A couple of weeks ago, T-Mobile MVNO MetroPCS
began running a promotion on its $50 plan that would increase the high speed data from 5 GB to 8 GB. Shortly after, Cricket Wireless, an AT&T MVNO, followed suit—with the exact same promotion. Both of these promotions are available for a limited time only, though it does not specify on either website when it will end.
Let’s check out the data amounts compared:
MetroPCS:
- $30 / 1 GB
- $40 / 3 GB
- $50 / 8 GB
- $60 / Unlimited
Cricket:
- $30 / 1 GB
- $40 / 2.5 GB
- $50 / 8 GB
- $60 / 10 GB
- $70 / Unlimited
On Cricket, after the promotion ends you can keep the extra 3 GB of high speed data so long as your account is in good standing and you do not change plans. The promotion is also available
online and in store.
With MetroPCS, it is unclear what will happen to the extra 3 GBs when the promotion ends, but you are able to add lines with the same plan (up to 5) for only $30/month. This means two lines is $80/month, three lines is $110/month, four lines is $140/month, and five is $170/month. So, if you had 2 lines, you’d pay an average of $40 per line for 8 GB. Typically, $40 only gets 2-3 GB so it’s a pretty good deal—and the savings only increase with the lines. Through MetroPCS, the promotion is only available in stores.
Across the board, prepaid companies are increasing data amounts in order to keep up with competition. It seems that more companies are aiming to focus on the high-data user, rather than low-cost skimpy plans.]]>
