Wal-Mart debuts branded wireless plan

The nation's largest retailer, Wal-Mart, unveiled its first branded mobile phone plan on Monday in partnership with T-Mobile USA.

Wal-Mart Family Mobile will offer unlimited calls and text messages for $45 a month, with additional lines costing $25 per month each with no contract or early termination fees. Wal-Mart previously sold prepaid wireless plans for Verizon and Sprint Nextel, but the T-Mobile deal marks Wal-Mart's first entry into the market for traditional or "post-paid" wireless customers.

“This new service is an innovative approach, offering post-paid customers a low-cost alternative for unlimited voice, messaging, web and inexpensive international calling,” said Jim Alling, chief operations officer for T-Mobile USA, in a statement.

Extra charges for data use will come from a prepaid account; one gigabyte of data use will cost $40. Alling admitted the plan would undercut the company's current prices but said Wal-Mart's participation constituted a "tremendous endorsement."