DOW JONES NEWSWIRES AT&T Inc. (T) boosted the amount of data offered in packages for pre-paid customers, highlighting the telecommunication's giants aims to better compete in the fast-growing prepaid market. The company said customers using its pre-paid GoPhone service will now be able to use double the amount data for the same price they've previously been paying. That means a $15 plan that previously offered users 100 megabytes of data will now give them 200 megabytes. The move comes as AT&T is working to better rival low-cost plans from players like Sprint Nextel Corp.'s (S) Boost Mobile and Leap Wireless International Inc.'s (LEAP) Cricket. Prepaid phone plans have traditionally been a draw for lower-income customers because they don't require a two-year commitment and can be cancelled at any time. Data use has also surged in recent years as wireless technology gets faster and data-heavy services like mobile video proliferate, raising an intense debate in the wireless industry over the best way to manage data plans. Shares of AT&T were recently off 18 cents to $30.71. -By Mia Lamar, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-3207; mia.lamar@dowjones.com
