MetroPCS to continue on as a nationwide prepaid brand
GoSmart Mobile, which is T-Mobile's latest nationwide prepaid brand, is confirmed to be sticking around even as the merger with MetroPCS comes to a close this year. The brand, which is completely owned by T-Mobile but operated as an independent carrier, just launched nationwide in February and caters to a price-sensitive crowd with $45, $35 and $30 tiers that offer unlimited talk, text and either 2G or 3G data service. With the MetroPCS merger now confirmed, T-Mobile plans to keep that brand around as a nationwide prepaid carrier as well -- which would make sense considering the brand equity it has.
Because both MetroPCS and GoSmart will continue operating concurrently, we would expect the carriers to both hit different price points and service levels. Given the pricing structure of GoSmart, we expect the MetroPCS brand to slot in above it with higher prices and more options. This is not unlike the strategy of Sprint, which operates its self-branded postpaid services separate from Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile, which are completely owned prepaid subsidiaries.
Source: FierceWireless
