C Spire Solves Expensive Consumer Headache by Blocking Surprise Overages Before They Happen on All its Wireless Mobile Service Plans

Unique benefit an extension of provider’s long-standing belief in overage protection for consumers

Ridgeland, Miss. - (July 3, 2015) – C Spire, the first U.S. mobile provider to introduce rolling data plans, is helping consumers regain control of their mobile phone bills by stopping surprise overage charges that routinely cost them thousands of dollars a year.

“This is a huge problem for consumers who struggle with the number and complexity of wireless plans and policies by many carriers that impose harsh financial penalties when they use more data than is included in their monthly plan,” said Suzy Hays, senior vice president of Consumer Markets for C Spire.

As smartphones have grown more powerful with apps and other services that rely on data, consumers are using more data. In the past 18 months alone, average data consumption has more than doubled, according to NPD Group, a market research firm. The average smartphone owner uses 2.98 GB of data each month, but 30 percent of consumers use only 500 MB.

And therein lies the problem. In 2013, more than 20 million consumers in the U.S. were hit with punitive data overage charges from mobile providers, resulting in an estimated $1 billion in penalties. “It’s a real dilemma because most users struggle to accurately gauge how much data they really need,” Hays said. “If you purchase too much data, you’re wasting money. If you buy too little, you get hit with surprise overage fees or your data speeds get throttled or slowed down.”

At C Spire, the company prevents data overages from happening by keeping users in control of whether they want to pay for more data. “Our approach is simple: if you reach your monthly data limit, we’ll let you decide if you want more. We won’t use it as an opportunity to charge you huge fees without ever asking,” Hays said.

How it Works

• When 20 percent of their monthly data plan remains, C Spire sends customers a text message alert.
• Once users reach their monthly data limit, C Spire texts customers again and gives them an opportunity to purchase a Top Up data pass directly from their phone. They can choose from 500 MB for $10, 1 GB for $15 or 3 GB for $45.
• Any unused data from a Top Up pass rolls to the next month.
• Customers can use Wi-Fi to reduce the need to Top Up or switch to Wi-Fi if they run out to keep their bill the same until the monthly data allocation renews on their next billing cycle.

Additional Rolling Data Plan Benefits

• All existing customers on C Spire’s three most popular shared data plans now automatically receive the rollover data feature with no sign up required and at no additional cost.
• Any unused data from the previous month is rolled over to the next month for sharing among all users up to the plan’s monthly limit.
• Unlike other providers, C Spire does not force consumers to use plan data first or eliminate any unused roll over data at the end of each month.
• Instead, rollover data can be accumulated, shared and used among all individuals up to the plan’s monthly limit.
• Unlike other providers, shared rolling data is available on plans with two year contracts as well as those with device payment options.

C Spire’s rolling data plans offer consumers the best of both worlds - a choice of price points - $40, $55 and $65 a month for 2 GB, 4 GB and 6 GB of rolling data and unlimited talk, text and photos along with data overage protection and optional top-up data passes on the company’s nationwide 4G+ LTE mobile broadband network.

For more details on other C Spire products and services, go to www.cspire.com.

About C Spire
C Spire is a diversified telecommunications and technology services company that provides world-class customer service and a superior comprehensive suite of customer-inspired wireless communications, high-speed Internet access and a range of other telecommunications products and services to consumers and businesses with a personal focus. This news release and other announcements are available at www.cspire.com/news. For more information about C Spire, visit www.cspire.com or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cspire or Twitter at www.twitter.com/cspire.