Sprint targets rivals with rollout of Open World international roaming package
Sprint officially announced a new international roaming service that takes aim at recent updates offered by rivals T-Mobile US, AT&T Mobility and Verizon Wireless. Leaks surfaced last week of the new offering.
The Sprint Open World service includes various roaming services in 34 countries, with the biggest hook being free access to 1 gigabyte of 3G data for customers traveling in Mexico, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and Paraguay. Those customers also receive unlimited voice calling and text messaging in those countries. After the 1 GB of 3G data is used, customers can purchase additional gigabytes for $30, which is billed in kilobyte increments.
Sprint is also providing free voice calls and text messages from its network in the U.S. to Canada and Mexico, with rates beginning at 5 cents per minute to the other Latin America locations.
For customers roaming into the remaining countries, they will have access to free text messaging, voice calls billed at 20 cents per minute and can purchase 3G data access at $30 per GB. Those countries include Australia, the Canary Islands, Denmark, England, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Palestinian Territories, Russia, San Marino, Scotland, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Vatican City and Wales.
Sprint continues to offer its previously launched and enhanced international roaming plans – now under the Sprint Global Roaming brand – that includes free text messaging, voice calls billed at 20 cents per minute and unlimited 2G data access across a handful of countries. That free plan also allows customers to add 3G data access billed at $15 for 100 megabytes for one day; $25 for access to 200 MB over a one-week period; and $50 for access to 500 MB over a 14-day period.
Sprint’s latest offer looks to counter T-Mobile US’ “Mobile without Borders,” which launched last month offering the carrier’s prepaid and postpaid customers free voice calling, text messaging and unlimited LTE-based data services when roaming in Canada and Mexico. The service is free for most of the carrier’s rate plans, or a $10 per month fee on nonqualifying plans.
T-Mobile US also continues to offer postpaid customers unlimited text messaging, access to low-speed data and calling at 20 cents per minute across more than 120 countries for no additional charge. That plan also allowed customers to tag on higher-speed data access buckets at 3G or LTE speeds beginning at $15.
T-Mobile US’ Mobile without Borders launch came on the heels of AT&T closing on a pair of acquisitions of Mexico carriers that totaled $4.4 billion, and promises of an additional $3 billion in investments. AT&T said it plans to introduce new rate plans that allow Mexico customers to use their individual plans while traveling in the U.S., and builds on previous statements offering what it’s calling the first-ever North American mobile service area tapping into its own U.S.-based network and newly acquired assets. AT&T said the combined networks would cover more than 400 million potential customers.
Verizon Wireless last month updated its international roaming options with a new plan that for $5 per month allows customers to call Mexico and Canada for no additional per-minute fees, with calling minutes deducted from their current plans. The offer is also available to its branded prepaid customers. Customers traveling to Canada and Mexico receive 500 calling minutes, 500 sent text messages and unlimited received text messages, and 1 GB of data for $25 per line. Customers can purchase additional data for $20 per 1 GB.
The carrier is also continuing to offer a pay-as-you-go roaming option that is priced at 99 cents per minute for calls and $2.05 per megabyte for data access. Verizon Wireless pricing for roaming to 140 additional countries remains at $40 per line for 100 calling minutes, 100 sent text messages and unlimited received text messages. Customers can also add 100 MB of data for $25.
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