FreedomPop is a wireless internet and wireless virtual network operator based in Los Angeles, California. The company provides "free" IP mobile services including free data, text and VoIP and sells mobile phones, tablets and broadband devices for use with their services.
The company was founded by CEO Stephen Stokols and Steven Sesar. Supported by Intel, Mangrove Capital, DCM Capital, Atomico, Partech Ventures, and Axiata. FreedomPop has raised more than $ 109 million in financing, including C $ 50 million in early 2016.
FreedomPop uses Sprint and AT & amp; T in the United States, Three in the UK, Yoigo in Spain, and Telcel in Mexico.
Video FreedomPop
History
FreedomPop was co-founded by Stephen Stokols, CEO and Steven Sesar in 2011. Before establishing FreedomPop, Stokols served as Woo Media's CEO, video-chat and entertainment startup. FreedomPop partnered with LightSquared in December 2011, but ended its partnership after LightSquared did not receive Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approval to build its network. FreedomPop started selling 4G hotspots only in October 2012. Companies began offering mobile and wireless internet services in the United States using the Clearwire 4G network. FreedomPop converts its 20% free user base to a paid user by December 2012.
In April 2013, FreedomPop partnered with Sprint to expand its coverage by including 3G and 4G with a Sprint-compatible device. In October 2013, one year from the launch of its first wireless broadband, FreedomPop launched a free beta mobile package that includes voice, text and data services. In November, FreedomPop launches your own device for Sprint compatible phones.
FreedomPop began supporting and selling iPhones compatible with Sprint in April 2014. The company also released iOS apps that offer voice, text, and voicemail services to users in the United States. A month later, in May 2014, FreedomPop began supporting the LTE Android smartphone. In July the company announced it would soon offer a SIM card-based plan in Belgium in partnership with the Dutch operator KPN. FreedomPop does not sell mobile devices outside the United States.
In July 2014, FreedomPop began offering free 4G packets of data, voice and text to users of tablets, starting with iPad Mini and Samsung Tab 3. Free data, voice and text packages offered to those who purchased the tablet via FreedomPop or other eligible to bring Sprint device is your own device.
In October 2014, FreedomPop announced its own line of inexpensive smartphones and tablets. The first release is a 7-inch Wi-Fi only tablet, FreedomPop Liberty, which has free voice and SMS text messaging.
In November 2014, USA Today reported that Sprint Corporation is in talks to buy FreedomPop in an acquisition worth between $ 250 million and $ 450 million.
In January 2015, FreedomPop launched a new national Wi-Fi plan, which lets you tap into a network of nearly 10 million Wi-Fi hotspots nationwide for $ 5 per month.
According to New York Times , FreedomPop has hundreds of thousands of customers and more than 80 employees. In January 2015, FreedomPop initiated the first national wifi joint. This service offers unlimited voice, text and wifi to the user for a cost of $ 5 per month. In May 2015, FreedomPop announced its expansion into the UK with free mobile, voice and text data. The company will operate through a sim-only service. In September 2015, FreedomPop announced a free and cheap iPhone plan in the United States and plans to sell iPhone 6S in October. FreedomPop also announced the launch of its free mobile phone service in the UK. In November 2015, FreedomPop announced a partnership with Intel to create a smartphone that focuses on WiFi. This smartphone will be based on the Intel Sofia mobile chipset and can switch between WiFi and mobile during phone calls.
In January 2016, FreedomPop added a roaming SIM, known as "Global SIM", for free data used abroad in the United States and the United Kingdom. Service is provided by Fogg Mobile's global mobile connection service using AT & amp; T and T-Mobile as roaming partners in the United States. The company announced plans to expand roaming coverage to Southeast Asia and Latin America by the end of 2016.
In April 2016, FreedomPop announced that its services would be available in Spain, making it the third state supported by the company after the US and UK. FreedomPop launched its free mobile platform in Spain for FreedomPop SIM users in July 2016. In August 2016, the company offered the use of WhatsApp without value in more than 30 countries, including the US and Spain. In November 2016, FreedomPop launched FreedomShop in the United States, Britain, Mexico and Spain, to sell updated smartphones up to 80% of the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
On July 2, 2017, FreedomPop started strangling users who did not pay their new $ 4.99 Speed ​​Up Service . Users with free unattended packages are 1 Mbps while users of paid packages are compressed up to 5 Mbps. However, this throttle only affects users on the Sprint network and not Global or LTE SIM.
On August 28, 2017, FreedomPop reduced the total of additional data from Freedom Friends 1000 MB to 500 MB. Previously, users will get a maximum of 500 MB each month from adding Friend Freedom then their friends can share data to that user for an additional 500 MB. With the new changes, if the user has a maximum of 500 MB of adding Friend Freedom, then they can not receive other data through data sharing.
Funding
In July 2012, FreedomPop raised $ 7.5 million in the first round of funding led by Mangrove Capital and Doll Capital Management. The Company raised an additional $ 4.3 million in A1 Series financing from Mangrove Capital and Doll Capital Management in July 2013.
In June 2015, FreedomPop raised $ 30 million in a Series B funding round led by Partech Ventures with the participation of Doll Capital Management and Mangrove Capital. The company announced $ 10 million in funding led by Axiata in July 2015. FreedomPop received investment from Intel in November 2015, which the company plans to use to build a new broadband service to rival Google Project Fi.
In January 2016, six months after the Series B round of $ 36 million, FreedomPop collected $ 50 million in the Series C round for its global service expansion. The company has raised a total of $ 109 million.
Maps FreedomPop
Network
FreedomPop uses Sprint's network in the United States. By 2015 the company announces its plan to expand internationally to the UK on Network Three. In early 2016, FreedomPop launched a global SIM with free mobile data in 25 countries, including the US and the UK. By the end of 2016, FreedomPop launches an LTE SIM that utilizes AT & T's network.
Reception
The services offered by FreedomPop are designed for "light users," while paid options include unlimited talk and text with the option to add high-speed data. The "Unlimited Everything Package" introduced in May dropped from 4G LTE data to 3G after 1GB of data was used in the billing cycle. As of June 2015, this drops to 256kbit/s for users who register before June 2015 or 128kbit/s for users who sign up after June 2015. This service is only available in certain locations. Carriers are reported to have a good range, although call quality "can be a problem," according to Clark Howard.
Jared Newman, a TIME reporter, reviewed FreedomPop's core services in June 2013. Newman reported that some service fees are not clearly listed on the FreedomPop site. FreedomPop responded to criticism by freeing the cost of active status for new users in July 2013.
By 2015, The Economist recognizes FreedomPop and its "first Wi-Fi" technology, noting that the company is developing ideas for its customers to text and make calls over Wi-Fi connections, especially when they are available. According to Engadget reports, SIM-only FreedomPop services in the UK have strong signal quality with lightweight call quality issues and are intended for light streamers. The report notes that the service is a "very attractive alternative" for major operators.
At PC Magazine in 2017, Sascha Segan highlighted the service for "aggressive nickel-and-dice sales tactics"
See also
- giffgaff
- List of VoIP companies
- SkypeIn
- SkypeOut
- Suop
References
External links
- Official website
- FreedomPop - Network Status Update
- FreedomShop
- FreedomPop on Google Play
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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