FreedomPop

FreedomPop
Private
Founded Los Angeles, USA (2011 (2011))
Founder Stephen Stokols
Steven Sesar
Headquarters Los Angeles
Area served
 United States
Europe[1]
Key people
 Stephen Stokols, (CEO)
Steven Sesar, (COO)
Website www.freedompop.com

FreedomPop is a wireless internet and mobile phone service provider based in Los Angeles, California.[2][3] The company provides free mobile services including free data, text and voice and sells mobile phones, tablets and broadband devices for use with their service.[2][4][5] The company was founded by CEO Stephen Stokols and Steven Sesar.[6] It is backed by Intel, Mangrove Capital,[7] DCM Capital, Atomico, Partech Ventures and Axiata.[6][8][9] FreedomPop has raised over $109 million in financing, including a $50 million Series C in early 2016.[10][11]

FreedomPop uses Sprint's network in the United States.[12][13] In 2015 the company announced its plans to expand internationally to the UK on Three's network.[14] In early 2016, FreedomPop launched a global SIM with Free mobile data across 25 countries.[15]

History

FreedomPop was co-founded by Stephen Stokols, CEO and Steven Sesar in 2011.[6] Prior to founding FreedomPop, Stokols served as CEO of Woo Media, a video-chat and entertainment startup.[3] FreedomPop partnered with Lightsquared in December 2011, but ended its partnership after Lightsquared did not receive Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approval to build out its network.[16] FreedomPop began selling 4G only hotspots in October 2012.[17] The company began offering mobile and wireless internet services in the United States using Clearwire's 4G network.[18][19][20] FreedomPop converted 20% of its free user base to paid users in December 2012.[7]

In April 2013, FreedomPop partnered with Sprint to expand its coverage to include 3G and 4G with Sprint compatible devices.[21] In October 2013, one year from its initial wireless broadband launch, FreedomPop launched its beta free mobile phone plan that included voice, text, and data service.[22] In November FreedomPop launched a bring your own device for Sprint-compatible phones.[23]

FreedomPop began supporting and selling Sprint-compatible iPhones in April 2014.[24][25] The company also released an iOS app that offers voice, text and voicemail service to users within the United States.[24][25] A month later, in May 2014, FreedomPop began supporting LTE Android smartphones.[26] In July the company announced it would soon be offering SIM card-based plans in Belgium in partnership with Dutch carrier KPN.[27] FreedomPop does not sell mobile devices outside of the United States.[27]

In July 2014, FreedomPop began offering its free 4G data, voice and text plans to tablet users, starting with the iPad Mini and the Samsung Tab 3. The free data, voice and text plan is offered to those purchasing a tablet through FreedomPop or other eligible bring your own device Sprint devices.[28][29]

In October 2014, FreedomPop announced its own branded-line of low-cost smartphones and tablets. The first release was a 7-inch Wi-Fi only tablet, the FreedomPop Liberty, which has free voice and SMS text messaging.[30][31][32]

In November 2014, USA Today reported that Sprint Corporation is in talks to buy FreedomPop in an acquisition valued between $250 million and $450 million.[33]

In January 2015 FreedomPop launched a new nationwide Wi-Fi plan, which lets you tap into a network of nearly 10 million Wi-Fi hotspots across the country for $5 per month.[34][35]

According to the New York Times, FreedomPop has hundreds of thousands of subscribers and more than 80 employees.[36] In January 2015, FreedomPop started the first aggregated nationwide wifi.[37][38][39] The service offers consumers unlimited voice, text and wifi for $5 per month.[40][41][42][43] In May 2015, FreedomPop announced an expansion into the UK with free mobile data, voice and text.[44][45] The company will be operating through a sim-only service.[46][47] In September 2015, FreedomPop announced free and low-cost iPhone plans in the United States and plans to sell the iPhone 6S in October.[48] FreedomPop also announced the launch of its free mobile-phone service in the UK.[49] In November 2015, FreedomPop announced a partnership with Intel to create a WiFi-focused smartphone.[9] The smartphone will be based on Intel's Sofia mobile chipset and be able to switch between WiFi and cellular during a phone call.[50]

In January 2016, FreedomPop added a roaming SIM, known as the "Global SIM", for free data abroad use in the United States and United Kingdom. Service is provided by a global mobile connection service Fogg Mobile which uses AT&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.[51][52]

