ATLANTA — Cox Communications —hoping
to siphon off customers from
incumbent wireless carriers — is commercially
launching its “Unbelievably
Fair” mobile services Friday in Hampton
Roads, Va.; Omaha, Neb.; and
Orange County, Calif.
Cox’s device lineup includes
Android-enabled smartphones from
Motorola, HTC and LG, and in the
initial markets the operator will use
Sprint Nextel’s 3G wireless network in
a wholesale-access agreement to provide
voice and Internet services.
But Cox is not positioning wireless
as part of a so-called quad play: “It is
really about bringing mobility to the dimension
of the cable service customers
have today,” Cox vice president of wireless Stephen Bye said.
One of the key “Unbelievably Fair”
features Cox Wireless wants to use
to differentiate itself is MoneyBack
Minutes, which offers customers from
$5 up to $20 in return for unused minutes
each month, depending on their
plan.
“Customers are paying for minutes
they don’t use,” Bye said. “We are not
an incumbent [in wireless] and not
addicted
to the overage
revenue,
so
we’re able
to exploit
that.”
Instead
of a straight
price discount
for
existing
Cox customers
—
as is the
convention
with
triple-play
bundles —
the MSO
is letting
subs with
at least
two services
choose one free upgrade when
they add wireless.
“We can deliver a more compelling
and user-rich experience to customers,
without having to go immediately
to the price lever,” Cox Wireless director
of marketing Keith Davis said.
