With the impending launch of mobile WiMAX service in three North Carolina cities, residents of the area will be able to contrast and compare pricing options from Time Warner Cable Inc., Sprint Nextel Corp. and Clearwire Corp.
Time Warner Cable is launching its mobile broadband service Dec. 1 in Charlotte, Greensboro and Raleigh, N.C., using Clearwire Corp.’s WiMAX network. The cable company will price the broadband service for $35 per month to Time Warner Triple Play customers. The company will offer three pricing plans: an upgraded “4G National Elite” plan for $80 per month that allows users to roam on Sprint Nextel Corp.’s 3G network when outside of WiMAX coverage; a “Road Runner Mobile 4G Elite” plan for $50 per month, which offers unlimited access to the WiMAX network; and a 2GB per month plan for $40 per month to customers who use at least one other Time Warner Cable service. All of the pricing plans have discounts for bundled service offerings. The single-mode modem is free with a two-year contract, while the dual-mode modem costs $99 with a two-year contract, said Michael Miess, Time Warner’s VP of Wireless for the Carolinas region. Time Warner also is launching in Dallas Dec. 1, with slightly different pricing, but essentially the same concept.
Time Warner is targeting customers primarily through tele-sales, Miess said, but will have a presence in mall kiosks. The company is launching the WiMAX service as part of its strategy to give customers access to their content on any device, anytime, anywhere. Eventually this will include being able to watch select cable content from the company on broadband modems on the Clearwire network, Miess said.
Clearwire, meanwhile, offers the service in a variety of pricing plans depending on bundles for one or more of the services. Clearwire sells its modems with or without contracts and is offering the service through authorized resellers and online. Sprint offers a combo 3G/4G plan for 5 GBs per month for $70. The partner companies do compete with each other at the retail level, Miess said.
“With Time Warner Cable’s 4G Mobile Network, we now offer the fastest mobile service available and extend our reach outside the home,” said Carol Hevey, Executive Vice President of the Carolina Region for Time Warner Cable when the company announced launch plans. “Giving our customers the convenience of mobility and the speed of 4G, Road Runner Mobile lets customers take their favorite Internet service wherever they go. This is an important part of our strategy to give our customers any content, on any device, anytime, anywhere.”
Brightpoint Inc. said it will handle logistics for Time Warner Cable Inc.’s Road Runner Mobile broadband service offering, including the wireless data card, accessory and collateral fulfillment, as well as returns and repairs.
