This is a great marketing ploy. Give the product away for a month,
promise 30 mins of free long distance per month, and take away
long distance market share from ATT, MCI, and the others. I suspect
the other long distance carriers will attack back. And I suspect
with the advent of fiber optic networks, long distance phone calls
are dirt cheap.
Cincinnati Bell Becomes Any Distance Company
biz.yahoo.com
Wednesday January 19, 10:08 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
Cincinnati Bell Gives Greater Cincinnati Gift of Free Long Distance Average Cincinnati Household Will Save 12 - 17 Cents Per Minute
CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 19, 2000-- Broadwing Inc. (NYSE:BRW - news), the data and Internet-centric communications powerhouse with a leading next-generation network, announced today that Cincinnati Bell will begin offering Any Distance service to Greater Cincinnati residential and small business customers. No longer just the source for local phone service, Cincinnati Bell is the first phone company in the nation to offer a free month of long distance and 30 free minutes each month, and one of the first to offer both local and long-distance service in its operating region.
``Now, our Greater Cincinnati area customers can go `Any Distance' with Cincinnati Bell,' said Rick Ellenberger, President and CEO of Broadwing. ``Our new long-distance service includes free minutes and a free month as our gift to the people of Cincinnati for so many years of support.
``We're making good on the promise we made when we became Broadwing: to quickly bring innovative new products to our customers that weren't possible before,' Ellenberger said.
Cincinnati Bell's Any Distance service includes simple pricing for both residential small business customers.
Residential Customer Plans
According to the Gartner Group, the average Cincinnati household spends 22 cents per minute for long-distance service. Cincinnati Bell's long-distance rate plans will reduce average spending by 12 - 17 cents per minute.
Cincinnati Bell residential customers who switch to Cincinnati Bell Any Distance can choose from the following long-distance rate plans:
?The base plan includes 30 free minutes each month, no monthly fee, and 10 cents a minute for additional minutes every day with no fees.?The value plan includes 30 free minutes each month, 7 cents a minute for additional minutes every day, with a $4.95 monthly fee.?Complete Connections customers receive 30 free minutes each month, no monthly fee, and weekend and weeknight calls for just 5 cents a minute. Weekdays between 7 am and 7 pm, calls are 10 cents a minute for Complete Connections customers. Complete Connections gives customers local service plus up to 20 additional services, such as Caller ID and voice mail, for just $34.95 a month.
Residential customers can call 565-FREE (565-3733) to switch from their current long-distance provider. Customers who switch before March 31, 2000, can choose one FREE month of long distance in 2000, valued up to $200.
Business Customer Plans
Cincinnati Bell business customers with one to four lines will have their choice of the following long-distance rate plans:
?The base plan includes 30 free minutes each month, no monthly fee, and 9 cents a minute all day, every day.?The value plan includes 30 free minutes each month, a $4.95 monthly fee, and 7 cents a minute all day, every day.?Complete Connections customers receive 30 free minutes each month, no monthly fee, and a rate of 8 cents a minute, all day, every day.
After 12 months, Any Distance small business customers will receive their 13th month of service free, valued up to $1,000. Interested businesses can call Cincinnati Bell's business service center at 513-566-4CBT (566-4228) to select a plan.
Broadwing's Network Goes Any Distance
Cincinnati Bell is using Broadwing's nationwide, next generation, high-speed network to offer Any Distance to customers in Greater Cincinnati. Broadwing is a national integrated communications provider formed from the merger of Cincinnati Bell Inc. and IXC Communications in November 1999.
According to Ellenberger, the introduction of Any Distance service to Cincinnati Bell customers is first example of the innovative products and services Broadwing intends to deliver to customers, both in Cincinnati and nationwide.
``With the introduction of our national advertising campaign earlier this week, and our aggressive promotion plans for Any Distance, Broadwing is demonstrating its commitment to be a fierce competitor and accountable ally, striking quickly with new products and services our customers need and our competitors don't expect.'
Ellenberger said Broadwing customers should count on more surprising products and services in the coming year.
About Cincinnati Bell and Broadwing
Any Distance is made possible through Cincinnati Bell Telephone and Cincinnati Bell Long Distance (dba: Cincinnati Bell Any Distance), wholly owned subsidiaries of Broadwing Inc. Broadwing Inc. (NYSE: BRW - news) is an integrated communications powerhouse delivering voice, data, and Internet solutions to a variety of customers nationwide. Focused on customer service combined with a premier next-generation fiber network and award-winning IP backbone, Broadwing's reliable high-bandwidth data and Internet capabilities give businesses a competitive advantage. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio with 5,500 employees in 38 cities, Broadwing can be found on the World Wide Web at broadwing.com.
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Contact:
Broadwing
Libby Korosec, 513/397-1589
libby.korosec@broadwing.com
or
Broadwing
Tressie Long, 513/397-5890
tressie.long@broadwing.com |
