now happening at c spire

C Spire shakes up U.S. wireless industry with new combo approach that features everything consumers need in one total price

2015-11-23

Best value in wireless is now also the simplest and easy to understand

Ridgeland, Miss. (November 23, 2015) - C Spire, one of the leading innovators in the U.S. wireless industry, debuted new consumer-friendly combo pricing today that restructures the way devices, data and access lines are sold to take the guesswork out of mobile.

The simpler, more transparent approach combines all elements needed by mobile consumers - data, unlimited talk, text and pics, access line charges and devices - into one total cost with easy to understand pricing.

Most mobile carriers have moved to non-contract plans with standard monthly service rates, but require consumers to separately select data buckets and pay the full price for their device in monthly installments. If consumers exceed the monthly data allowance, they are automatically charged a pre-determined fee.

"Competitors advertise one price (for data), but it's not really what you can expect to pay in total," said Suzy Hays, senior vice president of Consumer Markets for C Spire, a Mississippi-based telecommunications and technology services company that operates the nation's sixth largest wireless communications unit.

The industry needs to be more transparent and make it easier for consumers to make pricing decisions about their mobile needs, Hays said. "At C Spire, we care about service, simplicity and total value. That's why we introduced this new concept, which removes the confusion and uncertainty around the real cost of wireless service."

Hays said customers can choose one of the more popular combos or build their own to meet specific needs. "With our new combo pricing, we give you one price for everything you need. No surprises. You'll know what you'll be paying on your bill each month," she said.

To combat a common industry practice of automatically charging consumers extra fees when they exceed their monthly data allowance, C Spire takes additional steps to protect users from surprise overages by requiring pre-approval of additional data usage and charges. "With us, you're always in control and there are no surprises on your bill at the end of the month. We let you decide if you want more data. Other carriers take this chance to charge you huge fees without ever asking," Hays said.

Popular Combo Options

All combo options include unlimited talk, text and pics, complete protection from surprise overages, trade-in options on older devices to lower the down payment or monthly costs and a free 30-day cancellation policy. Some of the more popular C Spire combo options include:1

  • Combo 1 - $60 a month for an iPhone 6s (16 GB model), 3 GB of data and a $170 down payment.
  • Combo 2 - $65 a month for a Samsung Galaxy S6 edge (32 GB model), 3 GB of data and $0 down.
  • Combo 3 - $75 a month for an iPhone 6s (16 GB model), 8 GB of data and a $170 down payment.
  • Combo 4 - $80 a month for a Samsung Note5 (32 GB model), 8 GB of data and $0 down.

 

Better Total Value vs. Major Competitors

Customers won't find a better total value than C Spire's new combo pricing anywhere else, Hays said, adding that recent company research indicates that combos are attractive to consumers. For example, C Spire's $65 and $80 a month combos cost up to $29 less a month than leading national competitors and, in most cases, for more data. The savings are even greater - up to $696 - over the life of a 24-month device payment plan.

"Competitors advertise one price, but when you add in everything you need, including the access line, the phone and the data, you end up with a price that’s much higher than where you started," Hays said. "When consumers compare total prices, they see where the real value is. It turns out the best value in wireless is also the simplest."

For details on C Spire's new combo prices and comparisons with other carriers, go to www.cspire.com/combos. For more information on other C Spire products and services, visit www.cspire.com.

About C Spire
C Spire is a diversified telecommunications and technology services company that provides customer-inspired wireless communications, 1-gigabit consumer Internet access and a full suite of Internet, wireless and data services for businesses. This news release and other announcements are available at http://www.cspire.com/news. For more information about C Spire, visit http://www.cspire.com or follow the company on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/cspire or Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/cspire.

1 Combo prices vary based on device, amount of trade-in or down payment, and data plan chosen. Combos 1 and 3 include iPhone 6s 16GB $170 down payment, $20/mo, 24 mos, 0% APR, $479.99 total financed per device. Combo 2 includes Samsung Galaxy S6 edge $25/mo, 24 mos, 0% APR, $599.99 total financed. Combo 4 includes Samsung Galaxy Note5 $25/mo, 24 mos, 0% APR, $599.99 total financed.