Bolstering its Ready Link walkie-talkie offering, Sprint PCS launched its fifth Sanyo handset for the service, which the carrier said now includes more than 275,000 users. Sprint also rearranged pricing for the service to align more with the carrier’s PCS Vision wireless data service.
The handset is the RL-4920 candy-bar style phone, which Sprint PCS said boasts a 5.5-hour talk time and is available at Sprint PCS stores for $70 after rebates. The RL-4920 joins the already available VM-4500, PM-8200, RL-2000 and RL-7300 handsets designed for the carrier’s Ready Link service.
Pricing for the service was also adjusted, with customers now able to add Ready Link to their service plans for $10 per month or combine it with the Vision service for $20 per month. Ready Link was previously available for $15 as a separate service or as a $5 add-on to the $15 Vision service. Both offerings are still available free for the first two months of service.
Sprint PCS also modified pricing for business customers, with rate plans ranging from $36 per month for unlimited Ready Link usage and unlimited night and weekend traditional voice calling to up to $67 per month for the same offering with 1,000 anytime calling minutes. Sprint PCS said it also offers a $200 per-month plan for business customers, which includes unlimited wireless calls, unlimited Ready Link and the option to add one of its Vision packs for no additional charge.
Sprint PCS’ price changes also undercut competing PTT offerings from other carriers, which have generally stayed with a model of $20 per month for unlimited usage. Verizon Wireless continues to offer its Push to Talk service as a $20 addition to the carrier’s America’s Choice service offerings, while Alltel Corp.’s Touch2Talk service continues with its tiered pricing approach, though the company recently noted that most of the 50,000 subscribers who signed up for service since it was launched earlier this year have selected the $20/unlimited option.
PTT veteran Nextel Communications Inc. continues to offer tiered Direct Connect usage on its rate plans ranging from 100 minutes to unlimited with customers charged 15 cents per minute overage. The carrier also allows customers to add unlimited Nationwide Direct Connect service to their rate plans for $10 per month and recently launched International Direct Connect services that are charged at either 20 cents per minute or with a $5 monthly charge at 10 cents per minute.
