PlatinumTel Includes 100MB of Data with $50 Unlimited Plan

The unlimited fire just doesn’t stop apparently. A few days ago, Sprint-powered PlatinumTel revised its rate structure to make its $50 unlimited wireless plan the most data-heavy unlimited-voice prepaid plan yet, with 100MB of usage included per month. This is in addition to unlimited voice minutes and text messages on Sprint’s nationwide PCS network. There’s even no-charge picture messaging; just pay for the data.

If you need more data, a 0.05¢ per KB (51.2¢ per MB) charge applies, or you can grab a $5 card for 40 MB or a $10 card for $100 MB of data. To our knowledge, those are the cheapest per-megabyte prices for cell-phone data anywhere on prepaid. AT&T, Page Plus Cellular and Virgin Mobile don’t even come close.

One other advantage of PlatinumTel’s non-contract unlimited plan is that there are no extra small monthly fees for service and/or web access like other PlatinumTel plans have, though the  company’s per-minute rates are quite good across the board. The Chicago-based provider’s other plans (one with unlimited nights and weekends, one wihtout) are unchanged, at least for now. We hear there will be a mobile broadband card plan soon though.

Page Plus Upgrades $20 Monthly Text Option to Unlimited

Page Plus Cellular today upgraded their Power Text plan from 5000 monthly messages to unlimited. The price stays at $20 per month. The package doesn’t include multimedia messages like other providers have done (most notably AT&T GoPhone and Virgin Mobile) however Page Plus couples the plan with one of the lowest voice minute rates in the industry (6¢ per minute to be exact) and the rock-solid Verizon Wireless network.

For those who don’t text as much, Page Plus still has a 2000-message-per-month plan for $10.95 per month, or pay-as-you-go texting for 8¢ apiece. Or, for heavy talkers, $19.95 above Page Plus’s unlimited-text package will net you unlimited voice minutes as well, plus 20 MB of data access. In short, there’s something for everyone at Page Plus, whether you talk, text or surf on your prepaid phone.

For those already on Page Plus, all these features might chew through your balance a little quicker. Fortunately, you can get airtime online right here (without sales tax in most places).

Unlimited: Coming Soon To Total Call Mobile

Total Call Mobile will soon be updating its website to reflect new service plans and phones that bring the Sprint-based prepaid provider to the unlimited party.

Total Call’s new plan portfolio will consist of an unlimited-talk-and-text plan for around $50 per month, a 500-minute, 500-text plan for $25-$30, and the current pay-as-you-go-option (10¢ per minute, 5¢ per text), fortified with unlimited nights and weekends for $30 per month if desired. Unlimited-anytime and unlimited-night-and-weekend cards will also be available in 15-day denominations for about half the price of a one-month refill. One standout feature on Total Call Mobile is the inclusion of international texting in its unlimited plan. Read more

Wireless Competition is Red-Hot in South Texas

The weather isn’t the only thing that’s smoking hot in San Antonio, Texas (though at 100 degrees, it definitely qualifies for the classification). San Diego-based Leap Wireless, via their CricKet brand, is duking it out with San Antonio-based Pocket Communications in the unlimited wireless market, and consumers are winning.

Pocket, launched a few short years ago in the San Antonio area, recently expanded to Corpus Christi and the surrounding towns, after securing footholds in Laredo and Rio Grande markets. Their pitch: we’re better than CricKet. Pocket’s ad campaign pulls no punches when it comes to comparing their service to that of the nation’s second largest unlimited-only carrier; Pocket calls CricKet out as a leader in dropped calls, long customer service hold times, and high pricing. Pocket on the other hand says that their network has twice the number of towers as CricKet does, their customer service agents will answer calls in twenty seconds or less, and their cheapest phone is absolutely free after a mail-in rebate, including a free month of service.

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Page Plus Launches Unlimited Talk and Text for $39.95

Ostensibly in response to Tracfone’s $45-a-month Straight Talk product, Page Plus Cellular on Friday introduced a low-priced unlimited plan of their own, including calling, texting and 20 megabytes of data for $39.95, with no additional taxes and fees. The plan sacrifices 10 MB of data and unlimited directory assistance for the lower price point, however Page Plus’s take on Verizon-based unlimited service allows off-network roaming (59¢ per minute), additional data access without having to buy another full refill (at 0.06¢ per kilobyte, or 60¢ per MB) and the ability to use any Verizon-compatible phone rather than being stuck with Straight Talk’s three-model line. Page Plus is not even offering a discount on 411 service (something that Tracfone has offered at no additional charge anyway due to their custom phone-based minute tracking system), however free alternatives (like Free411 and Google’s GOOG-411 service) are available.

