Veteran Rural Wireless Provider Describes Why Mobile Is a Competitive Need

The mobile voice and data business may be a sideline for some broadband providers. They say it will not bring in as much revenue as fiber broadband. But broadband competition is getting tough, not just in urban areas but in rural communities as well. Mobile will often be necessary to keep up of competitors.

“It’s still a critical line of business for us, because some of our customers have that expectation … ‘Why can’t you [provide it]?’” said Jody Heustess, VP of Marketing and Customer Care for ATMC – Focus Broadband in North Carolina, during an online presentation hosted by NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association. “We want to make sure our company is on equal footing with what those other companies offer.”

Focus, which offers its broadband subscribers mobile service through NRTC Mobile Solutions’ mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) program, has two decades of experience with the wireless business. As Atlantic Telephone Membership Corp. in the early 2000s, it built and operated a mobile network. It sold the network to AT&T in 2014 and continued offering mobile as an AT&T reseller for another three years, before it began exploring the MVNO option.

“We got concerned about [AT&T] marketing their landline and their broadband services to our wireless customers,” Heustess said. “But we had always wanted to try to find a way to get back into the business.”  NRTC has been the Focus Broadband wireless solution since 2019.

“If you want to try wireless, give it a shot. I think the NRTC solution is probably the most low-risk, easy way to get into it … NRTC has been doing it longer, and I personally think that their terms have been better,” he said.

Low cost of entry is the top priority for NRTC Mobile Solutions. NRTC offers its members access to a national mobile network. It is a white label service and NRTC offers marketing support. It also offers back-office support and flexibility to accommodate its members’ billing preferences.

Focus does not have a traditional bundled solution; there is no discount for subscribing to broadband and wireless. However, Focus and NRTC worked together to develop a system to charge subscribers together on the same bill. NRTC also helps members meet special marketplace conditions.

A wireless competitor began offering the first wireless line for free for 12 months. “Working with NRTC, we’ve been able to match that offering where we offer our customers who take gigabit broadband a wireless line at no cost, for 12 months,” Heustess said.

Focus offers its customers lines of both Samsung Galaxy and Apple iPhones. NRTC offers a service to help customers finance phones. In addition, Focus encourages customers to bring their own devices for a discount.

NTCA members can save more costs by entering the mobile business through the NTCA-NRTC Mobile Virtual Network Collaboration. NRTC waives up-front startup fees for NTCA members joining the program.

A recording of the presentation details other savings. NTCA will post the recording for its members on its website.