Amazon appears to be preparing a significant upgrade for Prime subscribers - free mobile phone service. According to Bloomberg, Amazon is in talks with several US telecom providers, including Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, to offer mobile services at around $10 per month or even completely free. However, it seems that consensus with AT&T may not be reached.
Bloomberg reports that Amazon has been engaging with various parties for only 6 to 8 weeks, indicating that there is still a long way to go before an agreement is reached, and there is even a possibility of no final outcome. The specifics of Amazon's service remain unknown, whether it will resemble existing mobile calling services or have certain unique limitations. Particularly crucial to the attractiveness of Amazon's service will be whether it includes the aspect of 5G data transmission, which constitutes a significant portion of modern smartphone usage. The offering of data quantity and speed will likely play a key role in determining the appeal of Amazon's service.
Of course, this raises the question of whether you are willing to further immerse yourself in Amazon's ecosystem. From initially offering simple free shipping, Prime has expanded to provide a wide range of services including video streaming, music, games, and more. Clearly, the addition of mobile calling and potentially mobile data would further enhance Prime's influence and could provide a basis for future price increases. It all depends on the conditions that Amazon negotiates with the telecom providers.