Broadband provider WOW! announced plans today for a mobile offering through a partnership with Reach Mobile. In a press release, WOW! uses the phrase “WOW! mobile powered by Reach” to describe the offering.
The service relies on the T-Mobile network, a Reach Mobile spokesperson told Telecompetitor in an email in response to questions from us.
Reach Mobile offers a cloud-based platform dubbed Reach Next that, according to the company, enables companies to launch mobile services “in a matter of weeks.” The platform includes a wide range of capabilities, including modules for billing, policy, catalog management, data plan management, and security.
The offering that WOW! is planning will not require a contract and will include unlimited voice and text. It will be available to customers who use the company’s broadband offering and to others. When purchased in combination with the company’s broadband service, customers will be able to save up to $10 a month on the wireless service.
A WOW! spokesperson did not provide pricing on the offering, instead saying that “pricing for the mobile service will be in line with WOW!’s focus on affordability for its customers.”
The press release notes that the Reach platform can support fixed wireless services. When asked if fixed wireless was part of WOW!’s plans, the spokesperson said simply that the offering is not a fixed offering.
WOW! offers service in 14 markets, primarily in the Midwest and Southeast.
A Broader Trend
Today’s news is the latest example of a video and broadband services provider offering mobile service. Such deals are driven, in part, by the belief that customers who purchase multiple services are less likely to switch to a different provider.
Comcast and Charter have had considerable success with their wireless offerings.