In April 2016, FreedomPop announced that its services would become available in Spain, making it the company’s third supported country following the US and UK. FreedomPop launched its free mobile platform in Spain for users of the FreedomPop SIM in July 2016.[53][54] By August 2016, the company offered zero-rated WhatsApp usage in more than 30 countries, including the US and Spain.[55][56]

Funding

In July 2012, FreedomPop raised $7.5 million in a first round of funding led by Mangrove Capital and Doll Capital Management.[57] The company raised an additional $4.3 million in a Series A1 financing from Mangrove Capital and Doll Capital Management in July 2013.[58]

In June 2015, FreedomPop raised $30 million in a Series B funding round led by Partech Ventures with participation from Doll Capital Management and Mangrove Capital. The company announced $10 million in funding led by Axiata in July 2015.[8] FreedomPop received an investment from Intel in November 2015, which the company planned to use to build out a new broadband service to rival Google Project Fi.[59]

In January 2016, six months after its Series B round of $36 million, FreedomPop raised $50 million in a Series C round for global expansion of its services.[60][61] The company has raised a total of $109 million.[62]

Reception

The service offered by FreedomPop is designed for "light users",[63] while paid options include unlimited talk and text with an option to add high-speed data. The "Unlimited Everything Plan" introduced in May drops from 4G LTE data to 3G after 1GB of data is used within a billing cycle. In June 2015, this drops to 256kbit/s for users that signed up before June 2015 or 128kbit/s for users who signed up after June 2015. The service is only available in select locations.[64] The carrier reportedly has good coverage, though the call quality "can be an issue," according to Clark Howard.[65]

Jared Newman, a TIME reporter, reviewed FreedomPop's core service in June 2013. Newman reported that some service fees were not clearly noted on FreedomPop's homepage. FreedomPop responded to the criticism by waiving the active status fee for new users as of July 2013.[7]

In 2015, The Economist recognized FreedomPop and its "Wi-Fi first" technology, noting that the company developed the idea for its customers to send texts and make calls over Wi-Fi connections primarily when available.[66] According to an Engadget report, FreedomPop's SIM-only service in the UK had strong signal quality with minor call quality issues and is meant for light streamers. The report noted that the service is a "seriously attractive alternative" to major carriers.[67]

