Sprint recently announced it will launch Simply Everything, a domestic pricing plan giving subscribers unlimited voice, data, text, e-mail, web surfing, Sprint TV, Sprint Music, GPS Navigation, Direct Connect and Group Connect for $99.99 per month. Sprint becomes the first of the four major U.S. operators to include both voice, data and multimedia services together under the same all-you-can-eat plan. The company also has an unlimited voice only plan for $89.99 per month.
For families, Simply Everything includes an incremental $5 discount for each incremental line, up to five lines on the same bill. For example, two lines would amount to $194.98 ($99.99 + $94.99); a third line would cost an additional $89.99.
Other flat-rate plans are already available, but with restrictions. Sprint’s Boost Unlimited service offers a monthly $45 plan that allows for unlimited calling to anyone in the U.S., but the caller must stay within a specified home region.
Thus comes right after carriers Verizon Wireless and AT&T announced unlimited voice plans for $99.99, and T-Mobile USA introduced an unlimited voice and text message plan for $99.99.
In addition to changing its wireless calling plan, Verizon is also offering a plan to its wireless broadband customers with pricing based on capacity of downloads. The new plan, which starts March 2, will offer customers monthly data plan options of 50 megabytes for $39.99 a month or five gigabytes for $59.99 a month. Verizon also offers an all-in-one unlimited package covering voice, messaging, its V CAST data service, VZ Navigator GPS service, and mobile email for $140 a month.
Alltel, which offers unlimited calling to certain phone numbers within a subscribers “circle” found that when it launched its MyCircle plan in 2006 offering unlimited calling to 10 numbers for $59, the plan attracted existing customers but not a lot of new customers. However, when the company offered a second MyCircle calling plan for $49 and unlimited calling to five numbers, it saw a lot more traction from new customers.
In addition, MetroPCS and Leap Wireless offer unlimited calling plans in the $35-$60 per month range.
Cellular South joined the fray by highlighting its own unlimited plan. The release claims that Cellular South’s unlimited plan is more competitively priced than other carriers at a flat monthly rate of $79.99 for phones and $99.99 for smartphones.
