Republic Wireless, the wireless carrier that prefers WiFi for most of its connections, and utilizes Sprint 3G in the interim, has announced that it's ready to take on new customers. The company reported that "Wave A", which consists of an unspecified number of users, has been a resounding success and that they believe they've found a model on which a $19/month unlimited everything plan is sustainable.

Today marks an important milestone for republic wireless. We’ve unveiled our new phone, the Motorola DEFY XT, and are opening our doors to welcome new members from our waitlist, starting with Wave B.

Over a year ago, a small initial team set out with a big idea to change the way wireless works. The response was more than we could have ever imagined. Frankly, the demand blew us away. We were a startup with a concept whose time had come.

Since then, it’s been quite a journey. With Wave A, we gathered real-world proof that our $19 unlimited price is not only compelling but sustainable too. Based on that, we embarked on an audacious expansion.

Of course, no one should expect any business to be humble when it's trying to attract new customers, but there is little in the way of real information on just how many subscribers Republic Wireless has been able to sign up, nor how many more it will be able to take on. However, if you're willing to take the plunge, the carrier wants you to know you'll have a second choice for device now: the Motorola Defy XT.

Billed as an "everything proof" device that's dust and water resistant, the Defy XT boasts some pretty meager specs. With what appears to be a single-core 1Ghz processor and Android 2.3 out of the box, it's not going to break any records. However, most interestingly, Republic Wireless is offering an incentive to current customers that stick with them.

As a special thank you, those members who’ve been with us from the beginning on the LG Optimus will receive an upgrade offer for $100 off the $249 new member price for the DEFY XT. Now, everyone can enjoy the freedom of $19 unlimited smartphone service, with a brand new device that rocks.

A discount for existing customers? Now there's a new trick. You take the good with the bad, of course, but it might be nice to see other major carriers adopt such a consumer-centric model. Then again, with Verizon and AT&T serving two-thirds of the American population, and T-Mobile and Sprint desperate to grow, it's unlikely any of them will be very concerned with holding on to old customers more than acquiring new ones.

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Source: Republic Wireless