The web services provider is now called Yahoo Mobile
Ever since purchasing Yahoo in 2017, Verizon has been working hard to diversify the web services provider’s business strategy in order to make it more profitable. The most recent development on this front is Yahoo’s transition to Yahoo Mobile, a wireless provider that works on Verizon’s network.
The new service offers one unlimited, no-contract plan for $39.99/month, which gets you unlimited talk, text and data and will be available on the latest iPhones and Android phones.
When Verizon acquired the web services provider, it grouped it under its media brand, now called Verizon Media, which includes other well-known web properties like HuffPost and TechCrunch. Verizon Media has faced its fair share of challenges and has experienced significant layoffs and a $4.6 billion write-down that valued the business unit at roughly $200 million.
Lately, Verizon has been very active in revitalizing and reconfiguring Verizon Media. The transformation of Yahoo into a wireless provider comes about six months after the operator finally unburdened itself with the sale of Tumblr, a once promising social media platform that the carrier acquired when it originally purchased Yahoo. Verizon received a reported $3 million—a crushing drop in value from the $1.1 billion Yahoo paid for it six years ago—from Automattic, the parent company of WordPress for the platform.
When it comes to Yahoo, however, Verizon remains committed to making it work within the Verizon ecosystem. Guru Gowrappan, Verizon Media’s CEO called Yahoo a “really trusted brand” and said he believes that combining it will Verizon’s network is a good move.
Gowrappan added that there is a possibility for the new wireless services to expand with more plans within the next year. The idea if for those additional plans to be tailored to the interests of a user, by including, for example, a phone with free access to Yahoo Finance’s premium service or a sports betting plan.
