How will Virgin Mobile compete with MetroPCS and Cricket, each now offering unlimited local and long distance in metro areas in 20 states?

Granted, these services each deploy their own infrastructure and limit roaming*.

However, Boost Mobile, which traditionally has offered pay-as-you-go voice and PTT on Sprint Nextel's iDEN network, is now offering unlimited local and long distance in select metro areas on Sprint's CDMA network.

I think Amp'D mobile and XE was the beginning of a natural correction/ consolidation for the pay-as-you wireless field.

While Virgin Mobile was a pioneer of the pay-as-you-go model and continues to innovate on content, it needs to catch up on the price end.

Perhaps they've been too distracted by the IPO (and subsequent lawsuits) to (a) launch a holiday marketing campaign or (b) visit their competitors websites to see what they're charging.

Hayden

* Roaming on MetroPCS is $.49 - $.79 per minute. Cricket customers can upgrade to plans with nationwide roaming for an extra $5 - $10 per
month. Roaming on Boost Mobile is $.15 per minute.