Prepaid Reviews Blog

Churn hurts Cricket’s third quarter subscriber additions

Joe — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:00:10 +0000

One killer in the wireless industry is churn, the percentage of customers who packed up their things and left. This is an even bigger issue in prepaid, where a contract doesn’t tie a customer to a service. Cricket announced their third quarter results yesterday, and churn stood out. It was at 5.4 percent, up a full point from the second quarter 2009 and up 1.2 points from the third quarter 2008. That hurt their subscriber adds, which clocked in at 116,000. They added 156,000 in the same period last year, and 203,000 in the second quarter of this year. Their average revenue per user (ARPU) fell, but that’s likely because they added more features to less expensive plans. Cricket ended the quarter with 4.65 million subscribers.

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

Churn hurts Cricket’s third quarter subscriber additions

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

Churn hurts Cricket’s third quarter subscriber additions

MetroPCS adds just 66,000 subscribers in the third quarter

Joe — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:30:38 +0000

What a difference a half year can make. MetroPCS blew up in the first quarter, adding 684,000 subscribers thanks to new markets in New York and Boston. Since then they’ve predictably leveled off, adding just 206,000 in the second quarter. They added far fewer in the third, just 66,000, down from 249,000 in the year-ago quarter. As with Cricket, churn was the problem for Metro. Theirs was at a staggering 5.8 percent, up a full percentage point from the third quarter 2008, though it was even with the second quarter of this year. Unlike Cricket, however, Metro saw a small uptick in ARPU. Still, that’s the average revenue per subscriber, and Metro didn’t add a lot of those in the third quarter.

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

MetroPCS adds just 66,000 subscribers in the third quarter

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

MetroPCS adds just 66,000 subscribers in the third quarter

Cricket adds $25 plan

Joe — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:30:48 +0000

Last week we learned that MetroPCS was offering a $30 unlimited plan that included unlimited long distance and unlimited text messaging. They say it’s available for a limited time, and for new customers only, but it’s still a great deal for those who just use the phone’s basic functions. Cricket is trying to keep up, offering a $25 deal that would seem to undercut Metro’s plan, though it has a major shortcoming.

Cricket’s $25 plan includes unlimited talk, text, and caller ID. The only problem is that it does not cover long distance. In an age when area codes mean much less than they did a decade ago, this seems like a major pitfall. Looking through my address book, I see maybe a quarter of my contacts with the same area code as me. That would render the $25 Cricket plan useless.

Even with Cricket’s $30 monthly plan, long distance is not included. To me, that makes Metro’s offering superior in every way. They don’t have the $25 plan because, frankly, local-only calling is becoming irrelevant. The addition of long distance to Metro’s $30 plan makes it better in every way. I’m sure Cricket has a rationale for offering only local calling — they wouldn’t offer it if there weren’t a market — but I have a feeling that demand will continue to dwindle.

If you only need local calling, you can check out the plan at Cricket’s website.

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

Cricket adds $25 plan

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

Cricket adds $25 plan

Small businesses taking advantage of prepaid wireless

Joe — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:00:30 +0000

Prepaid wireless covers about 17 percent of U.S. wireless subscribers, and that number continues to grow. Carriers are adding more prepaid customers than ever, and unlimited services like Boost Mobile and MetroPCS are giving customers robust service plans for a fraction of what they’d pay for similar plans on contracts. Consumers will continue to help prepaid grow, but a new development could take it even further. A recent survey by Compass Intelligence suggest that more small businesses could use prepaid wireless services for employee usage.

The survey put the number at 22 percent of small businesses, defined as those with between five and 99 employees. That’s a decent number, and should lead to yet further growth of prepaid relative to postpaid.

Why would businesses choose prepaid plans when there are more full-featured postpaid plans out there — even ones designed specifically for businesses? Compass Intelligence chief strategist Kneko Burney has an idea.

The shift toward prepaid suggests a desire for more flexible contract options, likely due to a lower tolerance for long-term risk, among mobile phone buyers. In this recession, flexibility may be becoming more important than long-term cost savings or top-end devices for some customers.

Even better for prepaid, the survey question was of whether these businesses plan to buy prepaid phones before the end of 2009. This could mean even larger growth waits in the future. Cell phone contracts make it tough for users to switch on a whim. Perhaps more businesses would have said yes if the question had included plans for 2010.

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

Small businesses taking advantage of prepaid wireless

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

Small businesses taking advantage of prepaid wireless

Net10 adds handset, Tracfone discounts one

Joe — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:30:21 +0000

Earlier this year, Tracfone introduced its first Samsung handsets. Among them was the T301g, pictured to the left. The lightly featured phone originally went for $50, but it appears that Sears will discount it for Black Friday to $24.99, so half off. If you were thinking about this phone, or any Tracfone, it might be best to wait until the day after Thanksgiving.

The other handset is the Samsung T401g, which is now available from Net10. It is a GSM handset, so it is only available in some locations. To find out if you are in a Net10 GSM market, go to Net10’s website and enter your ZIP code. If the T401g shows up, you’re in a GSM market. If you’re like me, in a CDMA market, you will not see the handset.

The handset costs $79.99, but a Howard Forums member was kind enough to point out two promo codes which can save you $8. You can use the promo codes 34567 for a $3 discount, and 44477 for another $5 off.

