In the same week that Virgin Mobile USA undercut the competition by introducing its $79.99 USD per month “Totally Unlimited” mobile call package (a $20 USD per month reduction against rival deals), T-Mobile USA has moved to shift focus to its American landline customers by offering them a monthly unlimited nationwide call package for just $10 USD.
T-Mobile USA offers unlimited landline calls for $10 per month. Image: T-Mobile.
Set to launch on July 02, T-Mobile describes its new @Home deal as just what’s required to successfully “breathe new life and value into the home phone.” By embracing the pennywise deal, T-Mobile claims its landline customers will be able to hack down their phone bills while keeping their home number by attaching it to the T-Mobile service.
Citing a 2007 Scarborough Research report, Deutsche Telekom-owned T-Mobile outlines that U.S. families spend an average of $65 USD each month on their home phone, a monthly sum that can be drastically reduced through @Home while also providing access to other phone features including caller waiting, caller ID, three-way conferencing, voicemail, and more.
“For years, the traditional landline companies have been great at consistently delivering one thing to their customers -- a high monthly bill,” exclaimed Robert Dotson, president and CEO of Washington-based T-Mobile USA, who added that, through @Home, T-Mobile is now delivering both new and existing customers the best-priced home phone service that America has to offer.
While the $10 USD unlimited call charge is certainly appealing, that price is quoted without the addition of taxes and fees. It also doesn’t take into account the @Home HiPort Wireless Router with Home Phone Connection that is an absolute necessity sold separately from T-Mobile for a price of $49.99 USD -- along with a two-year service agreement. A broadband Internet connection is also a prerequisite.
It remains to be seen whether T-Mobile USA wins over many new customers with this package. Despite the apparent advantages of @Home’s cash-saving price point and its supposedly enhanced convenience, it’s difficult to see masses of landline users rushing to invest in the necessary equipment and signing up to a service contract… especially when certain VoIP telephony providers (such as Skype) offer national and international calls for free.
At the close of Q1, 2008, Deutsche Telekom’s mobile communications business was serving around 123 million mobile customers -- with almost 31 million of those carried by T-Mobile USA -- and all on the world’s most popular GSM digital wireless standard.
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