References

  1. ↑ Ingrid Lunden (10 July 2014). "FreedomPop Brings Its Free Wireless Service To Europe, Sans Handsets". TechCrunch. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  2. 1 2 Don Reisinger (29 April 2014). "Free iPhone use? FreedomPop proves it's possible". Cnet. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  3. 1 2 Olga Kharif (16 August 2012). "Skype Founder's New Startup, FreedomPop, Picks CEO". Bloomberg. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  4. ↑ John Shinal (28 April 2014). "FreedomPop goes to China to upend U.S. smartphone market". USA Today. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  5. ↑ Fried, Ina (March 10, 2012). "Backed by Skype Co-Founder Zennstrom, FreedomPop Starts Taking Sign-Ups for 4G iPhone Sled". AllThingsD. Retrieved May 16, 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 Joseph Palenchar (29 April 2014). "FreedomPop Extends Free And Low-Cost Service To iPhones". Twice. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 Geron, Tomio (June 5, 2013). "Data For Nothing, Calls For Free: How FreedomPop Will Offer Free Phone Service". Forbes. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  8. 1 2 Ingrid Lunden (July 30, 2015). "FreedomPop Raises $10M More, Inks Strategic Deal With New Investor, Asian Carrier Axiata". TechCrunch. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  9. 1 2 Fried, Ina (November 3, 2015). "With Funding From Intel, FreedomPop Is Set to Launch Its First Phone Next Year". Re/code. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
  10. ↑ Kevin Fitchard (July 30, 2015). "FreedomPop heads to Southeast Asia with its free mobile plan in tow". Fortune. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  11. ↑ Meyer, Dan (January 20, 2016). "FreedomPop Pockets $50M, Launches Global Hot Spot With Free Data". RCR Wireless News. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
  12. ↑ Velazco, Chris (July 10, 2012). "FreedomPop Teams With Sprint To Broaden Reach Of Its Freemium Internet Service". TechCrunch. Retrieved August 10, 2012.
  13. ↑ Kevin Fitchard (8 January 2013). "FreedomPop, textPlus team up to offer freemium voice, SMS service". Gigaom. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  14. ↑ Trotman, Andrew (13 May 2015). "Free mobile phone service FreedomPop to launch in UK". The Telegraph. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  15. ↑ Lunden, Ingrid (January 20, 2016). "FreedomPop Raises Another $50M, Launches "Free" Global Data Hotspot and SIM". TechCrunch. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
  16. ↑ Woyke, Elizabeth (February 9, 2012). "FreedomPop Replacing LightSquared With Other Carrier As 'Free Broadband' Launch Partner". Forbes. Retrieved May 16, 2012.
  17. ↑ Adam Dachis (October 10, 2012). "FreedomPop Provides Free Wireless Internet Access You Can Take (Almost) Anywhere". Lifehacker. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  18. ↑ Joe Rizzo (9 October 2013). "FreedomPop Takes a Shot at Carriers with Free Cell Phone Service Offer". Mobility Tech Zone. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  19. ↑ Nathaniel Mott (18 December 2012). "As Sprint and Clearwire get closer, FreedomPop has a smile on its face". Pando Daily. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  20. ↑ Emily Parkhurst (27 March 2012). "FreedomPop partners with Clearwire to offer free mobile data access". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  21. ↑ "FreedomPop brings its free internet service to Sprint's 3G network, launches new hotspot". VentureBeat. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
  22. ↑ Alice Truong (1 October 2013). "On its first birthday, FreedomPop debuts free phone plan". Fast Company. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  23. ↑ Jon Fingas. "FreedomPop now lets you bring your own phone, offers $99 HTC Evo 4G". Retrieved 2014-07-27.
  24. 1 2 Jason D. O'Grady (29 April 2014). "FreedomPop announces free voice and data plans for iPhone". ZDNet. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  25. 1 2 Ina Fried (28 April 2014). "FreedomPop to Sell First Apple Devices, Offering iPhone 5 With Its Free and Low-Cost Plans". Recode. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  26. ↑ Kevin Fitchard (22 May 2014). "FreedomPop joins the ranks of carriers offering limited "unlimited" data plans". Gigaom. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  27. 1 2 Ingrid Lunden (2014-07-10). "FreedomPop Brings Its Free Wireless Service To Europe, Sans Handsets". Retrieved 2014-07-27.
  28. ↑ Jordan Kahn (30 July 2014). "FreedomPop brings its free voice, text & data plans to tablets including a $319 iPad mini". 9to5 Mac. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  29. ↑ Jon Fingas (30 July 2014). "FreedomPop's free data and voice are now available on tablets". Engadget. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  30. ↑ Jessica Dolcourt (1 October 2014). "Crazy-big, stupid-cheap FreedomPop Liberty boasts 7-inch screen for $90". CNET. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  31. ↑ Kevin Fitchard (1 October 2014). "FreedomPop starts making its own low-cost smartphones, starting with a 7-inch phablet". Gigaom. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  32. ↑ Seth Colaner (1 October 2014). "FreedomPop Breaks New Ground, Begins Making Own Tablets And Smartphones". Tom's Hardware. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  33. ↑ "Sprint in talks to buy wireless startup FreedomPop". USA Today. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
