Hi there! If you're new to the site, you may want to subscribe to the the feed.

One of the biggest running stories in the prepaid industry is the AWS spectrum being rolled out by MetroPCS and Leap Wireless. They’re two uncommon players in the prepaid game: They own their own network, yet do not offer postpaid services. Further, they both offer unlimited services, rather than bundles of minutes and messages. The Advanced Wireless Spectrum is in essence their third generation offering, and both have been rolling it out in different markets. While Leap says they want to have all markets rolled out by the end of 2009, Metro is eyeing a bit more aggressive timeline.

Posted in MetroPCS on May 12th, 2008
No Comments

Word dropped this morning that unlimited carrier MetroPCS is available in Jacksonvile, Florida, starting today. This was actually announced back in January. The spectrum came via a purchase from PTA Communications. This gives them access to another 1.5 million customers, who will hopefully grow their already 4 million strong. This network, however, is not part of the 3G AWS spectrum that Metro will roll out throughout the year.

Posted in MetroPCS on May 1st, 2008
No Comments

Last week, we talked about how MetroPCS’s push to talk service works with any network. So you can initiate a push to talk session with, say, an AT&T customer if you have a PTT-compatible MetroPCS phone. Apparently I either missed something in there, or they announced a further development in the service. Because now, not only can you push to talk to anyone on any cell network, you can do the same with a landline.

Posted in MetroPCS on April 21st, 2008
No Comments

Yes, MetroPCS has introduced push-to-talk services. But it would be so vanilla if they just announced that. So, in order to spice things up, they’re adding on. Once the service launches, Metro subscribers can initiate a PTT communication with any device on any network. This gives Metro an edge in the PTT market, since most other options restrict PTT services to enabled handsets only. You can still only initiate a PTT session from an enabled phone — currently only the Kyocera K312p on Metro — but it can be continued on any device.

Posted in MetroPCS on April 17th, 2008
No Comments

With the economy in less-than-stellar shape, I have a feeling that the major postpaid carriers won’t quite be posting gains as solid as MetroPCS. The flat-rate, unlimited prepaid carrier announced their results for the first quarter of 2008 this morning, with the standout number being the gross addition of 960,000 subscribers. That’s a significant increase over the first quarter of last year: 15 percent to be precise. However, that’s gross additions. We still have to subtract out churn.

Posted in MetroPCS on April 7th, 2008
No Comments

I thought it was pretty cool when Boost Mobile gave away free gas in Hawaii to promote it’s newly-launched Boost Unlimited plan. Apparently, MetroPCS liked the idea, too. On Wednesday, they rolled prices back to $1.99 at a station near Brandon, Florida. No, it’s not quite free, but can you remember the last time gas was two bucks a gallon? (Winter/Spring 2006, is my guess.) Unlike the Boost promotion, this one ran in the afternoon, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Posted in MetroPCS on April 4th, 2008
No Comments

In their second new market announcement this week, MetroPCS has revealed that they will offer service in the Bakersfield, California market. The news came my way via the linked press release, which makes no mention of this being an AWS market. Still, it’s one more place you can get flat-rate, unlimited calling on a prepaid basis. As in most markets, Metro plans will run from $30 to $50 in Bakersfield.

Posted in MetroPCS on April 3rd, 2008
No Comments

On the morning of the biggest wireless trade show in the nation, MetroPCS has announced that they will be offering service in Las Vegas — the very site of the convention. It will work on the AWS spectrum, which rival Cricket is planning to launch in Oklahoma City in the near future. So much for their quietness. The service is available now. I’ll be sure to talk to the guys from Metro during the week.

Posted in MetroPCS on March 31st, 2008
2 Comments

Should we make anything of this? Beyond announcing their fourth quarter results, we’ve heard precious little from MetoPCS this year. In fact, the only real announcement they’ve made this year has been their expansion in to the Jacksonville area. Beyond that, it’s been all quiet. They did, though, pick up some spectrum in the 700 MHz auction. But still, silence. I think you know where this is going.

Posted in MetroPCS on March 28th, 2008
1 Comment

If there’s one topic I’ve talked about more than any other since the beginning of Prepaid Reviews, it has been the long-speculated merger of MetroPCS and Leap Wireless. Just for a quick timeline, the speculation started to boil over in September, when Metro put in an unsolicited bid for Leap. After weeks of hearing nothing, we finally got wind that Leap didn’t think the bid was sufficient. So they moved forward, and by the end of December they couldn’t even talk merger, because of the anti-collusion rules in the 700 MHz auction. But now that auction is done. So what does that mean for these two companies?

Posted in MetroPCS on March 20th, 2008
No Comments