Crazy Ideas Part 5

Some crazy ideas, especially for people selling to residential.

The big problem: people without Internet. They don’t know what they are missing. They may not have a computer (or an internet.

One way to demo is to load up a tablet with apps that show the many facets of the Internet. Not just Facebook and Netflix, but job searches, networking and special interest stuff (like cooking or fitness)

What about giving away tablets or Chromebooks wrapped in a 2 or 3 year agreement like the cellcos?

For people that say mobile Internet is all I need: What about wi-fi offload to prevent data overage charges? Again here, a hardware-broadband bundle might work.

Another thought is to bundle a FreedomPOP phone with your service. It’s free on wi-fi. And it offers a Privacy Phone (Samsung SII) for the fanatics. FreedomPOP also sells 4G mobile Internet via the Clearwire network at very inexpensive rates. 4G backup?

TVs, Roku, Xbox, smartphones, tablets, video cameras, Nest thermometers – just a few of the items that need wi-fi. Give your users a bunch of reasons to have wi-fi!! Your wi-fi.

Training and more training… because not everyone knows how to use tablets, iPhones, etc. Be the Expert.

Frontier Ekes Out More Voice Line Value with Text-to-Landline Service: via Zipwhip. Many ways to add texting to landlines or SMS to VoIP. More ideas along this vein in my article at TMC.

TV Bundles like Roku or Amazon Fire or Chromecast with Broadband. AT&T is bundling HBO with U-Verse. Many channels are online for pay (like CBS). Frontier has a deal for broadband with a Tivo of over-the-air and online content. “The deal, which will kick-off in mid-2015, will have Frontier offering a TiVo Roamio OTA DVR. This slimmed down DVR set-top-box features a digital over-the-air (OTA) antenna for local OTA broadcast signals, access to OTT video content like Netflix, and other features including WiFi connectivity.”

Lessons from Google Fiber’s rollout

Find out what your customers want. It may not be TV – especially with the cord cutting. One of my non-techie 30-something friends just installed Chromecast to cut the cable. Many friends watch TV on their iPad. So how many people in a few years will buy a new TV? Not unless it becomes a video calling device too. (Right now it just monitors you.)