MetroPCS brings back low-cost data plan

RICHARDSON, Texas, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- U.S. carrier MetroPCS says it's bringing back a $40 unlimited plan for 4G LTE smartphones it pulled last year when it ceased selling its first 4G phone.

Before the announcement of the plan's return, MetroPCS customers buying LTE smartphones were limited to the $50 unlimited plan, which includes a 1GB cap for streaming content from services like Pandora and YouTube.

The company said it never intended to exclude LTE phones permanently from the $40 unlimited plan.

"It was a decision that's been in the works for a while," a MetroPCS spokesman told CNET, "to make 4G LTE more accessible ... to a greater audience."

Resurrecting a budget-conscious plan is a bit of an unusual move for MetroPCS, when most carriers' current marketing strategies are aimed luring customers away from cheaper packages toward data plans with higher thresholds, CNET said.