Sprint MVNO brings LTE to pre-pay market

Customers in the US now have more options for LTE services as Sprint’s MVNO Boost Mobile brand has unveiled two LTE handsets available on pre-pay.

The two handsets are the HTC One SV and the Boost Force, a Boost Mobile-branded Android handset. Customers buy the phones outright and are then required to pay up front for a non-contract service plan that costs $55/month and provides unlimited LTE internet access, texts and voice.

In an interesting pricing twist, for every six on-time payments, the cost of the Boost Mobile Android Monthly Unlimited plan shrinks by $5, and will come down to a limit of $40.

Sprint now offers LTE in 50 markets, though it is still considerably behind leaders Verizon, which boasts LTE in 480 markets and AT&T which has reached 147. HTC One SV and Boost Force will both be available starting March 7 at Boost Mobile’s online store, retail stores, and independent dealers.

Commenting on the move, Ovum analyst Sara Kaufman said: “Sprint is not the first operator to offer prepaid LTE in the US as MetroPCS has had LTE available on a no-contract basis since November 2010. However, unlike MetroPCS and other operators, which still regard LTE as a premium service, Sprint’s approach reinforces the idea that the LTE proposition is about cost savings rather than revenue generation.

“Sprint’s new LTE offering creates a new differentiator that will complement its unlimited data offering. It will also provide customers with more prepaid services and device choices in a market where tier-1 carriers still tend to save the best devices and services for their postpaid customers.”

The LTE North America conference is taking place on the 20^th-21^st November 2013, in Dallas, Texas, USA. Click here NOW to download a brochure for the event.