When Helio says that they are offering an unlimited plan they really mean unlimited. To make a long story short, for $99 per month, you can get every “on device” service… voice, data, SMS, MMS, GPS and whatever else you can think of on your phone.
“On device” means that this offer doesn’t include data tethering, which as Engadget Mobile points out, is probably the only thing preventing a “deluge” of people from signing up for this limited time offer.
Even with out the data tethering, this is a heck of a deal for $99 down from the $145 that Helio used to charge for it.
Too bad Helio doesn’t support BlackBerry devices. I’ve thought for a while now that a BlackBerry MVNO could work.
Desperate moves by a desperate MVNO following the path of most MVNO’s before it.
http://montysbox.typepad.com/excuse_me_while_i_digress/2006/06/the_mvno_death__1.html
and
http://gigaom.com/2005/07/08/a-mvno-train-wreck-coming/
I don’t think Helio is a desperate MVNO by any terms. They have grown by over 200% over a short period of time and they survived while others crashed and burned. They have not reached a point in their subscriber growth where they can now grow rapidly using their organic base.
James Kim
http://www.heliobusiness.com
Really? Nice spin….
“Despite the concerted efforts of SK Telecom and EarthLink, Helio has failed to draw many customers.”
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/tech/tech_view.asp?categoryCode=133&newsIdx=5770
Worst of 2007: MVNOs
http://www.xchangemag.com/articles/worst_of_2007_mvnos.html
“2007 saw a continuation of hard luck for the MVNO space, with shutdowns at Amp’d Mobile and Disney Mobile, Helio LLC failing to attract additional funding from one of its parents (EarthLink Inc.), and analysts cautioning against the exuberance that marked the space as little as one year ago.”
US MVNOs Fail To Capture Market Imagination
Disney Likely to Succeed Where Helio Will Fail
http://www.strategyanalytics.net/default.aspx?mod=PressReleaseViewer&a0=3021
“MVNOs, such as Helio and Mobile ESPN, have not lived up to their marketing hype. Despite promising to shake up the market, they have only attracted miniscule customer numbers.”
200% of nothing is still nothing.
If you are looking for an MVNO BlackBerry carrier check out Payless Cellular. They run off of Verizon’s network and offer nationwide service. They are a customer service focused business that specializes in servicing small businesses. Check out their website, http://www.paylesscell.net