So click on over to hear the Prepaid Podcast.

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss any future episodes. You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

Highlights include:

Alex Besen, MVNO guru, has said many times that the US wireless industry just isn’t ready for MVNOs. Why? Because there isn’t, or at least wasn’t, 100 percent penetration. The big carriers could continue to focus on the big picture and make big gains, because there were still people new to wireless. Those new adds fuel heavy growth.

But what happens when nearly everyone who is going to have a cell phone already has one? Strategies change from a pure acquisition standpoint to acquisition from other carriers. MVNOs and niche-based prepaid carriers have an advantage here, as they can focus their marketing efforts to bring people from other carriers. This is what’s happening now. The U.S. wireless penetration rate isn’t quite 100 percent, but it’s effectively 100 percent. Look for these niche markets to capitalize on those unsatisfied with their traditional postpaid service.

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

Prepaid Podcast, June 2009 - Episode 9

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

Prepaid Podcast, June 2009 - Episode 9

So click on over to hear the Prepaid Podcast.

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss any future episodes. You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

Highlights include:

First up is talk of how popular these plans have become in recent months. Among the three major providers mentioned, we’ve seen a little shy of 2 million subscribers sign up during the first quarter. More than that, really, since that’s the net gain. More signed up, but because prepaid by nature carries a high turnover rate the net gain is just under 2 million. The question, of course, is of whether this trend can sustain itself through the typically slow second and third quarters.

Then we move to the focus of many of these companies. For the most part, MetroPCS and Cricket are marketing their plans as landline replacements. Metro went as far so to offer a home phone simulating service, which allows you to have one central number which will ring all phones in the family. This helps keep the number private, but also allows everyone in the family to access it, even when not home. So if executed properly it’s not just a landline replacement, but a landline enhancer.

Finally, we hit on Virgin Mobile, which has reduced its prepaid unlimited plan to $50 per month, but can’t compete with the messaging and Web features offered by its competitors. Is it going to be enough? They do operate on a nationwide CDMA network, which its competitors do not. Can they offer the same services for roughly $20 more per month and see similar results? We might not get a good idea until the fourth quarter, which is the next big quarter for the cellular industry.

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

Prepaid Podcast, May 2009 - Episode 8

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

Prepaid Podcast, May 2009 - Episode 8

So click on over to hear the Prepaid Podcast.

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss any future episodes. You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

Highlights include:

We talk unlimited with Lindsay, and he answers a number of questions about what Boost was thinking with this plan. We get into the issue of their now-defunct Premium plans, and whether there’s a chance we could see one or two of them pop up at a lower price point than the $50 plan.

We also jabber a bit about handsets and what we can expect to see in the future from Boost. I played with the Motorola i9, which was superb. It’s a bit big, but considering all the features I consider it worth it.

Finally, we get into some demographic issues, and what Boost has in store for its customer service operations.

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

Prepaid Podcast: February 2009 - Episode 7

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

Prepaid Podcast: February 2009 - Episode 7

So click on over to hear the Prepaid Podcast (22 min, 24 sec).

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss any future episodes. You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

Highlights include:

We know there are plenty of myths about prepaid wireless. Many people think that it costs more per minute. That’s not exactly true. There are some situations where you can get a better per-minute value from postpaid, but if you’re budgeting and watching your usage, you can get much more value out of prepaid.

I also discuss the rough pricing model of the postpaid wireless industry. The idea is that while your phone is subsidized, you’re not really receiving a discount. The wireless carriers make up for the loss on the phone with service costs, meaning you’re paying them back by paying more per month than you could be. Prepaid takes that out of the equation. You’re only paying for minutes you use.

There’s plenty more, so make sure to check it out. Email me (editor prepaidreviews com) or leave a comment.

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

Prepaid Podcast: January 2009 - Episode 6

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

Prepaid Podcast: January 2009 - Episode 6

So click on over to hear the Prepaid Podcast (34 min, 50 sec).

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss any future episodes. You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

Highlights include:

As they announced over the summer, kajeet is migrating their sales strategy from the physical retail space to cyberspace. This, they think, will help them boost sales while controlling costs. Plus, as Neal says, their customers are mostly web-savvy as it is. In the time between the interview and now, kajeet announced it will be distributed through Amazon.com, a big coup for them in their quest for greater online distribution.

On the Boost end, I talk with Votava about the goings on at Boost. There has been speculation as to Sprint’s sale of the iDEN network, though it appears that won’t happen, at least not in the near future. In fact, Boost should be migrating completely to the iDEN network, ditching the CDMA spectrum they used for Boost Unlimited.

