T-Mobile announced some major changes to its ‘Un-carrier’ smartphone plans last night. In addition to unlimited texting and data here in the US, the provider is now offering free unlimited texting and 2G data in 100 major countries.
“There’s just so many pieces of data that suggest to us this is a huge issue and pain point,” says T-Mobile CEO John Legere. Legere notes that over 40% of customers turn off their phones while overseas in an effort to avoid high charges…
Here’s AllThingsD:
“Under T-Mobile’s new plans, which don’t carry an extra fee, T-Mobile offers unlimited 2G data and texting in 100 countries, with voice calls in those same places costing 20 cents per minute.
The company is also introducing a plan for those calling overseas from the U.S. For $10 a month, T-Mobile guarantees that calling to many countries will cost no more than 20 cents per minute, even when calling a mobile phone. Landline calls are free in 70 countries, while unlimited texting to more than 200 countries is also included.
“I think it’s a tipping point in the ‘un-carrier’ proposition,” Legere said.”
This is just the latest in a series of surprising moves from the country’s fourth largest wireless provider. Earlier this year, Legere and company changed the game when they announced their new ‘Jump’ early device upgrade program.
The new international features require that customers return to the US at least once every six weeks, and six weeks out of every three months must be spent in the country. And they’ll be available to postpaid customers starting October 31st.