Slim's America Movil upbeat on US mobile offer

MEXICO CITY, Oct 27 - Billionaire Carlos Slim's America Movil is optimistic its cut-price cellphone service sold through Wal-Mart in the United States will produce strong sales, the phone company's chief executive said on Tuesday.

The new team-up between Wal-Mart Stores Inc and Mexico's America Movil has increased pressure on other low-cost carriers, like Leap Wireless International Inc , MetroPCS Communications Inc and Sprint Nextel Corp's Boost Mobile.

"We don't know the exact numbers but we are feeling that Straight Talk is going to be very successful in the U.S.," America Movil chief executive Daniel Hajj told analysts during a conference call.

Straight Talk, the offer by America Movil's U.S. unit TracFone Wireless Inc, includes a $30 prepaid plan for 1,000 minutes as well as a $45 per month plan for unlimited calling.

The service runs on the network of U.S. mobile market leader Verizon Wireless, a venture of Verizon Communications Inc and Vodafone Group Plc.

Hajj said America Movil has no plans to establish its own mobile network in the United States.

"We are happy being an MVNO (mobile virtual network operator). We have been very successful and we want to maintain this in the future," Hajj said.

Wal-Mart and TracFone's offer could also steal customers from the No. 4 U.S. mobile service, Deutsche Telekom AG's T-Mobile USA, which has been losing ground to bigger rivals Verizon and AT&T Inc.

Wal-Mart said in October it would begin selling Straight Talk at 3,200 stores after a pilot program in 234 stores over the summer.

On Monday, America Movil said TracFone added 712,000 net new clients in the third quarter, more than double the additions seen in the year-ago period.