TDS Telecom announced late last week it will soon launch a mobile service after coming to terms with Reach, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) company that has an agreement in place with the National Technology & Content Cooperative (NCTC), an organization that cuts programming and technology deals for hundreds of small and midsized US operators.
TDS did not name the mobile network it will be using but noted that this piece of the puzzle will be covered by partnerships established by the NCTC. Alongside its aforementioned pact with Reach, NCTC announced an exclusive MVNO agreement with AT&T in 2023. Notably, Reach's SaaS platform – which delivers provisioning, billing and customer care – supports AT&T's, T-Mobile's and Verizon's mobile networks.
UScellular deal
TDS's plan to launch a new mobile service via the NCTC pacts comes as TDS and its UScellular subsidiary move to sell its wireless operations and about 30% of its spectrum assets to T-Mobile for about $4.4 billion in cash and assumed debt.
However, UScellular is retaining some spectrum and all of its towers (T-Mobile will rent space on those towers), and is now in position to sell its remaining spectrum holdings to another company, should it so choose. When the deal was announced in May, UScellular had about 4.1 million postpaid customers and roughly 400,000 prepaid customers across 21 states.
Wisconsin-based TDS did not announce when it will begin to make services available from TDS Mobile, noting only that it will be offered exclusively to broadband customers "in many of its service areas before making it widely available."
TDS did not divulge pricing and packaging for TDS Mobile or how it will distribute and support smartphones and other mobile devices.
"TDS Mobile will feature big-carrier coverage from your neighborhood internet service provider – at a price you'll love," TDS COO Shane West said in a statement.
TDS has been asked for additional details about the timing of its mobile service launches and how it will price and package its new mobile offerings.
Source: https://www.lightreading.com/wireless/tds-telecom-to-launch-mobile-service-via-nctc-s-mvno