There’s a company out there that is claiming to be the ‘uncarrier’ and another that actually is the uncarrier. Perhaps you have heard of them, perhaps not. Regardless of if you know them or not, you deserve to take a look at this amazing company and what they are really all about. Republic Wireless began their disruptive tactics almost 5 years ago. In 2011, they were one of the first companies on the scene that knew most people used their cell phones from places where they had Wi-Fi already in place. By using that connection in conjunction with local cellular towers, they were able to invent their Hybrid Calling technology and change the cellular game forever.
Republic is a division of a company called Bandwidth. Bandwidth powers such services as Google Voice and FreedomPop just to name two. Bandwidth CEO, David Morken, saw the rise of the smartphone from the inside of the industry and realized in 2011 there way a better way. He and the Republic were on the front lines of the battle in 2010 working to bring quality calling to Wi-Fi connected devices. In late 2011, they began their first beta program using the LG Optimus S, existing Wi-Fi connection and Sprint’s cellular network. It was ground breaking and it was in expensive. The Republic beta program set users back a simple $19 a month for unlimited talk, text and 3G data.
As the beta expanded, more than 250,000 people requested to come on board in the first year. Republic expanded quickly and began to hire in mass to scale their operations to meet the demand. In July of 2012, the beta reopened with customers being offered an upgraded handset, the Motorola Defy XT. This more powerful Android handset made the Republic deal an even better value as users were no longer saddled with an older smartphone that was past it’s prime. The Defy XT only brought more users in to the program.
Just two years after launching, Republic rolled out of beta and into full service offerings. Offering the 1st generation Moto X to it’s customers and changing up the plans to be more form fitting was the first step. The second, was offering a simple Wi-Fi only calling plan for just $5 a month. Ground breaking and cost effective at the same time, Republic turned the industry on it’s ear in just two short years.
While Republic sets the bar in saving you money, there is a small caveat, you need to think about who a Republic subscriber is. First off, you need to follow the Golden Rule, which is Wi-Fi First. By reducing their cellular footprint, Republic can keep rates lower than anyone else. They have the backhaul that everyone else dreams of, but the network to get it there can be expensive. By using your own Wi-Fi connection, or the one at work, or even the one at the local coffee shop, you will save them and yourself quite a bit of money. You also need to be a bit of a problem solver. Most common issues can be solved with a quick online search. Use their Community to get answers on your questions first. If you can’t get a solution that works for you, just submit a trouble ticket or try online chat. The last part of being the perfect Republic member would be that you need to have the willingness to share. Yes, that’s right, share. When you find an answer, come up with an idea or just want to make things a bit better by giving some feedback, you need to make sure to share it with the Republic team. That’s what makes them different, their users want to have better service and they want you to help everyone else with your ideas. If you fall in to the I want to save money, have access to Wi-Fi quite often and like to help others, Republic is the right carrier for you.
As Republic Wireless nears it’s 5th year of operations, it becomes more and more obvious that they had it right back in 2011. Even the major carriers are making up for the holes in their coverage by incorporating Wi-Fi calling and messaging. What they still don’t have is the history of making it all work together, oh, and the $10 a month bill. Right now, you can get started with a 2nd generation Moto E from Republic for $129 or the 3rd generation Moto G for $199. If you need a bit more storage than those starter devices offer, you can upgrade to the 16GB Moto G for just $30 more. When you pair the $129 Moto E with the $17.50 a month unlimited talk and text with a half GB of data plan, your first year costs will come in under $350 a line. That’s under $30 a month with a new phone!
If you think Republic Wireless is the deal you’ve been waiting for, hit the link below to check out the coverage and availability in your area. With the $100’s you save every year, you can take yourself on a really nice vacation somewhere sunny.
Link: Republic Wireless
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