US cellular offers to pay termination fees for switching carriers

U.S. Cellular, the nation's fifth-largest wireless provider, is offering three new no-contract plans and for a limited time will pay off early termination fees. The new plans and incentives are in order to compete with T-Mobile, which has unleashed a slew of new plans and pricing options to attract customers. Currently available is U.S. Cellular's "Simple Connect" plan that will provide customers with unlimited talk, text and data without a contract. For a basic phone, the monthly data charge will be only $40. But for smartphone users, there are two options -- $50 per month for 500MB of data or $60 per month for 2GB data. The carrier also launched the Retail Installment Contract option, where consumers can walk away with a new phone for $0. They will have the option of paying for the phone over 24 months. "These new offerings are designed to give customers freedom and flexibility to choose the right plan for their needs," Grant Leech, vice president of brand marketing for U.S. Cellular, said in a statement. In order to attract customers instantly, U.S. Cellular is offering to up to $350 per line to cover the costs of switching carriers. This is a limited-time offer, but the carrier hasn't specified when this promotion offer will end. Those interested in switching to U.S. Cellular will have to submit the final bill from their previous carrier before receiving a prepaid debit card covering the amount of any early termination fees, up to $350. Sprint has offered a similar deal, and T-Mobile has been offering to pay for termination fees since January.