though, you can add unlimited text messaging on the new unlimited Virgin Mobile plan for $49.99.
‘Pink Slip Protection’ Launches
In addition to lowering its unlimited price, the prepaid wireless leader is also offering an attractive “Pink Slip Protection” program that comes free with the new $49.99 plan as well as other Virgin Mobile $29.99 or $39.99 monthly plans without annual contracts.
The recession-friendly program will waive up to three months of monthly charges if a Virgin Mobile customer becomes unemployed. Some conditions and restrictions apply.
Specifically, once a customer has been with Virgin Mobile for at least two months on a monthly plan and then becomes unemployed and eligible for state unemployment benefits within the next 12 months, Virgin Mobile’s Pink Slip Protection will activate.
This will cover the cost of the monthly plan including taxes and surcharges for up to three months. Proof of eligibility for state unemployment benefits is required.
Texter’s Delight Launches
Pink Slip Protection also applies to Virgin Mobile’s new “Texter’s Delight” monthly plans. Texter’s Delight will also go live on April 15, 2009 and is the “only nationwide prepaid plan designed specifically for heavy texters,” according to Virgin Mobile.
Separate from the carrier’s unlimited texting plan for $10 per month, Texter’s Delight offers 1,000 messages for $14.99 per month or unlimited messaging for $19.99 with text, IM, email, photo and video messaging all included in the new plan.
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