News
Metro by T-Mobile to launch next month with unlimited price plan that bundles Amazon Prime membership
T-Mobile US on Monday rebranded its MetroPCS unit to ‘Metro by T-Mobile’ and unveiled new price plans in a bid to improve the reputation of the prepaid segment in general.
As usual, T-Mobile has AT&T and Verizon firmly in its sights, drawing attention to the value offered by Metro as compared to the big two.
"Millions of hard-working people are struggling to get by yet feel stuck with AT&T and Verizon because they think prepaid wireless is sub-par. That’s outdated thinking," said T-Mobile US CEO John Legere, in a statement.
In the past, prepaid stood for uninspiring handsets, poor service and patchy coverage, but the situation has changed, T-Mobile insisted.
In 2013, Metro covered 103 million people; it now covers 323 million, or 99% of the U.S. population. T-Mobile pointed out that Metro’s retail footprint has grown from a handful of outlets in 15 cities to 10,000 locations, more than any other wireless brand. Where once its handset lineup was limited, it now includes iOS and Android smartphones at a range of price points, T-Mobile said.
When it comes to value for money, T-Mobile claimed that customers who sign up to a two-line plan from Metro can save as much as 45% compared to equivalent plans from AT&T and Verizon.
"Metro by T-Mobile customers aren’t making a compromise," Legere insisted.
To kick the rebrand off with a bang, T-Mobile unveiled two new unlimited tariffs, priced at $50 and $60 per month respectively. The $50 plan comes with 5GB of hotspot data and bundles access to Google One, the Internet giant’s premium cloud storage service.
The $60 plan comes with 15GB of hotspot data, and as well as Google One, also bundles Amazon Prime membership. It gives customers access to the e-commerce giant’s streaming services, as well as perks such as free same day delivery in more than 8,000 locations and free, 2-day shipping on more than 100 million items.
"Since the inception of Metro 16 years ago, we have always served the underserved. That hasn’t changed over the years, but the quality of our service sure has. And now, with Metro by T-Mobile, we’re starting a new phase to bring better value to more people than ever before," said Tom Keys, president of Metro by T-Mobile.
The new brand and price plans will roll out next month, T-Mobile said.
