As more of the web becomes mobile-friendly, wireless subscribers are now using mobile apps more than ever. This, combined with the fact that there are now few brand-new mobile customers in the U.S. has significantly increased competition among American mobile providers.
While the largest U.S. wireless providers are still capping their expensive plans at low data levels, runners-up like Sprint and T-Mobile are now pushing unlimited options in an effort to convert subscribers. Even prepaid carriers are being caught up in the competition, increasing data caps and lower their prices.
Boost Mobile this week announced new mobile plans with more data at lower price points. The plans, dubbed “Data Boost Plans,” will offer up to 10GB of 4G data at prices lower than those offered by postpaid wireless plans and lower than Boost’s previous offerings.
The Data Boost Plans come in three different tiers, all of which include unlimited voice calling and texting. The lowest tier provides 1GB of data for $35 per month, though Boost’s fine print states that it “may” throttle video streaming to just 3G speeds for customers at that tier. The middle tier provides 5GB of data for $45 per month and the highest tier provides 10GB of data for $55 per month. Each of these tiers is $5 less than the price of Boost’s $40, $50, and $60 “Monthly Unlimited Select” plan tiers.
Oddly, Boost has stated that the new Data Boost Plans will only be offered from now until November 3, meaning that they could be a limited-time offer only.
Even so, Boost used the announcement to brag about how the Data Boost Plans position it in the prepaid wireless market. The company claims that it is the only prepaid U.S. carrier to offer 1GB of data for $35 per month and that it is the only prepaid U.S. carrier to offer a tiered prepaid plan with 10GB of data. Boost also pointed out that its $45 Data Boost Plan offers twice as much data as $50 plans from MetroPCS and Cricket, as well as 2GB of data more than Straight Talk’s $45 offering.
“This is way more data at a better price,” said Dow Draper, president of prepaid at Sprint. “We are making the choice easy for consumers. Boost has been a disrupter before and will do it again with the launch of these new lower-priced plans that include double the data. Consumers are data hungry and always want more at the lowest price possible. Data Boost Plans satisfy what consumers crave.”