Sprint prepaid brand Boost Mobile service linked exclusively to Sprint LTE network
Sprint continues to bolster the capabilities of its prepaid brands, which have been a significant part of the carrier’s recent growth.
The latest move sees its Boost Mobile brand launch its first mobile hot spot offering that includes 1.5 gigabytes of data for $25 per month or 10 GB for $50 per month. The service is launching with the NetGear Fuse mobile hot spot device, compatible exclusively with Sprint’s LTE network, which the carrier claims reaches 287 million potential customers.
The device does limit video streaming to “3G” speeds, which is said to be around 600 megabits per second, and there is no overage capabilities as service for the month ends once a customer’s data limit is reached. Sprint noted late last month that it had removed the video-streaming limitation on its branded postpaid service, but continues to maintain the caps on its prepaid brands.
The NetGear itself is able to support up to 10 Wi-Fi devices, includes a 2,500 mAh battery with a claimed 10 hours of battery life, and a 1.77-inch LCD screen showing battery life, network connectivity and data usage. The device is selling for $50 without a contract, and is available today at big-box retailer Best Buy, later this week via the Boost Mobile website and next month at Boost retail locations.
Sprint’s Virgin Mobile USA brand offers a similar NetGear mobile hot spot for $50 that offers access to Sprint’s LTE and legacy CDMA-based 3G network. The Virgin Mobile USA plans begin at $5 per day for 250 megabytes of data, include the same $25 plan available through Boost, and tops out at $55 per month for 6 GB of data.
Sprint’s direct prepaid channels, which include Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile USA, Sprint Prepaid and Assurance Wireless, accounted for nearly half of the carrier’s net connection additions for its last quarter. The carrier noted its Boost Mobile operations were a significant driver of that prepaid growth, but added that it expects prepaid growth to slow in the current quarter due to recertification of Assurance Wireless customers and seasonality.
Sprint last month moved its “Cut Your Bill in Half” promotion to Boost, announcing a limited time promotion targeting rivals Cricket and MetroPCS, owned by AT&T Mobility and T-Mobile US, respectively. The “Slash Your Payment in Half” offer, which is set to run through July 20, claims current Cricket and MetroPCS customers porting their number to Boost will be provided with similar features at half the price for one year.
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