MetroPCS offers $5 unlimited international calling

Regional prepaid cell phone carrier MetroPCS announced Wednesday a new plan that allows its customers to make unlimited international calls to over 100 different countries for only $5 extra a month.

To be eligible for the $5 unlimited international calling plan, users must already be signed up to an unlimited national calling plan that costs $40, $45, or $50 a month. Making international phone calls from a cell phone has typically been rather expensive with major carriers such as AT&T and Verizon Wireless.

For example, AT&T offers its WorldConnect service for $3.99 extra a month, which gives subscribers lower rates on international calls. This means that a call to France still costs 22 cents a minute even with the $3.99 a month WorldConnect plan. By contrast a call to France using MetroPCS' new $5 unlimited international plan is free.

MetroPCS mainly competes against other prepaid services such as Sprint Nextel's Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile USA. But recently as the economy has tanked, it has been stealing some customers from traditional carriers. With its unlimited plans and an expanding network, MetroPCS offers mainstream cell phone users an alternative to expensive contract services from the big carriers.

And now for people who make calls to friends and family in other countries, MetroPCS offers an even more compelling reason to switch to its service. Of course, the main drawback of the service is coverage. Even though MetroPCS is expanding its network to cities such as New York and Boston, its footprint is still relatively small compared to the major carriers. Most of the areas it covers are near major cities. But for customers in the MetroPCS markets who don't leave those markets very often, it offers a good deal compared to the post-paid, contract plans of the major carriers.

One other potential drawback is that MetroPCS, like other prepaid operators, doesn't offer the latest and greatest phones. That said, it does offer the BlackBerry Curve.

[monkeyfun14]

They get you when it comes to purchasing a phone but overall they have the best prices in the industry.

If only they had more coverage they would be a Sprint , AT&T , Verizon , T-Mobile killer.

[Dalmatian28]

I think that they are already working on that! It is hard for them to expend quickly because their profit margins are not as high as Verizon or AT&T. Also, their phones are so expensive because they don't make you sign any contracts. I actually like it that way! You pay one time and you are OK after that! With other companies....they "bend you over" every month for two years plus all those ridicules prices for data and text messages. I love Metro PCS...just wish there are more companies that have same business model!

[plarsen111]

Of course, you could just pick up a phone on Craigslist too, and then take it on in and become a Metro PCS customer. This is what I do for AT&T too. My wife and I both have iPhone-no two year contract, and we don't pay for internet. You just need to not go in the store and buy their phone...anywhere.

[markdoiron]

On the cNet front page: "For $5 more a month, MetroPCS customers can call over 100 countries from their mobile phone for free."

Shouldn't that just read: "For $5 more a month, MetroPCS customers can call over 100 countries from their mobile phone."?

--mark d.

[cary1]

Well she is being more accurate. For example, in case of AT&T it would be: "For $3.99 more a month, AT&T customers can call France from their mobile phone at 22 cents a minute.

[markdoiron]

Sorry, but whoever wrote that is not being more accurate. It's ludicrous to say, "If you pay me $5, I'll give you something for free." -mark d.

[sreid01]

Metro PCS is the most reasonable for the average phone user but is being ignored. They have the same benefits for less. They'll increase their numbers before long because people are going to finally realize they can't afford their $150 per month phone bills. <a href="http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=1711527" >Listen To Cds Before Buying</a>

[sjsobol]

No. To be 100% accurate: "For $5 more a month, MetroPCS customers can call over 100 countries from their mobile phone, with no per-minute charges."

[Tatum_Hawkins]

How about this? "For $5 more a month, you can only call wireless phone numbers in 18 of the countries on this plan, and Mexico isn't even one of them, so you should plan on calling landline-only numbers for the other 82." And if you?re roaming in Cricket territory you should plan on paying an extra $0.19/minute. Read the fine print ... smells like BS to me.

- Tatum Hawkins, Boost Mobile

[chonnom]

Smells like you don't offer anything remotely similar to me....

[stevicus]

Perhaps you would like to suggest a means for include wireless numbers in countries (the other 82) were the the call recipient does not pay for airtime? Other than the US provider paying for the airtime of the person receiving the call in say... just about everywhere else in the world, there is no way to include most international cell numbers.

Get over it.

[Galinko]

Yeah, Boost offers NO INTERNATIONAL TEXT MESSAGING, and Walkie TAlkie to 6 countries. Real powerful stuff Tatum.

[wirelessdavid]

Tatum,,, your not correct.. the cricket markets are unlimited.. 19c is the non metro or cricket markets on the 45 plan...... and the international long distance works from the metro cities. no charge other then the 5.00 per month to call 100 countries, land lines... some cell phones.. the list is growing... another metro first.

