Amp'd Mobile

Last updated
Amp'd Mobile Inc.
Industry Wireless Services
Founded2005
DefunctBankrupt in 2007
Headquarters Los Angeles, California, USA
Website www.ampd.com   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Amp'd Mobile was a cellular phone service launched in the United States in late 2005, and in Canada in early 2007. The company was a Mobile Virtual Network Operator offering 3G voice and data services over the Verizon Wireless EV-DO network, including text and picture messaging, push-to-talk, and over-the-air downloadable applications and content (including Video on Demand) from its Amp'd Live service. Its primary non-venture capital investors were MTV Networks and Universal Music Group. The service targeted 18- to 35-year-olds, and was the first integrated mobile entertainment company for youth, young professionals and early adopters, similar to Helio.

Contents

Services

Amp'd Live

Amp'd mobile's service was built around Amp'd Live, a permanently installed BREW application on all Amp'd CDMA phones, which featured downloadable and streaming video on-demand clips, live events such as Supercross, streaming phonecast radio stations, downloadable content such as games, ringtones, and songs.

Amp'd Live TV channels, far superior and advanced in image quality than its competitors [ citation needed ], included Comedy Central Mobile, MTV Mobile, Spike TV, Oxygen Mobile, MTVU, VH1, LOGO, UFC TV, Fox News, Fox Sports, Playboy Mobile, Discovery Mobile, History Channel, A&E, Biography Channel, Style, Break TV, E!, WE Mobile, Speed, NBA TV, Girls Gone Wild TV, and Adult Swim Mobile.SU. The TV show Lil Bush aired on Amp'd Live TV before being picked up by Comedy Central.

Amp'd Mobile Canada

On March 14, 2007, Amp'd Mobile Canada was launched. It was based on a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) partnership with Telus Mobility. Amp'd managed the marketing and multimedia content, while Telus Mobility handled the billing, customer care, retail aspects, and network.

On August 1, 2007, after noticing Amp'd Mobile's financial problems in the USA, Telus Mobility announced that it would be discontinuing Amp'd service in Canada. Multimedia content was quickly pulled down, but users could still obtain a similar service from Telus Mobility or other providers. A transition period ensured uninterrupted voice and messaging services. During this time, customers were contacted via phone and were instructed to transition to the Telus Mobility network or that of another provider.

Because the Amp'd Mobile phones were CDMA devices, it is very difficult to activate them on a cellular network today. Amp'd Mobile claimed that customers "will need to replace" their phones and service via Telus Mobility at no extra charge with a $300 credit. However, it is still possible to activate an Amp'd Mobile Phone with a CDMA carrier.

On March 17, 2008, nearly a year after Amp'd Mobile Canada's debut, Koodo Mobile was launched by Telus Mobility as their discount MVNO. More importantly, it targeted the youth demographic previously sought by Amp'd. Unlike Amp'd, Koodo does not provide multimedia content. Koodo does, however, offer customizable budget plans for unlimited SMS, MMS, social networking and up to 10 GB of Internet data.

Company and subscriber numbers

2006

At the end of 2006, Amp'd Mobile had over 100,000 subscribers. 89 percent of its customer base is on postpaid contracts, and its total average revenue per user is “well over” $100 per month. [1]

2007

Amp'd Mobile filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection June 1, 2007. Its subscriber base at the end of the first quarter was about 175,000 customers. [2]

On July 20, Amp'd announced its intentions to sell off all its assets at auction. [3] In addition, Best Buy discontinued carrying the Amp'd post-paid service.

On July 21, 2007 text messages began to be sent to Amp'd Mobile customer phones that stated:

Your svc may be disconnected on 7.24 @ 12:01 am. Go to www.ampd.com or contact the location where you activated your service for further information.

On July 24, 2007, Amp'd website updated its FAQ with potential service disconnection pushed back to July 31, 2007.

On July 31, 2007 Amp'd sent a text message:

Ampd svc ends @midnight 8/1. Keep your Ampd phone and get 100 free TXT by switching to Prexar Mobile. For info go to http://www.prexarmobile.com Archived 2007-09-12 at the Wayback Machine

Prexar Mobile is now itself out of business, the website is no longer up and running. Prexar Mobile was owned by USA (United Systems Access) Telecom.

