Pay less for wireless? No thanks, US consumers say

A pedestrian uses a smartphone in New York, US. As unlimited data plans gained popularity, bills became more predictable as so-called overage charges disappeared. That made it less necessary or enticing to shop around. — Bloomberg

A handful of upstart US wireless providers are offering monthly service plans at less than half the average cost of the major national networks, but complacent consumers seem to prefer to pay more rather than face the hassle of switching.

MobileX is a few weeks into the launch of an unlimited pay-as-you go plan starting at US$20-a-month that includes an artificial intelligence-powered virtual guide that can anticipate a user’s needs and customise plans based on their spending. Another new entrant is Boost Infinite, a US$25 a month unlimited service introduced by satellite TV provider Dish Network Corp, which promises to never raise prices on customers that sign up early.