NetZero 4G experienced 28 percent growth in mobile broadband accounts during the first quarter of 2013, reaching 41,000 subscriptions.
NetZero 4G launched in March 2012 as an MVNO for Clearwire's (NASDAQ:CLWR) WiMAX service. The business has provided NetZero 4G's parent company, United Online, "with an opportunity to expand the NetZero brand name into a major growth market," said Mark Goldston, United's chairman, president and CEO.
"The continued operation of the dial-up business combined with the exciting new growth potential of our NetZero 4G mobile broadband business present an opportunity for [United's] communications segment to pursue a revenue growth strategy for the first time in many years," added Goldston.
The company operates on the "freemium" model, offering 200 MB of free data per month and charging for higher-use packages, which start at $9.95 per month for 500 MB of data. To get the free data access, a user must purchase a NetZero 4G mobile broadband device. Access to the free plan from a specific device expires, and may not be renewed, after 12 months or upon upgrading to a paid plan.
In other news, United announced it has filed an initial registration statement that will enable it to spin off its FTD Companies flower delivery business. Once the spinoff is completed, stockholders will own shares in two publicly traded companies: FTD Companies and United Online, with the former consisting of FTD and Interflora and the latter consisting of what today are United's communications and content and media segments.
Goldston--who has been chairman and CEO of United Online and its predecessor, NetZero, for 14 years--will be leaving the company upon completion of the FTD spin off.
For more:
- see this United Online release
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