AT&T (NYSE: T) U-verse is offering a free WiFi-enabled receiver as an incentive for new subscribers to purchase TV bundles--starting at $59 a month and going up from there, the company announced Friday.
The wireless receiver, which allows consumers to move it around residences and even to some close-by outside locations, is being made available for new customers who purchase qualified bundles.
The wireless receiver offer is only part of a new series of U-verse bundles that also include a $36 monthly discount for two years for new subscribers who purchase U-verse TV, high-speed Internet and voice. Existing customers who want to bundle in qualifying U-verse bundles get an extra $5 monthly discount over 24 months. Both bundles require a one-year term commitment--and therefore glue the sub to the provider.
The bundle is the thing, said Joey Schultz, vice president of consumer marketing for AT&T Home Solutions, in a company release.
"We already know customers love our bundle options—nearly 75 percent of our existing customers have triple and quad-play," Schultz said in the statement. "The new offers deliver significant monthly savings and the same price for up to two years, with some of the best discounts available for existing AT&T wireless customers."
AT&T originally introduced the wireless receiver as a way to expedite in-home installations by removing the need to rewire existing structures. It quickly learned that consumers liked the flexibility of moving their set-top boxes to different locations throughout--and even outside--the residence.
The company said that nearly one-third of 2012 installations have included a wireless receiver "for the freedom and flexibility to move their TV around their home," Schultz said.
AT&T said further that it is the first TV provider to offer two receivers in "popular TV packages" at no extra charge.
For more:
- FierceCable has ths coverage
- see the news release
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