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Sprint offers cheaper unlimited phone plan to lure in baby boomers

Are you 55 or older? Sprint has a new plan just for you.

Marguerite Reardon Former senior reporter
Marguerite Reardon started as a CNET News reporter in 2004, covering cellphone services, broadband, citywide Wi-Fi, the Net neutrality debate and the consolidation of the phone companies.
Marguerite Reardon
2 min read

Baby boomers can get a break on Sprint's unlimited phone service.

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Sprint is offering people 55 and older cheaper unlimited plans. 

Josh Miller/CNET

Starting Friday, anyone 55 or older can sign up for Sprint's new Unlimited 55+ plan. Those who qualify will be able to get a single line for $50 a month or two lines for $70.

The 55+ plan, announced Friday, includes all the perks of Sprint's regular unlimited plan, which is regularly priced at $65 for a single line and $100 for two lines. This includes unlimited talk, text and data, along with mobile hotspot service, which is limited to 3G speeds, and international texting and data, which is limited to 2G speeds.  

The deal is similar to the Unlimited 55+ plan that T-Mobile introduced last summer. The pricing is the same as that for Sprint's new plan.  

Programs that target boomers and their elders are a departure from wireless promotions that typically tend to focus on attracting younger customers and families. It's another sign of how competitive the wireless market has gotten. Wireless operators are doing all they can to get consumers to switch.

This ultracompetitive market is why T-Mobile and Sprint say they want to merge. But regulators could put the kibosh on their proposed $26 billion deal since competition has helped drive down prices and forced wireless providers, including Verizon and AT&T, to create more consumer-friendly plans and offers.

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