T-Mobile gives prepaid customers the 5G luxury

T-Mobile has become the first US telco to commit the 5G euphoria to its prepaid customers, alongside unlimited plans which will feature Amazon Prime and Google One.

Previously known as MetroPCS, the prepaid brand has been shortened to Metro, and is the first service to commit to 5G as a prepaid offering. Starting from $30 a month and heading up to $60, the various plans are data-centric, aiming to appeal to teenagers and millennials.

“When we talk about 5G for All, it’s not just nationwide 5G service but it’s all shades of T-Mobile, Magenta and Purple,” said Neville Ray, CTO at T-Mobile. “5G is going to be huge. It’ll transform the wireless experience. Metro by T-Mobile customers deserve access to the latest technology, and we’ll make sure they get it.”

The new offers will be available to customers as soon as 5G-capable phones hit the market in mid-2019, though that hasn’t stopped the Magenta Army from preaching the benefits today. Prepaid services are often viewed with an air of distaste, though committing to 5G services certainly adds to the blur between prepaid and postpaid.

The basic difference between prepaid and postpaid is simply the billing function, though postpaid are more attractive to the telcos due to the lower risk of churn. With this enforced loyalty, benefits have traditionally been directed towards this segment, i.e. subsidised devices or value-adds such as free subscriptions, though the landscape does seem to be shifting. Benefits are being offered irrelevant of whether a customer is prepaid or postpaid.

Customers of the top two tiers of these tariffs will receive a free Google One 100 GB cloud storage account, while those selecting the top-tier will also get an Amazon Prime subscription. The 5G commitment from T-Mobile US is just another example.

“I couldn’t be more proud of today’s launch and what it means for our customers and potential customers,” said Tom Keys, President, Metro by T-Mobile. “Truly nationwide and unlimited service on the most advanced LTE network and now with Amazon Prime and Google One. There’s not a better value in wireless. And with a commitment to bring 5G to life in 2019, we’re making it crystal clear: Metro by T-Mobile customers aren’t making a compromise. They’re refusing to make a compromise.”