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Out with the check mark, in with a home service bundle: Verizon builds on its mobile plan

Verizon seeks to bring its mobile myPlan success to an internet and entertainment bundle, myHome

Taking a cue from its myPlan mobile service offering, which includes the option to wrap in streaming services and deals, Verizon has launched a new home service bundle, myHome, that encompasses home internet, content streaming services, connected home solutions and live TV.

Big Red has also done a brand refresh, revamping its logo to remove the long-standing red check mark and adding a yellow gradient to its “V”.

new Verizon V logo

In a time when consumers have an almost endless array of streaming content choices—on which individual prices are rising, and subscription management is a real challenge—the telco is emphasizing the “simplicity” of a one-stop shop, as well as the flexibility to “choose any of the options that work for them, with the flexibility to change anytime. With more entertainment options than ever.”

Verizon’s myHome offers internet options for LTE or 5G home Fixed Wireless Access internet, or Fios with speed tiers from 300 Mbps to 2 Gbps; streaming services including Netflix and Max, a Disney bundle that includes Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+, YouTube Premium and a Walmart+ membership that includes a Paramount+ subscription; cloud storage and a new Home Device Advisor service; and a live TV option with either Fios TV or YouTube TV. The carrier said that Apple One and Apple Music Family will be added as options later this summer, and noted that it already offers a service, +play, to help subscribers view and manage all of their entertainment subscription services.

“Home internet frustrates customers, and home entertainment can be overwhelming. With myHome, customers now have the transparency and price guarantee they deserve on reliable internet, and an easy way to choose the best entertainment options with exclusive savings,” said Sowmyanarayan Sampath, CEO of Verizon Consumer. He added: “MyHome takes the complexity out – fully customize your subscriptions and connected home needs all in one place to match your lifestyle – without having to carry features or content you don’t need.”

According to Deloitte, streaming customers may be reaching their limit on the escalating prices and number of streaming services. U.S. households which subscribe to streaming services spend, on average, $61 per month on four streaming video on demand (SVOD) services—not far off from the cost of a cable subscription that consumers have been fleeing for years in favor of streaming. Meanwhile, Deloitte said, “Thirty-six percent of consumers across generations surveyed say that the content available on streaming video services isn’t worth the price.” It should be noted that Deloitte’s survey took place before some recent price hikes; The New York Times estimated that a user subscribing to the four most-popular streaming services—Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Disney’s Hulu and HBO’s Max—now actually expect to pay closer to $70 per month.

ABOUT AUTHOR

Kelly Hill
Kelly Hill
Kelly reports on network test and measurement, as well as the use of big data and analytics. She first covered the wireless industry for RCR Wireless News in 2005, focusing on carriers and mobile virtual network operators, then took a few years’ hiatus and returned to RCR Wireless News to write about heterogeneous networks and network infrastructure. Kelly is an Ohio native with a masters degree in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley, where she focused on science writing and multimedia. She has written for the San Francisco Chronicle, The Oregonian and The Canton Repository. Follow her on Twitter: @khillrcr