T-Mobile’s New “Kids Are Free” Plan will help the Family

Behind the scenes here at Mobility Digest we debate over what is good article content and what is not. We are always on the fence about posting too much press release content without much substance to it. But I felt compelled to write about the T-Mobile “Kids Are Free” plan because it might hit home with a lot of you and not just me. My family has been hit hard with the economy like a lot of you. My wife was Real Estate agent and had to put her license inactive as the market is so bad that the cost of being a realtor is more than the commission check. Along with my wife, I also provide my Mother In Law and Daughter a cell phone. We have a huge cell phone bill let me tell you. So I was very interested in the new T-Mobile plan “Kids Are Free” and hope that other carriers will adopt and roll out to their subscribers.

The T-Mobile Press Release provides a lot of interesting facts about Kids who are now using cell phones. My Daughter for example is 10 and I bought her her first cell phone during the summer. She is incredibly responsible and I felt she could handle it. It is monitored intensely let me tell you. My son is 7, and I don’t look for him to get a cell phone until he turns 35! But we are the stereo-type Soccer Family as I coach two teams. I see a lot of kids on the soccer field and I can tell you that the majority of all my kids carry cell phones. From T-Mobile “75 percent of children ages 12 to 17 now have a cell phone.**”

T-Mobile sees this as an opportunity and has created an excellent “Kids Are Free” promotion that eliminates the monthly service charge until 2012. On top of that, T-Mobile is also going to run some special promotions on devices like the Vibrant. Buy one with 2 year plan plus $50 rebate and get a second free! Because of where I live, T-Mobile is almost non existent, so I am hoping other carriers will jump on board as well. We’ll keep you posted on any other carriers who adopt a similar plan.

Check out the T-Mobile Press Release below:

[source][photo]

BELLEVUE, Wash. — Sept. 8, 2010 — Continuing its efforts to give families the freedom to stay connected on their terms, T-Mobile USA, Inc. today announced a new promotional offer called Kids Are Free to make family communication easy and more budget friendly. With Kids Are Free, new and existing T-Mobile customers who sign up for a qualifying family plan through Nov. 2, 2010, receive free add-a-line service on up to three lines of their plan until 2012.*

Families are busier than ever. Between soccer practice, school, time with friends and work, families are always on the go, and mobile phones provide a vital line of communication for them. According to a study published in April 2010 by the Pew Research Center, 75 percent of children ages 12 to 17 now have a cell phone.** That said, it can be a struggle for parents to balance the family budget in order to keep the whole family in touch while on the go.

“Not only is T-Mobile offering the most flexible and affordable family plans among national carriers today, we are also making it more affordable than ever for families to add their kids or other family members by eliminating the associated monthly service fee until 2012,” said Ashley White, marketing director of value offers at T-Mobile USA. “The up-front cost of purchasing new phones and dealing with monthly service fees for an entire family can add up quickly, so this promotion is designed to make it easier for families.”

The Kids are Free promotion is the latest effort from T-Mobile to ensure families are united with compelling and affordable mobile services. Additional family-friendly offers this fall include the following:

• Special deals on the latest devices. Starting today customers who purchase a Samsung Vibrant receive a second Samsung Vibrant for free after a $50 mail-in rebate with a two-year service agreement. Also, T-Mobile’s new line of messaging phones are all under $75 after a mail-in rebate with a two-year service agreement. Adding unlimited texting for the whole family is just $20 per month.

• T-Mobile’s Even More® and no annual contract Even More Plus® family plans offer customers affordable options for their family’s wireless communication. T-Mobile’s Even More family plans start at $59.99 per month and T-Mobile’s Even More Plus family plans start at just $49.99 per month.

• T-Mobile’s Family Allowances™ service lets parents set up-front monthly allowances for their family’s phone usage — minutes, messages, and downloads.

More information about T-Mobile’s Kids Are Free offer is available at http://www.t-mobile.com.