Bankruptcy

On June 1, 2007, Amp'd filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. According to court documents, around 80,000 of its 175,000 subscribers were recorded as nonpaying customers. Bankruptcy protection was brought on by Verizon Wireless who threatened to cut off service to Amp'd if debt owed to Verizon wasn't paid. Amp'd Mobile together with its main creditor Kings Road Investment Ltd. sued Verizon Wireless, seeking a court order that barred Verizon from cutting off service to Amp'd Mobile from its network. On June 22, 2007, an agreement was reached between Verizon, Amp'd and Kings Road to pay Verizon off with cash collateral and allow Amp'd the use of Verizon's network. The settlement was heard in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court on June 25, 2007. [4] Amp'd indicated an intent to sell off its assets. [5] [6]

Service shutdown

Amp'd sent out a text message to all of its users on July 22, 2007 stating that as of July 24, 12:01 a.m. they would be discontinuing all services. [6] This date was later extended to July 31, 2007. [7]

On the evening of July 23, the Amp'd website indicated that customer service would no longer be available. [7] The fate of mobile phone numbers for existing customers who have not yet ported to another carrier was still unknown. [8]

On July 26, 2007 Amp'd sent a text message which gave additional information on how bankruptcy will affect its subscribers agreement. The text read as follows:

AMPD MSG:

Additional info about how the Ampd bankruptcy will affect your subscriber agreement is available at

http://chapter11.epiqsystems.com/AMI

On July 31, 2007 Amp'd sent another text message:

Ampd svc ends @midnight 8/1. Keep your Ampd phone and get 100 free TXT by switching to Prexar Mobile. For info go to http://prexarmobile.com/

Sponsorship

Amp'd Mobile was the sponsor of VH1's comedy-skit show: "Acceptable TV." Its name, brand, and mascot "Clarity the Amp'd Mobile Dog" were included in many of the show's skits during the Spring 2007 season. The mascot was actually created as a joke, which was later approved by Amp'd Mobile. Amp'd Mobile also sponsored an up-and-coming talented beatboxer known as "nemesis" he had downloadable content on the Amp'd Live network where he gave beatboxing lessons and conducted on camera celebrity interviews and red carpet events, he hosted many events for Amp'd Mobile and was sponsored from 2005 through 2007. Amp'd Mobile was also a prominent advertiser at Ultimate Fighting Championship events.

Amp'd Mobile was the title sponsor for the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Supercross series for 2006 and 2007. Monster Energy became the title sponsor for the 2008 season. Amp'd was also a personal sponsor of Chad Reed and other professional Motocross riders. It was also one of the sponsors of the PBR's Built Ford Tough Series during the 2007 season; it was also the first year that the BFTS hosted an event in New York City's Madison Square Garden, and for 2007 only the event was named the Amp'd Mobile Invitational.

Criticism

Customer service

A major complaint about Amp'd Mobile was its lack of customer service. Problems activating the service and plans not matching those advertised on the company's web site had been reported. Getting in contact with customer service proved to be a large issue. Many customers claimed to have found themselves on hold via phone support for hours, only to be hung up on. Also, instances of mail-in rebates being "lost" or never fulfilled had been reported. Amp'd customer service was contracted to ClientLogic [9] at launch. Support was later handled by Sento Corporation, but some time after the bankruptcy filing this support had ended, which had forced Sento to lay off around 200 people in Albuquerque, New Mexico and Orem, Utah.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telus</span> Subsidiary of Telus Corp, a Canadian telecommunications company

Telus Communications Inc. (TCI) is the wholly owned principal subsidiary of Telus Corporation, a Canadian national telecommunications company that provides a wide range of telecommunications products and services including internet access, voice, entertainment, healthcare, video, smart home automation and IPTV television. The company is based in the Vancouver, British Columbia, area; it was originally based in Edmonton, Alberta, before its merger with BC Tel in 1999. Telus' wireless division, Telus Mobility, offers UMTS, and LTE-based mobile phone networks. Telus is the incumbent local exchange carrier in British Columbia and Alberta. Telus' primary competitors include Shaw Communications. It also competes in the mobile sector with Shaw Communications, Rogers Communications and Bell Canada. Telus is a member of the British Columbia Technology Industry Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roaming</span> Wireless telecommunication term

Roaming is a wireless telecommunication term typically used with mobile devices, such as mobile phones. It refers to a mobile phone being used outside the range of its native network and connecting to another available cell network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bell Mobility</span> Canadian wireless network operator

Bell Mobility Inc. is a Canadian wireless network operator and the division of Bell Canada which offers wireless services across Canada. It operates networks using LTE and HSPA+ on its mainstream networks. Bell Mobility is the third-largest wireless carrier in Canada, with 10.1 million subscribers as of Q3 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AT&T Mobility</span> American telecommunications company

AT&T Mobility LLC, also known as AT&T Wireless and marketed as simply AT&T, is an American telecommunications company. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T Inc. and provides wireless services in the United States. AT&T Mobility is the largest wireless carrier in the United States, with 217.4 million subscribers at the end of Q4 2022.

