CTIA: 3G is Like a Virgin (Mobile USA, That Is)

You know you have to click with a headline like that.

So Virgin Mobile USA is upgrading its portfolio with its first 3G handset − the Shuffle − which is a sleek slider with red accents that will work wherever it can find the Sprint-Nextel Corp. EV-DO network.

The phone’s accompanying data service is available only with prepaid billing despite the fact that Virgin picked up Helio a while back, a move designed to give the MVNO a postpaid play as well as access to enhanced applications. At Wednesday evening’s MobileFocus event at CTIA WIRELESS I.T. & Entertainment 2008, Virgin representatives explained to xchange that the integration of the two companies is ongoing, with postpaid service still only available to Helio customers. That postpaid service, incidentally, is an all-inclusive, $80-per-month plan.

Cross-company post- and prepaid offers will appear, likely next year, reps said.

RCR Wireless:  Virgin's first EV-DO phone marks entrance of new handset player

Share this article: Email, Slashdot, Digg, Del.icio.us, Yahoo!MyWeb, Windows Live Favorites, Furl
Add this article feed to: RSS, My Yahoo, Newsgator, Bloglines