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

Net10 adds handset, Tracfone discounts one

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

Net10 adds handset, Tracfone discounts one

Virgin Mobile Canada offering subscribers a 30-day trial

Joe — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:00:50 +0000

The problem with wireless service is that if you don’t like it for whatever reason, you’re basically stuck. With postpaid you’re tied down to a contract of either two or three years. Even with prepaid, unless you paid $30 for your handset and are willing to swallow the cost, the cost of the phone can tie you to the carrier. We’ve seen some carriers implement 30-day trials in the past, but they’re either nonexistent or not hyped as they once were. Virgin Mobile Canada is trying to bring back the 30-day trial with their “You’ll Love Us Guarantee,” which officially launches today.

If after 30 days you are not satisfied with Virgin’s service you can return the phone for a full refund. The only cost to the user is the airtime used in those 30 days, plus the original activation fee (which is not refunded). While this deal is nice, it seems that every postpaid carrier should provide this kind of guarantee for customers.

Mobile Syrup, the lovely fellows from whom we got this information, also has a tidbit on some new Virgin plans. From them:

myPLAN $15 includes: 50 Anytime minutes

myPLAN $20 includes: 50 Anytime minutes; Unlimited Evenings & Weekends (starts at 7pm); 50 Text Messages

myPLAN $25 includes: 100 Anytime minutes; Unlimited Evenings & Weekends (starts at 7pm); Unlimited TEXT & Picture Messaging or Voicemail & Call Display

myPLAN $35 includes: 350 Anytime minutes; Unlimited Evenings & Weekends (starts at 7pm); Unlimited TEXT & Picture Messaging or Voicemail & Call Display

myPLAN $50 includes: 600 Anytime minutes; Unlimited Evenings & Weekends (starts at 7pm); Unlimited TEXT & Picture Messaging or Voicemail & Call Display

myPLAN $70 includes: 2000 Anytime minutes; Unlimited Evenings & Weekends (starts at 7pm); Unlimited TEXT & Picture Messaging or Voicemail & Call Display

There should also be new data plans available as well:

$15 will get you Unlimited Email + Unlimited IM
$25 will get you 500MB BlackBerry Usage (Personal Email + IM + Data)
$30 will get you 1GB BlackBerry Usage (Personal Email + IM + Data)
$60 will get you 3GB BlackBerry Usage (Personal Email + IM + Data)

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

Virgin Mobile Canada offering subscribers a 30-day trial

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

Virgin Mobile Canada offering subscribers a 30-day trial

Boost to get Motorola i410 flip hone

Joe — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:30:00 +0000

The Motorola i410 is late in coming to Boost Mobile. Originally scheduled for a September release, it’s now November and we’ve yet to see it on Boost shelves or at the website. We haven’t heard many complaints about the delay, though, because the phone is nothing to get excited about. It’s a basic flip phone that doesn’t even include a camera. It does have Boost’s standard push to talk, plus Bluetooth, but that’s about it. It recently passed through the FCC, so it should be coming soon. Then again, with the rumored price of $80, I’m not sure there will be many takers.

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

Boost to get Motorola i410 flip hone

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

Boost to get Motorola i410 flip hone

MetroPCS expands coverage in Florida

Joe — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:01:41 +0000

MetroPCS has a pretty well-defined coverage area. They’re a regional carrier, and because spectrum isn’t readily available they’re limited in how they can expand. They added some markets with the 700 MHz auction, but other than that all they can do is continue expansion of their existing networks. They announced one such expansion today, moving into areas of northern Floriday> These markets include Gainesville, Ocala, Starke, Waldo, and Hawthorne. You can check out all of MetroPCS’s coverage area on their coverage map.

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

MetroPCS expands coverage in Florida

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

MetroPCS expands coverage in Florida

Cricket adds text messaging option to $1 PAYGo plan

Joe — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:30:26 +0000

Cricket wireless tried something new when they released their PAYGo plans. Instead of offering flat-rate, unlimited calling plans only on a monthly basis, PAYGo offers them daily. Their $1/day plan offers unlimited local calling and 10 cents per minute for long distance, but no text messaging. That changed over the weekend. Cricket will now offer an unlimited incoming text message plan for $1/day customers. Sent messages will cost 10 cents each. This is effective now, so $1/day customers should already have the option to begin text messaging.

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

Cricket adds text messaging option to $1 PAYGo plan

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

Cricket adds text messaging option to $1 PAYGo plan

MetroPCS upgrades $30 plan to include long distance, more

Joe — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:08:07 +0000

Both Cricket and MetroPCS have been working to give their customers more. Instead of reducing the prices of their prepaid unlimited plans, over the summer they both added more features to their existing price points. This made their $40 offerings almost as attractive as the Boost Mobile unlimited plan. I got a heads up from Howard Forums that MetroPCS has improved their $30 prepaid plan, and upon visiting the site I see that’s the case. It’s $30 per month, and it offers an attractive package compared to other prepaid unlimited plans.

Previously, the $30 unlimited plan included only local calling. That matches the same plan with Cricket. Now they’ve added many features, including unlimited long distance, calling from any home MetroPCS network, and unlimited text messaging. The $30 plan actually has more features than the $35 plan, so Metro will likely either phase that out or alter the offering once the $30 plan gets off the ground.

MetroPCS is billing the $30 unlimited plan as a limited time offer. Here’s the text from their website:

Service only offered on a monthly basis. This $30 rate plan is a limited time offer and not available with MetroPCS family plan discount. Offer valid when sign up for new activation.

No word on how long the offer will last, or of what will happen to customers who have this plan once it expires.

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

MetroPCS upgrades $30 plan to include long distance, more

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

MetroPCS upgrades $30 plan to include long distance, more