Verizon is an American wireless network operator that previously operated as a separate division of Verizon Communications under the name Verizon Wireless. In a 2019 reorganization, Verizon moved the wireless products and services into the divisions Verizon Consumer and Verizon Business, and stopped using the Verizon Wireless name. Verizon is the second-largest wireless carrier in the United States, with 143.3 million subscribers at the end of Q4 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SK Telecom</span> South Korean telecommunications company

SK Telecom Co., Ltd., abbreviated as SKT is a South Korean wireless telecommunications operator and former film distributor and is part of the SK Group, one of the country's largest chaebols. It leads the local market with 50.5 percent share as of 2008. SK Telecom is the largest wireless carrier in South Korea, with 27.019 million subscribers as of Q4 2017.

Rogers Wireless Inc. is a Canadian wireless telephone company headquartered in Toronto, providing service nationally throughout Canada. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rogers Communications. The company had revenues of just under $15.1 billion in 2018. Rogers Wireless is the largest wireless carrier in Canada, with 10.8 million subscribers as of Q3 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fido (wireless carrier)</span> Cellular Carrier

Fido is a Canadian mobile network operator owned by Rogers Communications. Since its acquisition by Rogers in 2004, it has operated as a Mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) using the Rogers Wireless network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alltel</span> Former American telecommunications company

Alltel Wireless was a wireless service provider, primarily based in the United States. Before acquisitions by Verizon Wireless and AT&T, it served 34 states and had approximately 13 million subscribers. As a regulatory condition of the acquisition by Verizon, a small portion of Alltel was spun off and continued to operate under the same name in six states, mostly in rural areas. Following the merger, Alltel remained the ninth largest wireless telecommunications company in the United States, with approximately 800,000 customers. On January 22, 2013, AT&T announced they were acquiring what remained of Alltel from Atlantic Tele-Network for $780 million in cash.

Telus Mobility is a Canadian wireless network operator and a division of Telus Communications which sells wireless services in Canada on its numerous networks. It operates 5G, LTE and HSPA+ on its mainstream networks. Telus Mobility is the second-largest wireless carrier in Canada, with 10.6 million subscribers as of Q3 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virgin Plus</span> Canadian telecommunication company

Virgin Plus is a provider of postpaid and prepaid wireless voice, text and data communications services throughout Canada. They also offer home Internet and TV services in select areas of Ontario and Quebec. Launched as Virgin Mobile Canada on March 1, 2005, as a joint venture between Virgin Group and BCE Inc., BCE took sole ownership on July 1, 2009, when it closed a deal to purchase the stake it did not already own. Virgin Plus calls its customers 'Members' and offers a Member Benefits program, which provides its customers with special offers, discounts, and VIP experiences.

Leap Wireless International, Inc. was a telecommunications operator that provided wireless services to approximately 4.6 million subscribers, the 5th largest, through its subsidiary, Cricket Communications, Inc.. It was headquartered in San Diego, California. Leap Wireless and Cricket Wireless are now subsidiaries of AT&T.

The Motorola Q is a Windows Mobile smartphone first announced in the Summer of 2005 as a thin device with similar styling to Motorola's immensely popular RAZR. Motorola in a partnership with Verizon Wireless released the Q on May 31, 2006. A version for Sprint was released early in January 2007 and one for Amp'd Mobile in April 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LG Voyager</span> Mobile phone

The LG VX10000, also known as the Verizon Voyager or LG VX10K, is an Internet-enabled multimedia phone designed by LG Electronics and carried by Verizon Wireless in the US, Telus, and Bell Mobility in Canada, and Reliance in Asia. The external screen is touch enabled with a virtual keyboard and buttons. It features an internal screen for use with the included full QWERTY keyboard. Both screens of the Voyager have WQVGA resolution. The Voyager's functions include those of a camera phone and a portable media player, in addition to text messaging, and Internet services including e-mail and web browsing. It is a dual-band mobile phone that uses the CDMA standard. It supports the EVDO data technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Koodo Mobile</span> Canadian telecommunications company, a subsidiary of Telus

