Republic Wireless will pay you back for the data you didn’t end up using

By Williams Pelegrin Published April 20, 2015

Republic Wireless — a small carrier that’s mostly known for maintaining a wireless service that depends on Wi-Fi, rather than cellular networks, for everything from calling to data — announced that it will pay subscribers back for any unused data remaining in their plans each month.

The carrier plans to do so through Republic Labs, a private beta program for subscribers. According to Republic Wireless, the new plans will be available to beta participants for 4 to 8 weeks before being made available to all of its subscribers. Republic Wireless didn’t reveal pricing for these new plans, though it did say that those who want to remain on its unlimited data plans will be grandfathered in.

Recommended Videos

Through Republic Labs, Republic Wireless will also begin four other beta tests over the next 9 months:

Cellular-to-Wi-Fi handover – Handover would let subscribers go automatically from a cellular network to a Wi-Fi network without dropping their calls.
Next-gen mobile phones – Republic Wireless will allow customers to test different phones that the carrier could launch in the future.
Seamless multi-device communications – In the vein of Apple’s Continuity feature, Republic Wireless wants to test the ability for its customers to receive and make calls or messages from any device, including tablets and computers.
Multiple carrier cellular networks – Currently, Republic Wireless partners with Sprint to provide the latter’s network to customers. However, Republic Wireless announced it will partner with a second cellular carrier later this year.

At first blush, these programs would go a long way towards legitimizing Republic Wireless as a true contender in the eyes of those who are looking for affordable wireless plans. With these new programs, Republic Wireless finally rectifies two of its biggest issues: using Sprint’s network as a backup and its rather scant phone selection. As of this writing, the only phones available are the Moto X (2013 and 2014), Moto G (2013), and Moto E (2013).

As for the new data plans, it’ll be interesting to see if the bigger players will take notice and create similar plans down the road. The closest thing other carriers have to a data-leftover-saving initiative are T-Mobile’s and AT&T’s rollover data promotions, which lets you save data you didn’t use last month for the next month.

Topics

Williams Pelegrin

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Williams is an avid New York Yankees fan, speaks Spanish, resides in Colorado, and has an affinity for Frosted Flakes. Send…

News

5 technologies you didn’t know came from Ukraine

Computer circuit board.

All the world has its eyes on Ukraine right now as Russia continues its invasion of the country. We're discovering plenty of admirable qualities of the oft-overlooked nation. While its snarky grandmothers have become legendary, what may not be making it into the spotlight is Ukraine's long history of innovation. Despite decades of Soviet oppression, Ukrainian-born scientists, inventors, and engineers have made huge contributions to the products many of use and love today. As the country continues to be under threat, it's worth stopping to appreciate some of the little-known advances its people have gifted the world.
High-capacity hard drives

Lubomyr Romankiw grew up in Zhovkva, a western Ukrainian city just north of Lviv. He fled to Canada at the beginning of Soviet rule and earned his degree in Alberta, followed by a masters and Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. From there, he went to work at IBM and secured more than 65 patents, many of which helped set the foundation for modern computing.

Audio / Video

LG’s fully wireless StanbyMe is the touchscreen TV you didn’t know you wanted

LG StanbyMe TV.

CES 2022 might be right around the corner, but LG figured it would drop a little teaser in our laps as a taste of what's to come in January. The company released a few details about two of its latest lifestyle-oriented TV designs: An OLED TV with a motorized fabric cover and a battery-powered 27-inch screen that can roll around your home, going pretty much anywhere you need it to be. Here's what we know so far.
LG StanbyMe

LG's quirky new StanbyMe TV looks like someone took an iMac G4 screen and mounted it to a rolling coat rack. And given its capabilities, that description isn't far from the truth. In fact, the StanbyMe is a fully portable smart TV with a built-in rechargeable battery and fully adjustable rolling stand. It has a custom interface that you can control with a remote or just by touching it. And it functions as a wireless external monitor for smartphones and laptops via screen mirroring.

Audio / Video

It’s official: You don’t need to spend more than $100 on true wireless earbuds

Sennheiser CX 400BT

Two years ago, if you wanted a set of true wireless earbuds with features like active noise cancellation (ANC), transparency mode, wireless charging, great battery life, and great sound quality, you were looking at spending at least $180, but probably closer to $250-$300. But time has a funny way of leveling the playing field and nowhere has that been more true than in the true wireless earbuds market.

Today, you’ll still pay upward of $250 for the very best models from top-tier brands like Sony, Bose, Apple, and Jabra, but you no longer have to do that just to get access to leading-edge features. In fact, the latest cohort of true wireless earbuds priced around $100 is so good, most people won’t benefit by spending more. You may not recognize the brands, but don’t let that stop you. I've had hands-on (and ears-on) time with each of these earbuds, and they won't disappoint. Let’s take a quick look at some of the features that are most in-demand, and how much you need to spend to get them.
Active noise cancellation (ANC)