Breezeline, formerly known as Atlantic Broadband, is the latest cable company to announce a mobile offering, to be known as Breezeline Mobile. Breezeline President Frank van der Post offered some additional information in an email exchange with Telecompetitor.
The company will reveal pricing and offerings when it launches service this spring, van der Post said.
He added, though, that “what we can share now is that there will be by-the-gig and unlimited options that customers can mix and match on a per-line basis.”
In addition, he said, “customers may modify their plans at any time without cost or penalty. And the plans are pay-as-you-go, so no contracts are required.”
In keeping with what we’ve seen with mobile services from other cable companies such as Comcast, Charter and Altice, the Breezeline mobile offering will be available only to Breezeline broadband customers.
Breezeline Mobile
While the nation’s largest cable companies have made MVNO deals with major wireless providers to support their mobile offerings, Breezeline’s approach is a bit different. The company’s service will be underpinned by the MVNO offering developed by the National Content & Technology Cooperative (NCTC) – although ultimately the mobile service will ride on AT&T’s network, which provides connectivity for NCTC.
Breezeline does not initially plan to offer cellphones but instead will require customers to bring their own devices.
“We are exploring device options after we launch the service,” said van der Post, who also noted that the bring-your-own-device approach will benefit customers by providing added cost savings and convenience.
Breezeline won’t be selling the mobile offering through mobile service centers – at least not in the near term. Instead, the company will support the offering with “existing customer experience channels, including online,” van der Post said.
Asked about the anticipated profitability of the mobile offering, van der Post focused on other benefits to the company.
“Our immediate focus in year one remains growing our core broadband business while also adding value for our wired internet customers through the mobile proposition,” he said. “We believe that the mobile offering will provide an additional, strong tether to the home, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty.”
Breezeline offers broadband and video services in markets in 13 states in the eastern U.S.
