Boost Mobile Sells Spectrum Internet, Shifts Some Stores To Focus More On Postpaid

According to the latest prepaid report from Wave7 Research, Boost Mobile is now selling Spectrum Home Internet in several hundred Boost Mobile stores. Wave7 Research first spotted signage in late August at a California store that read, ‘Ask us about Home Internet.’ The signs promote plans starting at $30/month.

Boost Mobile is no stranger to selling home internet plans from other providers. For several years Boost Mobile has been selling Xfinity Prepaid Internet in stores, and since 2021 has been selling Cox Straight Up Internet. Boost stores in Xfinity and Cox markets sell only prepaid internet services from those cablecos, but a source tells Wave7 Research that Spectrum markets will also include postpaid internet sales.

Boost Plus Store Conversion

EchoStar is rolling out what it calls its Boost Plus program to convert some Boost Mobile locations into “Boost Plus” stores. These stores place a stronger emphasis on postpaid services, feature a more modern design, and aim to deliver an “elevated customer experience” with added focus on local community engagement.

The postpaid lineup includes Boost’s $65/month Infinite Access plans for iPhones and Samsung Galaxies, which provide free devices with annual upgrades. Customers also receive “store-to-door” service, where a representative visits their home to complete setup and activation.

A source told Wave7 Research that at least 100 Boost Plus stores are expected to be operating by next spring. Current markets include New Jersey, Denver, and Las Vegas, and the first Boost Plus store in Chicago was recently announced by a Boost Mobile Account Executive on LinkedIn.

Editor's Take

EchoStar’s decision to let Boost Mobile stores keep selling internet services from other providers feels completely counterproductive to me, and it may even set Boost Mobile up for continued failure. I’m sure EchoStar makes a nice commission on each cable company brand it sells in its stores, and years ago that might have been a reasonable strategy. Back then, those companies didn’t all have their own wireless brands.

But today, every major cable company has its own wireless service, and they’ve been growing aggressively. By selling their internet services in Boost Mobile stores, EchoStar is practically handing them a pipeline to poach Boost customers. Once someone signs up for cable internet, the next step is inevitable: they’ll be pitched bundle deals with free or discounted wireless lines and even free phones if they switch carriers. In other words, Boost is fueling its own customer losses.

Yes, there’s an argument that this benefits Boost Mobile dealers in the short term. More products mean more foot traffic, more commissions, and opportunities to upsell devices. But long term, I just don’t see how this helps a company that desperately needs to grow and hold on to its wireless subscribers. EchoStar appears to be sacrificing its future for quick cash today, a move that undercut its now failed ambition to be the nation’s fourth wireless carrier and eliminates the chance for it to someday sell its own 5G home internet.

Jeff Moore, Principal of Wave7 Research added: “The Boost Plus effort is too little, too late. I’ve long argued that the company should have had a separate brand for its postpaid efforts. When Sprint was acquired by T-Mobile in 2020, Dish could have made a play for Sprint dealers who were retiring or selling to T-Mobile dealers. The move to sell Spectrum Internet in Boost stores, however, is a minor plus. Boost stores are now selling Internet services for all three table companies in many of its stores. Boost dealers can make additional revenues and pitch Boost wireless services to cable Internet customers who visit their stores.”