UPDATE: T-Mobile reached out to us this afternoon to give us the following statement, “Amazon is a great partner to T-Mobile in many areas, and we are always interested in working more closely with our cross-town neighbors in new ways. However, we are not in discussions about inclusion of our wireless in Prime service, and Amazon has told us they have no plans to add wireless service.”
Amazon Prime members get free two-day shipping (even same-day delivery on specific orders), unlimited streaming on Prime Video, and can choose from thousands of books, comics, and magazines to read for free on Kindle and Fire tablets along with iOS/iPadOS and Android devices. They also get unlimited music streaming with a 2 million tune library from Amazon Music Prime or a discounted subscription to Amazon Music Unlimited with over 100 million songs.
There is also a 10% discount on certain items from Amazon-owned Whole Foods, free unlimited full-resolution photo storage and 5 GB video storage from Amazon Photos. Prime members get even more perks related to Prime Day and other freebies. After a 30-day free trial, Prime costs $14.99 per month or $139 for the year. Students with a valid school email address get a six-month free trial and pay $7.49 per month or $69 for the year.
Amazon might add low-cost or free 5G wireless service to Amazon Prime
Now suppose Amazon Prime included free or low-cost unlimited 5G wireless service. How valuable would it be then? According to Bloomberg, this is a possibility as the news agency says that Amazon is in talks with Verizon, Dish, and T-Mobile. The goal is to offer unlimited 5G wireless service to Amazon Prime members for $10 per month or less. Amazon also spoke with AT&T earlier about the same topic. The talks have been going on for six to eight weeks.
While the wireless providers wouldn’t comment, Amazon spokesperson Maggie Sivon said, “We are always exploring adding even more benefits for Prime members, but don’t have plans to add wireless at this time.” Adding a wireless feature to Prime might give it a shot in the arm as the loyalty program has seen a slowdown in the number of new subscribers.
This could be a dicey situation for the big four U.S. wireless firms. While it could send more business to any of the carriers that partner with Amazon, it can also draw away customers subscribed to pricier monthly plans.