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Showdown of pay-as-you-go providers Boost and Cricket

With a slate of new stores, aggressive marketing campaigns and even a celebrity endorsement, fast-growing pay-as-you-go mobile phone providers Boost and Cricket are going head-to-head to snap up customers in the Baltimore area.

Boost Mobile opened its first exclusive retail store on East Monument Street last week, joining competitor Cricket, which started offering cellular service in the Baltimore-Washington region through its stores at the end of June. Both companies also have networks of independent dealers that sell phones and minutes.

“The Baltimore market has always been one of our key markets,” said Traci Jovanoic, Boost Mobile director of indirect sales. “It has been in our top 10 for locations.”

One of the bright spots in the telecom industry has been the no contract phone service providers like Boost, a subsidiary of Sprint Nextel Corp., and Cricket, owned by publicly traded Leap Wireless Inc. The companies’ marketing strategy is to charge one monthly fee for unlimited calling and texting, or a la carte options to build customized plans.

Read more at The Daily Record

Ready Mobile Offers Three- and Seven-Day Wireless Plans

Near a Town and Country or Stripes store? They are now stocking Ready Mobile PCS refills in three-day and seven-day denominations. Both refills provide unlimited voice and texting and cost $9.99 and $19.99, respectively. That works out to $3.33 per day (or $99.90 per month) for the three-day card, or about $2.86 per day ($85.68 per month) for the seven-day refill.

Ready Mobile PCS’s new rates aren’t the most competitive out there, with Tracfone’s Straight Talk service weighing in at a mere $45 per month on Verizon’s network, but the rates are better than contract customers are paying on AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon. Plus, if you like Sprint’s netowrk but don’t want to budget for a whole month of serice, Ready Mobile PCS fits the bill nicely with their new refills.

If you want a little more info, the press release detailing the new plans is here.

Straight Talk Goes Unlimited for $45

The sound you just heard was the gauntlet being slammed down in the wireless industry. Tracfone’s Straight Talk brand, based like Page Plus Cellular on Verizon’s nationwide network, just launched an unlimited talk-and-text offering to augment its previous single-plan lineup. The price: a rather impressive $45.

The $45 price point is impressive because it undercuts all other prepaid unlimited offerings, and in some cases even those of unlimited-only providers like MetroPCS and CricKet. The Straight Talk plan includes unlimited voice, text and directory assistance, with 30MB of data access thrown in for web browsing and picture messaging.

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Virgin Mobile Intros Samsung Mantra, Data Card

Virgin Mobile has officially entered the wireless data card business, though their product of that sort won’t arrive until the end of this month. In more immediate news, $59.99 will now buy you a Bluetooth-equipped camera phone, the Samsung Mantra.

The Mantra has a mere VGA camera, but Bluetooth and the Samsung name are two pluses on the new flip phone on Virgin Mobile’s Sprint-powered service. However the UTStarCom Arc offers the same features for $10 less, if you can live with not having a name brand phone with a normal form factor.

The broadband card is more interesting. It’s not the best deal out there; the card weighs in at a hefty $149.99 from Best Buy, and data plans are skimpy, offering only 1GB of data for a $60 monthly fee. In contrast, Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T offer 5GB of data access for that amount.

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Budget shopping tips: Cell phones

Almost everyone needs a cell phone these days, but owning one can be expensive. Here are a few tips to make the most of your dollar when it comes to cell phones and carrier plans.

Get only what you need
Sure that Apple iPhone 3G is sexy, and sure that Palm Pre is all the rage. But will you actually use all the features on those phones? If the answer is no, then resist the urge to jump on the hype bandwagon. If all you want a cell phone for is making calls, a basic cell phone will do just fine. Of course, if you do want extra features like a keyboard for messaging or a camera for taking photos, then you’ll have to do your research to find the best one for the lowest price. If you already have a phone – stick with it! You don’t always have to get the latest and greatest device if your phone still works. The best way to save money is to not spend it at all.

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Go prepaid if you’re fickle
If you’re fickle with carriers and don’t want to pay a penalty for cancelling contracts, the prepaid route might be good for you. Prepaid plans are also good for those who only use their cell phones occasionally, or for emergency purposes, since you pay per minute or day of use…

Read more at CNet

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