There's always a good chance that it will be marketing b.s., of course.

If T-Mobile wants to go from 4th to 3rd, they need to cut prices. In the US, everyone who can afford a phone has a prepaid or postpaid cell phone. So, the conversion prospects are:

0. Current smartphone customers paying more than they'd like.

1. Current prepaid dumbphone customers on other carriers who want a smartphone but can't afford the data charges.

2. Current prepaid dumbphone customers looking to pay less for voice and text.

3. Current postpaid dumbphone customers looking to pay less for voice and text.

A $50/unlimited everything plan hits (0) and (1) for sure, possibly (2) if they can imagine a use for a smartphone, and maybe a few of (3). That's how T-Mob can grow their subscriber base quickly. Oprah isn't going to do it.

This seems bloody obvious to me, but never underestimate the ability of a management team to think that fancy marketing will trump basic economics.