Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, has entered the US mobile market with a low-priced mobile plan under its own brand.
The US-based retailer, known for its aggressive pricing, has unveiled Walmart Family Mobile, an unlimited talk and text plan that will launch on September 20.
The plan will cost $45 per month for the first line, and $25 per month for each extra line. There will be no contract or early termination fees.
Phones available with the service will range from a $35 Nokia feature phone to the Motorola Cliq, which will cost $249 at Walmart compared to the $329 T-Mobile charges without a contract, AP said.
Walmart is operating the service as a MVNO over T-Mobile's network, undercutting T-Mobile's own retail offerings. Walmart said the plan can save consumers up to $1,200 per year compared to the leading unlimited talk and text plans.
Verizon charges almost $90 for a similar plan, while AT&T charges around $70.
But unlike voice and text, mobile data is limited and comparatively pricey. A Walmart spokesperson told Gizmodo that data can be purchased in packs ranging from $10 for 200MB to $40 per 1GB, and the unused data will never expire. This credit can also be used to make international calls for as low as 5 cents per minute.