T-Mobile is Up to Something New
T-Mobile has been trying to turn cars into Wi-Fi hotspots for its local phone service users for a long time. The company has introduced a small but very smart device called SyncUp Drive. It is a kind of plugin module that can provide wi-fi connectivity as well as in-car data monitoring.
Company’s Objective:
The company has introduced SyncUP Drive for its local phone service users mainly with the objective of seeking growth in the wireless sector. It is T-Mobile’s strategic move to find way to adding to its revenue. The company has aggressively focused on gaining new customers in the past few years. T-Mobile has been getting new subscribers successfully as compared to its major competitors like Verizon Wireless and AT&T.
The Functionality of T-Mobile:
This is where T-Mobile’s SyncUP Drive exceeds the capability of AT&T’s and Verizon Wireless’s similar devices. T-Mobile’s SyncUp successfully combines the unique features of connected car services provided by both AT&T and Verizon Wireless.
Difference in functionality:
T-Mobile’s SyncUp device is somewhat different from AT&T’s plugin devices and Verizon Wireless’s Hum-plugin. AT&T sells two different devices. One of them monitors car data whereas the other ensures Wi-Fi hotspot to the occupant of a vehicle. Coming to Verizon Wireless’s hum-plugin, it only offers the monitoring of car data. It does not offer Wi-Fi- connectivity.
More Significant Difference:
Its functionality is a combination of similar devices from AT&T and Verizon Wireless. Price is where T-Mobile seems to have differed. T-Mobile is offering monthly data plans. T-Mobile’s cheap phone service users can enjoy two Gigabytes at the cost of $50 or for $95 they can enjoy the data from 10 gigabytes to 22 gigabytes.
AT&T and Verizon Wireless DATA Plans:
The data plans offered by AT&T are somewhat stingier as compared to the data plans offered by T-Mobile. AT&T charges $20 for a gigabyte and $30 for three gigabytes. However, AT&T also allows its cheap phone service users to use data from their cellphone data allowance at the cost of only $10.
This is where Verizon Wireless proves to be very expensive. Verizon Wireless charges $30 for the equipment needed called the Hum-plugin. To add more to it, Verizon Wireless also charges the amount of $20 for its activation fee and then $10 on a monthly basis for services.
This is What T-Mobile is Doing:
T-Mobile seems to have two views on what they are offering. Constantly changing statements by the company prove it. T-Mobile first said that customers requesting Data Monitoring Services instead of the Wi-Fi connection will have to pay $150 just for getting the device needed. Sometime later, the company came up with another announcement in this regard and said that every user must have data plan for this service.
Final Words:
Plugins like Hum are similar to all sorts of connected car services. Almost every car manufacturer is focusing on incorporating such devices in their cars. AT&T is a market leader in the category of such connected car services with over 50% of the market share dedicated to new car connections. AT&T has a profitable deal in place with some of the leading auto manufacturers of the world like Audi, Ford and Subaru. Taking all this into consideration, it will be very interesting to see the way T-Mobile seeks growth in this sector of wireless services. It is just the beginning down a new track for T-Mobile. T-Mobile’s way to success in this category of wireless services is not going to be easy in the fierce competition being presented by the market leaders like Verizon Wireless and AT&T. Now let’s see what happens.