Mediacom Communications has announced the launch of Mediacom Mobile, which will rely on Verizon Communications as its multichannel video network operator (MVNO) partner.
Born to be bundled with the Blooming Grove, New York-based cable company's Mediacom Xtream Internet service, Mediacom Mobile will be available as an unlimited service for $40 per month per line, plus taxes and fees, or in a pay-as-you-go scheme in which each successively used gig is billed at an additional $15 each on top of the $15-a-month base price. (This has become a cable mobile standard.)
To start, Mediacom will use a bring-your-own-device scheme, accommodating unlocked iOS and Android handsets that can accept either a SIM or an eSIM.
“By combining a proven national wireless network with our fast and reliable fiber-rich Gigabit speeds, robust Xtream Wi-Fi capabilities, and simple, affordable pricing plans, we believe Mediacom Mobile creates a ubiquitous connected experience and a compelling wireless solution for consumers,” Tapan Dandnaik, Mediacom’s senior VP of operations, product strategy and consumer experience, said in a statement.
Mediacom is only the latest tier 2 and 3 cable operator to launch a mobile service, following Cox Communications, Breezeline, WideOpenWest and the entire National Content & Technology Cooperative (NCTC), of which Mediacom is a member.
As MoffettNathanson noted back in June, cable operators have a convergence advantage over incumbent wireless carriers in that they can market bundles across their entire footprint. Nationally distributed wireless companies can only market bundles in markets in which they have wireline broadband.
But there is a downside for so-called “junior cable” operators, too, according to S&P Global Ratings analyst Chris Mooney. They don’t have the network resources to take mobile users off the pricey-to-lease Verizon network, as Comcast and Charter do.
Notably, Mediacom doesn't disclose the size of its Wi-Fi hot spot network.
