T-Mobile USA cuts unlimited pricing, for a limited time

The “unlimited” wars continue to heat up as T-Mobile USA Inc. (DTEGY) today unveiled a new unlimited calling, messaging and data offering priced at $80 per month. The carrier does note that the “unlimited” data portion includes up to 2 gigabytes of data transmission at full speeds, with additional usage subject to speed reductions.
The new offering, which requires a two-year contract and is currently marked as “Limited Time Only,” undercuts similar plans from its larger rivals by as much as $40 per month.
Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) currently charges $100 for a similar offering, though it does throw in its GPS Navigation service as well. The carrier does however charge a $10 premium for smartphones as well as the Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. Instinct devices.
AT&T Mobility (T) charges $115 for unlimited calling, messaging and 2 GB of data transmission before overage charges kick in. Verizon Wireless (VZ) charges $120 per month for unlimited calling, messaging and data and manages data usage similar to T-Mobile USA by throttling down network speeds for excessive users.
The plan is still a premium compared to unlimited offerings from smaller players like MetroPCS Communications Inc., Leap Wireless International Inc., and Sprint Nextel’s Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile USA offerings, which are typically priced between $50 and $60 per month and don’t require a contract.
T-Mobile USA’s new rate plan comes just days after the end of the first fiscal quarter, which could be a sign that the first three months of the year like the last three months of 2010 were not kind to the carrier. T-Mobile USA is also in the midst of being acquired by AT&T Mobility for $39 billion.