[JerryRiggg]

Hooray for MetroPCS. The lines are being drawn in the sand, the bar has been raised and the major carriers' international plans are a joke. I need a world phone so I can make calls back to the US when I'm in England but until I can get the phone I want from the carrier I use I'm going to get a MetroPCS account just to make international calls from the US.

[Chibiabos]

The article and its headline are incongruent.

If someone tells me I can make unlimited international calls for $5/month, that means I should be able to pay $5/month and get unlimited international calls. Having to fork over $40/month first makes that headline (and similar scamvertisement claims) patently false, that you have to have a 2-year contract more so -- you then have to pay ( $40 x 24 months = $960 ) + ($5 x 24 months = $120) = $1080.

Again, if it were truly $5/month, you should be able to pay $5 and get one month of unlimited international calling and pay $5 with no other obligations, period.

[monkeyfun14]

Find me another major carrier that offers unlimited everything for $40 a month and will let you add international to that for $5 extra.

[atish505]

There is NO CONTRACT with Metro PCS. Ur 2 year cost computation is waste.
It is THE BEST PLAN regardless of how you see it.

[wilsonckm]

Metro-PCS is a Post-Paid service too. They are not exclusive pre-paid.

[atish505]

Yes, true, and they have reasonable coverage in Bay Area, Sacramento, Dallas, Atlanta, Miami and so so coverage in LA.

[JV42]

Yes, but if you plan to leave the Bay Area, Sacramento, Dallas, Atlanta, Miami or even LA, and you want to make a call then you should expect to pay for it (at least $0.19/min) if coverage even extends that far beyond the city limits.

[PrepaidWirelessGuy]

Small print notwithstanding, it's a good deal; better than anything out there now. And yes, it's an add-on; perhaps the title should explain that, however, it's not uncommon to communicate it in this way. You need to have service first, then you can add on these types of things. I don't think that's misleading, though could be clarified I supposed.

www.prepaid-wireless-guide.com

[Poshie232]

The problem with this plan from MetroPCS is that you have to have an expensive plan to begin with. I have a simple Tracfone which costs me a total of $12 per month, I can make long distance and international calls to over 100 country's for the same price as a local call. Roaming is free, the reception is great all over America and there are no hidden costs. If you, like me, make lots of international calls then I suggest Trafone and you won?t get any nasty bills at the end of the month.

[Galinko]

Poshie - Expensive? Why are you misleading customers? Tracfone is 0.20 cents a minute (www.tracfone.com) is the source. People find out about lies. MetroPCS is charging 0.00012 a minute to MANY MANY COUNTRIES... INDIA, RUSSIA, KOREA....CHINA, TAIWAN... DOMINICAN REPUBLIC!

[thompsonnse]

pls add nigeria to the list

[sanjayreddy24]

ha ha.. Nigeria?????????

please add nigeria to the list.. so that those scammers can send faxes/ e-mails/ get ur bank accounts/ rip off ur money.. and still keep in touch with you over the phone ha ha..

[thompsonnse]

nigeria too

[TelecomAssociation]

For those of you familiar with the "free (or really cheap) international calls from a mobile phone" competitive plans, how would you compare the MetroPCS plan to the new one offered by www.TotalCallMobile.com that offers "free" calls to over 250 int'l destinations including many in Mexico?

I'm writing a review on this at http://bit.ly/8YdoA and would love to quote any of you who offer an informed opinion.

TotalCall is a paid TA vendor member of www.TelecomAssociation.com. We're trying to help TotalCall get the word out about their new "free international" plan but we also want to give our 3,500 members an honest comparison of how the TotalCall Mobile "free international" plan stacks up against any credible competition.

I'm not an expert so I'm trying to learn from you all.

Thanks for your time,

Dan Baldwin
951-245-6877

[nivas01]

OH MY GOD ! Dont get trapped by Attractive rates.
Never ever get this connection.Its a big risk. They change the call charges and plans at will without informing the customers . And They have the rudest Customer service guys i ever seen.
I took the connection for the sake of unlimited international calling . one fine day they excluded all my calling countries from this plan - (note..) Without any announcement. suddenly one evening i cudnt call the numnbers i called on afternoon the same day. When i enquired the CS , They simpley replied "U cudn't have called these numbers in the past!" . I got first heart attack, and drew almost a fight with that guy.
I called second time to escalate this , but i found that my number has been changed to INVALID after first fight. GREAT GUYS. The same number from which i am calling has been set to invalid in the CS databases. Awesome.
Well am a coward . I confess. I should have called them for legal battle. But I dont have the guts. So posting it here.

note: I waited 25 mins on hold to speak to the supervisor but he never appeared.