T-Mobile to make it easier to get in on the Unlimited Loyalty Plan on April 1?

While we'd love to claim that some mole deep within the organization told us this, the latest word on T-Mobile's plans for keeping its existing customers happy comes from a personal friend. When asked what the #4 carrier could do to keep him from taking his business to one of its low-cost competitors like Boost Mobile, our friend was told by a T-Mobile call center customer service representative that, as of April 1, T-Mobile will make it easier for existing customers to qualify for the current Unlimited Loyalty Plan, which offers unlimited voice minutes for US$49.99 per month.

As it stands today, the Unlimited Loyalty Plan requires that would-be participants be T-Mobile customers in good standing for at least 22 months. From what our friend was told, there are also other, less public requirements for access to the plan, and that simply having been a customer for 22 months is not enough to guarantee admission into the program.

The T-Mobile rep also said that the company has been receiving many calls regarding the low cost offerings from companies like Boost Mobile, Cricket, and MetroPCS, and that the Unlimited Loyalty Plan has been wildly successful. Our friend was also told that T-Mobile was aware of the economic pressures that customers were feeling, but that the Unlimited Loyalty Plan would still very likely not include any sort of text messaging bundle at the current $49.99 price.

Please note that this is, at this point, still nothing but rumor. While we are certain of what our friend was told, we can not guarantee that the service rep he spoke with had accurate information.

Boost Mobile, an MVNO^(INFO) based on the Sprint Nextel network, currently offers unlimited voice, texting, push to talk, and web access for a flat rate of $50 per month. Cricket and MetroPCS offer unlimited local calling plans that start at $30 per month, though those particular low-cost plans do not include long distance, free roaming, or messaging.