Low-cost mobile firm MetroPCS serving R.I.

PROVIDENCE – MetroPCS Communications, a wireless-service provider that offers prepaid plans, began service in the Providence area this month.
The Dallas-based carrier offers pay-per-month plans that do not require customers to sign a contract, unlike traditional plans from carriers such as Verizon Wireless and AT&T, although those companies also offer prepaid plans.
MetroPCS sells unlimited local calling plans for $30 a month. The carrier’s unlimited long-distance plans are priced at $35, $40, $45 and $50, depending on which services and features are included. Family plans are also available.
The absence of a contract has made the company’s service appealing to customers with poor credit histories and young adults in urban areas.
But Jonathan Larance, a spokesman for the company, argues that prepaid service may find a wider audience in the current market, as customers look to cut costs amid a weak economy and high unemployment. &#8226