Pocket plans nationwide roaming

Pocket Communications, a regional flat-rate carrier in Texas, said it will soon begin offering national roaming.
Pocket said that as of April 1, all of its phones will be able to roam “through an agreement with one of the nation’s largest wireless service providers.” A Pocket representative could not immediately be reached for additional carrier information, and coverage maps are not yet available on Pocket’s Web site. The roaming will be charged on a per-minute basis, although the carrier did not disclose pricing.
Fellow flat-rate service providers Leap Wireless International Inc. and MetroPCS Communications Inc. offer roaming through an agreement with Verizon Wireless.
Pocket serves southern Texas markets including the San Antonio area and Laredo, and plans to expand into the Rio Grande Valley this summer.
Pocket’s flat-rate pricing plans start at $28 per month, and it says that it recently surpassed 100,000 customers fewer than nine months after launching service. Pocket also claims that it “sells more cellphones in the highly competitive San Antonio market than any other wireless carrier.” Pocket’s entrance into the market prompted Leap Wireless International Inc. to institute a $25 per month plan in some Texas markets to undercut Pocket’s offering.