Verizon WiFi Considered A Success
The folks over at Verizon made a big splash when they announced their original plan to to turn phone booths into WiFi hotspots that could be used free by any customers of Verizon DSL. It seemed like a good idea: using current real estate to offer a free service that keeps customers happy and gives them reason not to churn. Despite some changes to the original plan, Verizon is now claiming the offering has been a big success - specifically in reducing churn among customers in Manhattan. Apparently, the rate of churn has been cut down by 2%, which more than pays for the experiment. That said, they're not making much of an effort to offer the service anywhere else - as it sounds like density questions may not make it cost effective. Still, it will be interesting to see if they create a more bundled approach with their recently announced EV-DO plans.
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