how will PP respond to new Verizon offering on ST/NET10

**sjv** · 05-09-2012, 02:31 PM

StraightTalk has been offering unlimited talk/text/web for $45 and NET10 for $50 for some time now on ATT and TMO. The higher priced PagePlus premium plan, the 55, includes 1GB of data. The PP proponents have maintained that the price is justified because of the Verizon network it comes with and that argument has held merit in markets where the alternatives (ATT, TMO, Sprint) are weak.

But now ST and NET10 are introducing a Verizon plan for the same price with a specific phone, the Samsung Galaxy Proclaim, for the same $45 and $50 respectively. This takes away that one big trump card that PP always held, the Verizon network, as its advantage over the prepaid competition.

Do you think PP will respond and if so how?

**billm261** · 05-09-2012, 02:36 PM

They won't.

It's not up to Page Plus to respond really as their hands are tied, it's up to Verizon.

ST has a terrible reputation for data policies and I don't think you can bring a Verizon CDMA phone to ST like you can on PP.

**sjv** · 05-10-2012, 08:25 AM

There is a forum for ST and participating folks there are generally happy with their service. There are some threads from people that have been issued warnings on the ATT network for excessive data usage but none for TMO and the amount exceeds what PP customers are used to so its a non-issue here. It remains to be seen whether the VZW customers will get similar warnings but speculation is that the cutoff will be at 4GB but that has not been substantiated and I somehow doubt it will be that high.

Market pressure dictates response, not Verizon. If ST is able to offer unlimited data at $45 then PP needs to rethink their business model if they can't answer the bell.

**TheMountainMan** · 05-10-2012, 10:37 AM

Wow, great news to hear! Unless PP comes out with a whole lot lower data pricing for the standard plans soon, I will be switching. While I can get by on PP by using wifi where I can find it, and not using much 3g data, I do it out of necessity, not because I want to. It would be nice to be able to keep my phone's 3g data enabled so I can get weather updates, gmail etc, and not have to worry if I left my data turned on and sucking up my balance.

**zapjb** · 05-10-2012, 07:14 PM

ST needs government regulation after all the nasty ways they treat customers. IE stealing #s disconnecting accts with $ bal & not refunding. On & on & on. Only gripes I have with PPC are hour & a half dead time every refill date even though PIN is stacked & slow data speed.

**whacker** · 05-10-2012, 11:59 PM

Looking at what ST currently offers for $45, it'd be reasonable to assume you'll get around 2 GB of data on their VZW side, which is twice what PPC's "The 55" offers. The only (on paper) downside is no BYOD.

**zapjb** · 05-11-2012, 12:28 AM

I just read ST might up the data to 4GB for this VZW MVNO phone package.
http://www.prepaidreviews.com/blog/s...377/#more-4642
ST just scares the piss out of me. They can be draconian. But 4GB if true for $45, wow.

**fonezfonz** · 05-11-2012, 02:13 AM

Page Plus? They're responding ALL of the time by constantly evolving their plans and rates. I think aside from the Att mvnos, they've changed /improved their rates more often then any other major prepaid carrier out there in the last two years.

PPC has nothing to worry about from ST. The only thing is I hope Tracfone doesn't try to buy them too...

**Conan Edogawa** · 05-11-2012, 04:25 AM

Seeing how I saw this offer being mentioned in a deals forum and getting zero interest, I would say that Page Plus has little to be concern of at this time.

**fonezfonz** · 05-11-2012, 04:29 AM

Originally Posted by Conan Edogawa

Seeing how I saw this offer being mentioned in a deals forum and getting zero interest, I would say that Page Plus has little to be concern of at this time.

Page Plus has byod. ST Verizon cdma does not. Pretty much a no brainer.

**whacker** · 05-11-2012, 01:08 PM

So depending on how snazzy (or not) the Android phone ST offers for the VZW side, you think the dealbreaker is whether you can fiddle around with phone-switching, when you could be getting at least twice as much data for $120/yr. less? Hmmm.... This one might do with a poll.

**pattyrn** · 05-11-2012, 05:20 PM

It will be some slow rev 0 phone at 600 megahertz and little ram. Might be all you can eat but 1 slow bite at a time.

**mooneyb1** · 05-11-2012, 05:26 PM

Originally Posted by pattyrn

It will be some slow rev 0 phone at 600 megahertz and little ram. Might be all you can eat but 1 slow bite at a time.

Its the Samsung Galaxy Proclaim. It has a 1ghz processor, 512 mb of ram, and runs on rev A.
Its not a real up to date phone but it will get the job done.

**deathcab** · 05-11-2012, 10:57 PM

If ST pulls in BYOD like they have with the AT&T phones, then this will be the game changer and likely change the landscape.

If they stick with just the one phone it is still a huge deal but won't change things that quickly as many non-android users are not willing to switch OS at the moment.

Either way, it looks very promising for now. I hope they can pull in full BYOD and, even more importantly, I hope PP can respond with a similar plan.

**TheMountainMan** · 05-12-2012, 09:17 AM

With or without BYOD, $45 for unlimited everything is a much better deal than the 55 is currently, and at least by buying a supported phone you get tech support if problems occur.

This offering from ST has already made me change my plans, as I was planning to buy an INC 2 this summer, but decided it would be more cost effective to save that money for a new ST Android phone. Hopefully PP will not wait too long to counter ST/Net10's offering, as I feel that people who purchase a new phone with a new provider won't be too quick to drop the new provider.