Cincinnati Bell gets it right!

Wow, two operator stories in one day. Cincinnati Bell, regional fixed/mobile operator here in the US, has soft-launched their UMA service called “Home Run”.

First off: Kudos for the messaging and positioning. They got it right:


The focus on (1) unlimited flat rate calling and (2) improved coverage are dead on for UMA-based services. This is about making your mobile service work better and cost less.

Second, it appears that T-Mobile’s $20/month pricing for HotSpot@Home might be a bit aggressive as Home Run is “as low as $10/month”. Clearly the value of unlimited calls from the home/office is dropping.

Finally, for those who continue to think dual mode handsets are more expensive, the Nokia 6086 offered in the plan is $50 with service contract. That’s quite reasonable for an excellent, full featured UMA device.