Wireless start-up targets Hispanic market

Wireless service provider Movida on Tuesday announced that it has teamed with Sprint and Wal-Mart Stores to market services targeted at Hispanic communities in the United States.

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Movida said it would use Sprint's nationwide network to offer wireless voice and data services.

It will sell branded handsets and prepaid service cards through Wal-Mart and other retailers in the first half of 2005.

In addition, Movida has linked up with the Cisneros Group, which specializes in Hispanic content and has investments in Univision Communications and AOL Latin America.

Movida said features and services that are culturally and geographically relevant to Hispanic consumers will be offered. Services will be primarily in Spanish, the company said.

Movida has positioned itself as a mobile virtual network operator, offering pay-as-you-go wireless communications services. Such operators sell cellular service without actually owning a network to carry the calls. They resell calling minutes bought from carriers like Sprint.

The U.S. Hispanic population, currently about 40 million, is projected to grow to represent 17 percent of the domestic population by 2010, Movida said. In addition, over 90 percent of Latin American wireless business comes from pay-as-you-go type services, the company said.

"Movida is about understanding Hispanic consumers and offering them products and services that help them stay connected--both with their friends and family, as well as their culture," Movida's president, Anthony Montoya, said in a statement.

[kcir001]

movida-wal mart

i bought a movida phone at a wal-mart in san antonio, texas, and i was told it was only 10 cents a minute. i got this on a promotion, and was given $25 to start and then i bought a $30 card for a total of $55. i use the phone for 3 days, and could not understand why $25 was already used, when nights and weekends were free. i called the call center, and they told me it was 25 cents per minute, but no where on their brochure does it say about it being 25 cents per minute. i have filed a complaint with the bbb, and the federal trade commission. do not buy this phone or this service, you will have nothing but problems. if you want to know more, contact me at my email address: [e-mail]

[kcir001]

movida-wal mart

i bought a movida phone at a wal-mart in san antonio, texas, and i was told it was only 10 cents a minute. i got this on a promotion, and was given $25 to start and then i bought a $30 card for a total of $55. i use the phone for 3 days, and could not understand why $25 was already used, when nights and weekends were free. i called the call center, and they told me it was 25 cents per minute, but no where on their brochure does it say about it being 25 cents per minute. i have filed a complaint with the bbb, and the federal trade commission. do not buy this phone or this service, you will have nothing but problems. if you want to know more, contact me at my email address: [e-mail]

[rb44]

I wish I had read this before today

I just bid on a Movida phone at ebay
and I'm the highest bidder. Now I wish
I hadn't done it.
I've already been misled by wireless carriers
several times and the last one, net 10 had
me believeing that my airtime lasted for
60 days so I bought an additional card and
now they say that I had to wait until the
last day to buy it or the airtime wouldn't
move up. They wiped out my prepaid minutes
and left me with nothing but a phone that
doesn't work until I buy ANOTHER airtime
card. That really sucks.