Among postpaid plans, shared data has become par for the course. Your family (or "family") gets a certain allocation of data that everyone is allowed to use. This way instead of everyone getting 2GB of 3G/4G LTE, with a few people hardly touching their allotment and others burning through theirs in a week, the heavy users can have at the otherwise unused data as well.

Now Virgin Mobile is bringing the same treatment to prepaid, no-contract plans. In a deal that's available exclusively at Walmart, the Sprint subsidiary is letting customers sign up for a "Data Done Right" plan for roughly $30 a line. Two lines get 4GB of data for $65, three get 8GB for $90, and four get 12GB for $115. Unlimited talk and text comes included.

Customers can then buy additional data at $10 per GB. You can also pay $5 to get to use certain social networks and music services (such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pandora) without impacting your allotment.

In addition to the shared data plans, Virgin Mobile will let Walmart customers choose between a pair of single-line plans going for $35 and $45. Both come with 2.5GB of 4G LTE and unlimited texting, with the smaller being limited to only 300 minutes (the latter is unlimited).

The data sharing plans will debut alongside the Samsung Galaxy Core Prime ($129.88) tomorrow, January 17th. They will also become available on updated versions of the LG Tribute ($79.88), LG Volt ($149.88), and TC Desire 510 ($99.88) at around the same time.

Virgin Mobile USA to Offer Industry’s First No-Contract Data Sharing Plans Only at Walmart

New plans offer 4G LTE multi-line data sharing for as low as $30/line for three lines

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Virgin Mobile USA announced today the launch of the industry’s first no-contract data sharing plans, available exclusively at Walmart.

Beginning Saturday, Jan. 17, the new plans are available on four specific 4G LTE1 smartphones pre-loaded with the Virgin Mobile data-sharing application, which provides data buy-ups and international add-ons with one touch, directly from the device. Every multi-line plan will also come with a free Mobile Hotspot feature, making it even easier to share data across Wi-Fi enabled devices.

“At Virgin Mobile we are committed to offering prepaid customers innovative new wireless options,” said Angela Rittgers, vice president-Sprint Prepaid. “We were the first prepaid carrier to offer texting keyboards and texting-only plans, first to help customers pay less for talk they weren’t using, the first to feature a totally customized plan, and now the first data sharing plans. The new data sharing plans bring some of the most aggressive shared-line plans ever launched to Walmart.”

Virgin Mobile’s Data Done Right data share plans feature:

  • Preloaded Virgin Mobile app that enables customers to manage data sharing directly from their device
  • No additional monthly line fees
  • One-touch data buy-up options starting at just $10/month for 1GB
  • Popular social media and music streaming apps without data charges, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pandora – unlimited usage without counting against the customer’s data allotment for just $5 per month2Flexible international plan options
  • Parental control features with device curfew and app restrictions

“At Walmart, we know our no-contract wireless customers are looking for some of the same experiences as contract wireless users – including high performing smart phones available on great plans at great prices,” said Mehrdad Akbar, vice president of Wireless, Connected Home, Wearables and Tablets, Walmart. “We are always seeking ways to innovate for our customers, which is why we’ve worked closely with Virgin Mobile to offer exclusive new plans such as data sharing.”

Virgin Mobile Data Done Right Plans starting as low as $30 per line

Options: $65/month (2 lines) | $90/month (3 lines) | $115/month (4 lines)

Talk: Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited

Text: Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited

Data: 4GB 3G/4G LTE | 8GB 3G/4G LTE | 12GB 3G/4G LTE

In addition to the new data plans, Virgin Mobile is also delivering a new set of single-line, unlimited plans to Walmart customers:

Options: $35/month | $45/month

Talk: 300 minutes | Unlimited

Text: Unlimited | Unlimited

Data: Unlimited (2.5GB high-speed data) | Unlimited (2.5GB high-speed data)

Virgin Mobile Unlimited and Data Share will be immediately available on updated editions of the HTC Desire® 510 [$99.88], LG Tribute™ [$79.88] and LG Volt™ [$149.88]. Data Share service will also make its debut on the Samsung Galaxy Core Prime™ [$129.88]4 , also available starting Jan. 17. The Galaxy Core Prime features a 4.5-inch display, 1.2GHz quad core processor, Android 4.4 KitKat® and a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera.

More devices are expected to be introduced by the end of February.

A $20 starter kit is required to activate each new line of service and includes two months of unlimited music streaming without counting against the customer’s data allotment5.

For more information, please visit this Advance Info page today and as of Saturday, visit http://www.virginmobileusa.com/datashare.