Dow Jones reports that mobile phone retailer Carphone Warehouse Group looks set to spark a price war in the competitive U.K. market with its free broadband Internet offer.
Carphone is hoping the lure of 'something for nothing' will be compelling enough to add millions of customers to its stable with its announcement of free broadband Internet access for customers taking its voice services.
The company said Tuesday customers who subscribe to its fixed-line voice services at a price of GBP20.99 a month will qualify for free broadband Internet. Carphone aims to rapidly build market share in a market where it has only just established a presence.
Carphone's offer represents a reversal of the voice over Internet protocol, or VoIP, model whereby consumers pay for a broadband subscription and then use VoIP for free voice calls. It also harks back to the days of Freeserve, which built a customer base of millions by initially offering U.K. users free dial-up Internet access.
Carphone is hoping the lure of 'something for nothing' will be compelling enough to add millions of customers to its stable with its announcement of free broadband Internet access for customers taking its voice services.
The company said Tuesday customers who subscribe to its fixed-line voice services at a price of GBP20.99 a month will qualify for free broadband Internet. Carphone aims to rapidly build market share in a market where it has only just established a presence.
Carphone's offer represents a reversal of the voice over Internet protocol, or VoIP, model whereby consumers pay for a broadband subscription and then use VoIP for free voice calls. It also harks back to the days of Freeserve, which built a customer base of millions by initially offering U.K. users free dial-up Internet access.