Walmart got a bit more with the times and increased the competitive pressure in the no-contract space by announcing the addition of “unlimited” data services to its Family Mobile offering.
The service, which runs across T-Mobile USA’s network, now includes a bucket of data for lines on a family plan. That bucket includes 5 gigabytes per month, per line “at up to 3G speeds” for customers signing up for the service by March 31. For those that sign up after March 31, each line will receive 250 megabytes of 3G data speeds before having those speeds throttled.
Pricing for the first line of service on the plan will remain at $45 per month, though each additional line has had the price increased $10 per month to $35.
Walmart is currently offering four devices for the plan, with only one being a smartphone in the LG Optimus that sells for $159. The remaining devices include a pair of keyboard-equipped feature phones and a single flip phone.
T-Mobile USA recently launched a new prepaid offering through Walmart locations that included 5 GB of data per month before being throttled, unlimited messaging and 100 anytime calling minutes for $30 per month.
Walmart’s adjustment comes as a number of other prepaid players have attempted to increase the attractiveness of their offerings for a market that has become increasingly data-centric.
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