Verizon Wireless on Monday lowered its price for BroadbandAccess EV-DO data service to $59.99 per month for unlimited access.

The price cut, lowered from $79.99, puts Verizon Wireless ahead of its main EV-DO competitor, Sprint Nextel, which charges $79.99 for similar data service.

Verizon Wireless launched a nationwide television ad campaign introducing the lowered price on Monday.

Verizon Wireless launched the broadband service in several markets Monday, now covering 61 major metropolitan areas. It expects its EV-DO data network to cover 150 million Americans by the end of 2005. Sprint Nextel expects to cover 143 million subscribers by the fourth quarter.

The lowered pricing from Verizon Wireless requires a subscription to voice wireless service. Without voice service, the price for BroadbandAccess is still $79.99 per month.