MobileX Makes $24.88/Month 199GB Plan Permanent, Extends Double Data Promo

In October 2024, MobileX released double data and unlimited plan promotions. As part of the double data offer, MobileX matches every gigabyte of data a customer purchases on a personalized access plan. For example, if a customer buys 2GB at the standard rate of $2.10 per GB, they receive an additional 2GB for free. Purchased data carries over as a credit on the next month's bill, while bonus data does not.

Personalized access plans allow customers to choose their monthly data usage or rely on MobileX's A.I. forecaster to determine it for them. These plans also enable subscribers to select their preferred video streaming resolution. More recently, data auto top-ups were added as a feature. The double data offer has now been extended at least until May 31, 2025. It has been extended several times before.

MobileX sells two unlimited plans: a $14.88/month plan and a $24.88/month plan, with taxes and fees not included. Initially, as part of a promotion, the lower-tier plan provided 10GB of high-speed data instead of 5GB, while the higher-tier plan offered 199GB instead of 30GB. MobileX has now made these promotional allotments permanent. After exceeding the high-speed data limits, speeds are reduced to 512Kbps. Both plans allow up to 10GB of high-speed data to be used as a mobile hotspot. The flagship plan includes unlimited talk and text to over 90 countries, and is available as an add-on for $9.95/month on the base plan. Both plans have video streaming limited to a resolution of 480p. The unlimited plans and personalized access plans include priority data.

MobileX Fighting a Very Competitive Landscape

MVNOs like MobileX have traditionally thrived at the $25 price point by offering limited data plans to budget-conscious consumers who don't need premium features or large data allotments. However, over the last several months carriers have been aggressively targeting consumers at this price point by dangling truly unlimited 5G data plans in front of them. If the aggression keeps up MVNOs may struggle to survive. MVNOs typically don't receive wholesale agreements from the networks they operate on to allow them to profitably sell truly unlimited 5G data plans. To survive they'll have to get creative with their marketing and find different ways to cater to consumers to generate revenue.

MobileX founder Peter Adderton, who also started Boost Mobile, has described the current market as the toughest market he's ever seen. He says MVNOs (like MobileX) have no choice but to offer and market unlimited plans or they'll be forced to close up shop.

In another recent social media post, Adderton explained that MVNOs can only provide these plans by relying on a mix of customers—some who use very little data and others who consume much more—so that the lower-usage subscribers offset the cost of high-usage ones.

Currently, carrier owned brands including Cricket Wireless, Metro by T-Mobile, Mint Mobile, Visible by Verizon, Straight Talk, and Total Wireless all offer some form of truly unlimited 5G data plan for $25/month. That's representation from every major carrier. You can throw in Boost Mobile if you want who offers a 30GB plan for $25/month when connected to the AT&T or T-Mobile networks but possibly 100GB to unlimited when connected to the Native Boost 5G network. Verizon's Total Wireless has the cheapest unlimited plan promo on the market priced at $20/month for BYOD customers.

Recently, US Mobile entered the truly unlimited 5G data plan market with a plan priced as low as $32.50/month. It's not clear whether US Mobile is following the model Adderton described, relying on low-usage customers to subsidize heavy users, or as I previously speculated, they have a special deal in place with AT&T to allow them to profitably sell a truly unlimited 5G data plan.

While the market is challenging for MVNOs, the intense competition benefits consumers—for now. However, consumers should consider the potential impact on the wireless market if MVNOs were forced out, as Adderton warns could happen if they can't or don’t offer "unlimited" plans.