April 5, 2005

Time Warner Cable is trialing a "quadruple play" with partner Sprint PCS, by offering wireless service along with wireline voice, video and data, all in one single bill. The service is currently available in Kansas City, Mo.

Both companies have previously discussed the offering, although now the service is commercially available to end users.

Time Warner Cable is offering customers free wireless calls to their home numbers-an effort to lure subscribers away from traditional wireline phone carriers. Time Warner said the bundled offering could save users up to $40 a month.

The service is notable for both Time Warner Cable and Sprint.

For Time Warner Cable, the bundled offering creates a one-stop shop for users' telecommunications needs.

It could also serve as a template for other cable companies to enter the wireless industry. For Sprint, it further expands the carrier's growing wholesale business.

Indeed, Sprint has been on the forefront of the mobile virtual network operator push in the United States, offering its network for other companies to provide wireless services.

For cable providers specifically, the carrier announced new deals to deliver local and long-distance voice services with regional cable companies Massillon Cable TV Inc., Wave Broadband and Blue Ridge Communications.

Sprint previously announced an agreement with Sunflower Cable of Lawrence, Kan., to market and sell Sprint-branded wireless services to cable customers.

In its 2004 annual earnings announcement, Sprint reported that the number of orders received per day for voice services through its cable relationships had increased 50 percent over the previous quarter.

"Sprint has established itself as the partner of choice for cable companies of all sizes that want to deliver a compelling new bundle of services to their consumers," said Jim Patterson, vice president of wholesale, carrier markets and cable for Sprint.

"Our progress-surpassing 250,000 customers and demonstrating steady quarterly acceleration in our growth-clearly illustrates the appetite in the market for these services and the unique position Sprint has established as the leader in working with cable companies to deliver the bundled services customers want."

Source: RCR News