Koodo Mobile is a Canadian mobile flanker brand started by Telus in 2008 and mostly oriented toward younger customers. Koodo differs from its parent Telus by not requiring a fixed term contract. Koodo currently provides postpaid, prepaid, and wireless home phone services. Being a subsidiary of Telus, Koodo has been able to offer extensive coverage and a strong presence in mobile retailers. This allowed Koodo to gain a presence nationwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Public Mobile</span> Canadian wireless carrier

Public Mobile Inc. is a Canadian self-serve mobile brand which is owned by Telus. Launched on March 18, 2010, Public Mobile was one of several new Canadian cellphone providers that started in 2009–10 after a federal government initiative to encourage competition in the wireless sector.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LG Optimus One</span> Series of entry-level touch-screen smartphones manufactured by LG Electronics

The LG Optimus One is an entry-level series of touch-screen smartphones manufactured by LG Electronics, Inc. It was released running the Android 2.2 Froyo, and later LG released software to upgrade it to Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Although the basic physical form factor of each variant is the same, the variants have differences in hard button shape and layout, the form of the metal side bezel and the user interfaces added by LG or various carriers. Versions of the Optimus One exist that operate on various frequency bands and either GSM or CDMA-based network protocols. They may also feature one or more variations in hardware, such as a faster processor, the addition of a physical keyboard, a modem with higher theoretical speeds, or a better digital camera.

Clearnet was a division of Telus Mobility launched in April 2011 to sell landline and mobile phone bundles in Western Canada. It was a revival of the Clearnet Communications brand name, which originally belonged to an independent cellular provider that was merged into Telus Mobility in 2000. Telus relaunched Clearnet as a discount provider with a "limited market trial" in Kelowna, British Columbia and Red Deer, Alberta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PC Mobile</span> Prepaid wireless service licensed by the Loblaw Companies

PC Mobile is a licensed white label prepaid wireless service operated in Canada. Its mobile telephone products and services operate on the network infrastructure operated by Bell Mobility and formerly Telus Mobility, but licensed the proprietary branding and payment media with the President's Choice supermarket store brand owned by Loblaws Inc. It also operates mobile phone kiosks in Loblaws banner stores under the name The Mobile Shop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AT&T Mexico</span> Mexican division of the American telecom company AT&T

AT&T Mexico, also known as AT&T Mexico Wireless and AT&T Mexico Mobility, is a Mexican mobile telephone operator and subsidiary of AT&T. AT&T Mexico is headquartered in Mexico City. Its mobile network is available in 90% of Mexico, serving 13% of the Mexican wireless market. AT&T is the third-largest wireless carrier in Mexico, with 21.603 million subscribers as of December 2022.

References

  1. ↑ Wickham, Rhonda (2007-04-01). "Mobile Content: Amp'd Mobile". Wireless Week. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-02.
  2. ↑ "Amp'd Mobile Subscribers Grew 70% In 1Q To 175,000". Cellular-News. Associated Press. 2007-04-10. Archived from the original on 2007-06-29. Retrieved 2007-04-11.
  3. ↑ "Then end? Amp'd to auction off assets". RCR Wireless News . Cellular-News. 2007-07-20. Archived from the original on 2007-09-10. Retrieved 2007-07-20.
  4. ↑ Fizgerald, Patrick (2007-06-22). "Amp'd Mobile strikes deal to settle Verizon Wireless suit". Associated Press . Retrieved 2007-07-02.[ dead link ]
  5. ↑ "Amp'd Mobile Puts Assets Up For Sale In Bankruptcy Court". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27.
  6. 1 2 Amp'd Mobile to shut down July 24 at 12:01am? – Engadget
  7. 1 2 "Amp'd Mobile | Questions and Answers". Archived from the original on 2007-07-24. Retrieved 2007-07-23.
  8. ↑ "Amp'd Mobile to shut down on Tuesday". Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
  9. ↑ "Amp'd Mobile Ramps up Customer Care with ClientLogic". Highland Capital Partners. Archived from the original on 2006-01-14.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.