Sprint PCS believes it has a strong enough wireless footprint to begin aggressively targeting business users.
Analysts didn’t expect the company to heavily pursue this segment until next year, but Sprint PCS cites a national network that is well positioned to accommodate demanding users and its commanding lead in subscriber additions in previous quarters.
Analysts estimate 85 percent of the carrier’s subscriber base today is comprised of consumers. A push to add high-end business users will strengthen growth and average revenue per user numbers, analysts say. Sprint PCS plans to more aggressively compete with a Digital One Rate plan from AT&T Wireless Services Inc. and mobile-phone and two-way radio offerings from enhanced specialized mobile radio operator Nextel Communications Inc.
Sprint PCS unveiled last week the Sprint PCS Clear Wireless Workplace, a suite of wireless solutions featuring PCS-to-PCS calling minutes, off-network calling minutes and text messaging services.
The Team Option includes 600 local PCS-to-PCS calling minutes and 500 text messages per month, and the Travel Option includes a bundle of off-network calling minutes and 500 text messages. The Team and Travel Options are open to Sprint PCS business customers and may be added to any Sprint PCS Free & Clear Plan for Business contracted at $50 and up for another $20 per month, said Sprint PCS. Customers can opt for a one- to three-year contract and receive discounts on their handsets accordingly.
“We are trying to take the push out of the push-to-talk world and let people use phones to talk just as they would with any other call,” said Jay Highly, vice president of the company’s business customer unit. “The Clear Wireless Workplace is targeted at letting customers choose what meets their individual needs rather than a one-size-fits-all requirement,” he added, referring to AT&T Wireless’ one-rate plan.
Now that Sprint PCS is a subsidiary of Sprint Corp., both companies have a financial incentive to sell each other’s products. Highly said the marketplace will begin to see a suite of Sprint-branded office products and services aimed at the business market.
“Future offerings in the Sprint PCS virtual office suite will include nationwide two-way wireless data communications allowing businesses to connect to their networks, e-mail and the Internet using the Sprint PCS phones to access stock prices, news articles and other electronic information,” said Highley.
The nationwide Code Division Multiple Access operator said it will begin offering data services this summer.
