Boost Mobile, the cellular subsidiary of Colorado-based EchoStar Communications, is streamlining its brand and rolling out a series of new service plans, including one with a phone upgrade every year, in an attempt to set itself apart in the crowded field of wireless providers.
“It is time for us to announce publicly that we are the newest nationwide carrier,” said Sean Lee, Boost Mobile’s senior vice president of consumer product and marketing. “We have 99% coverage across the country and more towers than any other carrier. That is going to be the starting point of our conversation.”
The company, based in Douglas County, is bringing its pre-paid wireless service, Boost Mobile, and its post-paid or month-to-month plan, called Boost Infinite, under one umbrella, Boost Mobile, and under one website, Boostmobile.com. The streamlining includes some tweaks to the logo.
The company is also simplifying its plan structure and offering some perks to boost is subscriber base.
“There is too much complexity in the wireless market today. Boost Mobile is simplifying its digital purchasing experience and offerings to give consumers more flexibility and choice with unbelievable value,” said Hamid Akhavan, CEO and president of EchoStar, parent company of Boost Mobile, in a statement.
For budget-minded consumers, the company now offers a $25 monthly wireless plan with unlimited talk, text and data and 30 gigabytes of premium 5G data. The $25 price is locked for those who sign up online and use autopay.
Lee said some of Boost’s wireless competitors provide a lower monthly price as more people sign up under a plan, but a higher price if only one or two join. The $25 price is the same whether one or four people join and it won’t change.
The company provides more expensive plans with more data and hot spots, including a $65 Infinite Access plan that offers an annual iPhone or Galaxy device upgrade.
Boost Mobile has built its own 5G network from scratch using a newer technology called OPEN-RAN that allows it to operate at a significantly lower cost and make upgrades easier. The Boost network currently covers around 73% of the country’s population. Where the Boost network isn’t available, the company switches to the AT&T and T-Mobile networks.
Access to three networks allows the company to claim it can access more towers than any other cellular provider with a 99% reach. Because its network is new, Boost Mobile is offering a 30-day money-back guarantee to any customers who sign up.
The rebranding will include a new advertising campaign, Lee said. And Colorado residents can expect to see more pitches from company spokesman Coach Prime in the months ahead.
Signing on more customers is critical for the future of Boost Mobile and it parent EchoStar, which has seen a decline in its core satellite television business.
The company had revenue of $4.01 billion and a loss of $107.4 million in the first quarter, down from $4.39 billion in revenues and profits of $253.5 million in the same quarter a year earlier. The company faces a looming debt deadline in November that it has warned it can’t meet with the cash it has on hand or the cash it will generate before then.
Boost Mobile must continue to spend heavily in the coming months as it builds out its cellular network to meet a Federal Communications Commission deadline to reach 75% of the U.S. population by next summer.
Wireless industry analyst Craig Moffett warned in May that EchoStar would most likely end up in bankruptcy court within six months, given that its three large competitors aren’t in a position to buy the valuable wireless spectrum that it holds.
Akhavan recently told analysts that the company is working to refinance its debt obligations and improve its cash position. One scenario, if creditors agree, would be to push back its repayment deadlines so the company can build up a larger customer base at Boost and stem losses on the satellite side.
Originally Published: July 17, 2024 at 1:11 p.m.
