AT&T to go nationwide with prepaid Aio Wireless service
The phone giant takes on T-Mobile in the no-contract market, announcing it will push its prepaid network throughout the U.S. in mid-September.
- Desiree's previous work has appeared in various print and online publications including Search Engine Land, PCWorld, Wired magazine and PBS MediaShift.
Aio has three plans to choose from, and they all include unlimited talk, text, and data. The service costs $40 to $70 a month, depending on the plan. New subscribers can get a free month of service if they sign up before September 29.
The announcement comes less than a week after smaller rival T-Mobile filed a lawsuit in federal court accusing Aio Wireless of trademark infringement over its use of the color magenta -- a shade of which happens to look a little too similar to its own traditional branding, according to T-Mobile.
T-Mobile accelerated its own no-contract strategy following its acquisition of MetroPCS, and AT&T appears eager to follow suit. Prepaid plans, which at one time appealed to lower-income consumers, now are drawing a wider swath of customers who are interested in more affordable options.