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

Prepaid Podcast: December 2008 - Episode 5

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

Prepaid Podcast: December 2008 - Episode 5

So click on over to hear the Prepaid Podcast (34 min, 50 sec).

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss any future episodes. You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

Highlights include:

While the handsets cover the bulk of the show, we get into the Virgin-Helio merger, and how Virgin can best implement its new customers and new technology.

Tracfone and its subsidiary Net10 are some of the biggest names in prepaid. We talk about their network coverage, and how they get a better deal on GSM than CDMA. Ian touches on their handset lineups, which are far outdated on the CDMA side. They have added the Motorola W376g, their first handset with Bluetooth, and certainly the best handset they’ve offered yet.

Ian’s favorite overall handset lineup: Virgin Mobile.

Basically, if you want to get up to date on the state of prepaid phones, you’d do well to give it a listen.

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

Prepaid Podcast: July 23, 2008 - Episode 4

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

Prepaid Podcast: July 23, 2008 - Episode 4

So click on over to hear the Prepaid Podcast (25 min, 44 sec).

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss any future episodes. You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

Highlights include:

We’ve been hearing a rumor about Helio’s demise, which plays well with the Virgin merger rumors. Folks from Helio are vehemently denying this one, which is sometimes a sign of an impending deal. We can do little more than speculate on this one, though it has been rumored for over a month.

Speaking of Virgin, I sit down to talk with Jayne Wallace, vice president of corporate communications at Virgin Mobile USA. We chat a bit about Virgin’s success, their appeal to certain demographics, and their plans going forward.

U.S. Cellular has been doing some good lately. We give them a shout-out for providing free calls to Iowa flood victims and their families, and for holding safety programs to teach kids proper cell phone usage.

And finally, I sit down with Alex Besen, MVNO guro, to talk about the state of the industry in the U.S. We discuss the rates of saturation in the U.S. and abroad, and discuss why MVNOs are going to be integral in the U.S. once we approach the 100 percent saturation mark.

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

Prepaid Podcast: June 24, 2008 - Episode 3

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

Prepaid Podcast: June 24, 2008 - Episode 3

So click on over to hear the Prepaid Podcast (28 min, 41 sec).

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss any future episodes. You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

Highlights include:

We open up with the Virgin-Helio rumors. Many people have talked about there being little incentive for Virgin here, but I discuss the ways Virgin can benefit from a merger. Once again, if this is going to happen, it might take a while.

Moving along the MVNO discussion, I speak with Gene Retske, editor of the Prepaid Press. He talks about past trends in the telecommunications industry, and how they sort of parallel the MVNO situation.

Then to the topic of restrictions on the purchase of prepaid phones. Congress is looking into the matter, citing their untraceable nature as a boon to drug dealers. Some states are considering an ID mandatory to purchase a prepaid phone.

Yet there’s another aspect, too. I talk with Jim Baldinger, attorney for Tracfone, about prepaid phone trafficking. The idea is that traffickers buy cheap, subsidized phones, unlock them, and then sell them as new. It’s not only hurting the cell companies, it’s doing damage to the consumers.

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

Prepaid Podcast: May 21, 2008 - Episode 2

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

Prepaid Podcast: May 21, 2008 - Episode 2

So click on over to hear the Prepaid Podcast (23 min, 34 sec).

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss any future episodes.

You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes as well.

Highlights include:

A discussion of T-Mobile’s FlexPay plan, which mimics their traditional postpaid plans, but on a prepaid basis. It’s an alternative for people who talk too much for pay-as-you-go, but who don’t want a stifling two-year contract.

Then we talk to Yassine from Page Plus. Ever year the term “funny money”? It might sound bad, but it’s a system they use at Page Plus to give the best value to their users. Just another reason they stay on top of the prepaid game.

Notice the line of falling MVNOs? There’s got to be a reason behind that, right? I take a walk through the land of the dead, and talk about possible reasons why they failed. Note: You can’t pack too many entities into one niche.

Finally, it’s time to talk prepaid data with Brad from Cricket. Think mobile broadband cards are only for people who travel with their laptops? Think again.

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

Prepaid Podcast: April 23, 2008 - Episode 1

This post originated at PrepaidReviews.com - The number one resource for NET 10 Prepaid information on the web!

Prepaid Podcast: April 23, 2008 - Episode 1