Say hello to another brand that’s eliminating retail stores to attract customers.
Solo by C Spire is another brand managed by a well-established carrier – in this case, regional operator C Spire – and it’s selling wireless phone service at a discount, noting that wireless is “way more affordable when you don’t have to run stores.”
The lack of physical brick-and-mortar stores makes it similar to what Verizon is doing with its Visible brand.
“It very much reminds me of Visible,” said Jeff Moore, principal of Wave7 Research, which spotted Solo by C Spire and reported on it for readers of its subscription newsletter last week.
So far, C Spire hasn’t been big on advertising the new brand. C Spire didn’t immediately respond to questions from Fierce about the brand.
Update: Since this story first published, C Spire provided the following statement in response to questions from Fierce.
“The target audience for Solo is a tech-savvy, value-driven segment that has no need for retail stores. Since Solo requires no credit check, it is a great fit for both traditional postpaid and prepaid consumers,” said Farris Antoon, director of Marketing and E Commerce, Wireless at C Spire.
Antoon added a caveat: While the network coverage on Solo includes nationwide 5G and LTE, Solo is currently available for Mississippi residents only.
C Spire, whose network crosses Mississippi as well as Memphis and parts of Alabama, operates many stores, Wave7 noted. But the Solo brand invites consumers to bring their own unlocked phones to the service; it isn’t selling phones.
There’s only one service offering, and it’s a $35/month unlimited plan with no family plan discounts apparently being offered, Moore said. The cost of the SIM is included with the first month, and it appears that there’s no activation fee, Wave7 noted.
“I think this is an effort to put out no-frills unlimited,” Moore told Fierce. It’s targeting people who are comfortable doing a lot of their business in apps. “Basically you get discounted service by not having any customer service.”
Solo customers can receive service from live chat reps through the Solo website and app, as well as 24/7 support through the in-app chatbot, Antoon said.
It’s also similar to Metro by T-Mobile, in that the host carrier/owner is part of the name, but it operates as a separate entity in many respects.
Last year, Ridgeland, Mississippi-based C Spire revealed plans to spend $1 billion over three years to speed the deployment of 5G and fiber in its service area in the southeastern U.S.
At the time, C Spire CEO Hu Meena referred to the company’s “strong reputation” of providing “world-class products and services” to consumers and businesses. The company earned a reputation as a pioneer of sorts in new wireless technologies, so it’s not surprising that it would apply that spirit to its retail strategies as well.
Editor's Note: Article updated April 12 with additional comment from C Spire.