  34. ↑ Moscaritolo, Angela (January 21, 2015). "FreedomPop Launches $5 Wi-Fi Service". PC Mag. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
  35. ↑ Whitney, Lance (May 22, 2014). "Free phone service FreedomPop unveils $20 'Unlimited' plan". Cnet. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
  36. ↑ Chen, Brian X. (15 February 2015). "Cellphone Start-Ups Use Wi-Fi First to Handle Calls and Take On Rivals". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  37. ↑ Whitney, Lance (November 3, 2015). "Free phone service FreedomPop to offer Wi-Fi first smartphone". Cnet. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
  38. ↑ Kevin Fitchard (January 21, 2015). "FreedomPop cobbles together a Wi-Fi network of 10M hotspots". Gigaom. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  39. ↑ Erica Sadun (January 23, 2015). "A year with FreedomPop: how did it go?". Engadget. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  40. ↑ Knutson, Ryan; Gryta, Thomas (21 January 2015). "Could This New FreedomPop Wi-Fi Service Be an Alternative to Wireless Bills?". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  41. ↑ Ingrid Lunden (January 21, 2015). "FreedomPop Turns On Unlimited Wi-Fi Across The US For $5/Month". Tech Crunch. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  42. ↑ John Callaham (January 21, 2015). "FreedomPop offers unlimited access to its Wi-Fi network for $5 a month". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  43. ↑ Stephen Lawson (January 21, 2015). "FreedomPop launches $5 unlimited Wi-Fi service, plans Wi-Fi phone". PC World. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  44. ↑ Fried, Ina (12 May 2015). "FreedomPop Expands Into Europe as It Weighs Investment or Sale". Recode. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  45. ↑ Lunden, Ingrid (12 May 2015). "As Acquisition Rumors Swirl, Free Mobile Service FreedomPop Goes Live In The UK". TechCrunch. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  46. ↑ Simmons, Dan (13 May 2015). "Free mobile voice, text and data plans coming to UK". BBC. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  47. ↑ Gibbs, Samuel (13 May 2015). "FreedomPop bringing free mobile calls, texts and data service to the UK". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  48. ↑ Ingrid Lunden (September 22, 2015). "FreedomPop Launches In The UK, Intros Free And $18/Month iPhone-Only Plans In US". TechCrunch. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  49. ↑ Christopher Williams (September 23, 2015). "Freedompop launches free 4G mobile service in UK". The Telegraph. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  50. ↑ "Intel Works With FreedomPop To Cut Out Carriers In New WiFi-Focused Smartphone". Forbes. November 3, 2015.
  51. ↑ Rigg, Jamie (20 January 2016). "FreedomPop's latest free SIM plan includes international data". Engadget. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  52. ↑ Fitchard, Kevin (July 30, 2015). "FreedomPop heads to Southeast Asia with its free mobile plan in tow". Fortune. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
  53. ↑ "FreedomPop Officially Launches Spain's First 100% Free Mobile Service with free voice, data, text and WhatsApp for life". FierceWireless. July 13, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  54. ↑ Goovaerts, Diana (July 12, 2016). "FreedomPop Launches Service in Spain, Sharable Data". WirelessWeek. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  55. ↑ Lunden, Ingrid (20 April 2016). "FreedomPop now offers zero-rated apps, starting with WhatsApp voice and text in Spain". TechCrunch. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  56. ↑ Kris Carlon (August 17, 2016). "The new FreedomPop SIM card lets you use unlimited WhatsApp for free". Android Authority. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  57. ↑ Devindra Hardawar (10 July 2012). "FreedomPop raises $7.5M to free you from your carrier shackles (exclusive)". VentureBeat. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  58. ↑ Geron, Tomio (February 7, 2013). "FreedomPop Adds Social Sharing, And $4.3 Million". Forbes. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
  59. ↑ "Intel Puts $22M In 10 Startups, With A Stake In FreedomPop To Launch A Rival To Google's Project Fi". TechCrunch. November 3, 2015.
  60. ↑ Fried, Ina (January 20, 2016). "FreedomPop Raises Another $50 Million to Offer Cheap Global Roaming for World Travelers". Re/code. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
  61. ↑ Tilley, Aaron (20 January 2016). "FreedomPop Raises $50 Million, Adds Low Cost Data Roaming In 25 Countries". Forbes. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  62. ↑ Lunden, Ingrid (20 January 2016). "FreedomPop Raises Another $50M, Launches "Free" Global Data Hotspot And SIM". TechCrunch. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  63. ↑ Epstein, Zach (29 April 2014). "You can now get completely free calling, texting and data on your iPhone". BGR. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  64. ↑ Whitney, Lance (22 May 2014). "Free phone service FreedomPop unveils $20 'Unlimited' plan". CNET. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  65. ↑ Howard, Clark (23 February 2015). "Smartphone and Data Plan Guide for 2015". Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  66. ↑ "Change is in the air". The Economist. 20 June 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  67. ↑ Jamie Rigg (November 5, 2015). "A week with FreedomPop in the UK: You can't argue with free". Engadget. Retrieved December 20, 2015.

External links

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