Tracfone’s Net10 dives into unlimited fray

Tracfone Wireless Inc. subsidiary Net10 has jumped into the increasingly popular unlimited-service-plan play with its new Net10 Unlimited Plan, which offers unlimited calling and texting for $80 per month. Per Tracfone’s modus operandi, the unlimited offer does not require a contract or credit checks, though a customer does have to set up a recurring payment system using a credit card.
The offering one-ups rival Virgin Mobile USA Inc. – that carrier’s recently launched Totally Unlimited plan also offers unlimited calling without a credit check or contract for $80 per month – with the unlimited texting option, unlimited usage of Net10 Mobile Web and unlimited calls to directory assistance. Virgin Mobile USA allows customers to add unlimited texting for an additional $10 per month.
William Ho, analyst at Current Analysis, said in a report that, although Net10 isn’t quite as well known as the Virgin Mobile USA brand, launching this plan is good way for Tracfone to draw in higher-value customers and possibly improve its low, $11 average revenue per user.