T-Mobile CEO John Legere today announced two new initiatives for the American wireless users – as part of the company’s Un-carrier 9.0 strategy.
T-Mobile is the fastest growing wireless company in the U.S. with more than 8.3 million net new customers last year. It wants to add more subscribers from competitors such as AT&T, Sprint and Verizon Wireless.
Since American telecoms cannot afford to slash data rates, the best option is to attract subscribers from rival camps with offer for switch. The other way is to promise that there will be no increase in wireless rates. So that T-Mobile can reduce the flow of a part of their subscribers to rivals’ sweet offers.
The latest initiative is a response to Sprint, owned by Japanese telecoms SoftBank, which announced the latest switch offer last week. Both AT&T and Verizon are yet to respond to the latest two offers from their small rivals.
“We’re the Un-carrier. Everything the carriers do, we un-do,” said John Legere, president and CEO of T-Mobile.
John Legere, by announcing the Carrier Freedom offer to wireless users, said he wanted to free 29 million people currently trapped at his rival telecoms AT&T, Sprint or Verizon. T-Mobile will now cover all outstanding phone and tablet payments up to $650 per line when customers switch to T-Mobile, under the Carrier Freedom plan.
Un-contract from T-Mobile allows wireless customers to keep their existing Simple Choice plan and T-Mobile will not increase their rates. Customers on existing Simple Choice promotional plans − like the Un-carrier’s 4 lines for $100 with up to 10 GB of 4G LTE data − can keep them for as long as they’re T-Mobile customers.
For users of unlimited 4G LTE plan, there will be no change in the rate for a minimum of two years.
With Carrier Freedom, T-Mobile will cover outstanding phone or tablet payments for those who bought their device on AT&T Next, Verizon Edge or other carrier equipment installment plans (EIPs) or leasing plans. The move frees 29 million more people locked into equipment payment plans by switching to T-Mobile.
T-Mobile said businesses with more than 10 lines also can also take advantage of Carrier Freedom, with bill credits up to $100 per line after the 10th line.
Baburajan K
editor@telecomlead.com
