Amazon reportedly in talks to bundle mobile phone service as Prime perk

Amazon is reportedly considering offering mobile connectivity to its customers with US Prime subscriptions reports from Bloomberg, It is said to have been in talks with existing US carriers, including Verizon, T-Mobile, Dish, and sometimes AT&T, about using their networks to offer mobile connectivity, which would then be offered to Prime customers. will be available either as part of their existing subscription or for Nominal $10 a month fee.

In a statement, Amazon spokesman Bradley Mattinger denied that the company is currently actively planning to add wireless connectivity to Prime. “We are always looking to add even more benefits for Prime members, but there are no plans to add wireless at this time,” Mattinger said. Bloomberg Note that it can take months for plans to launch and be fully rolled out.

News of the talks comes as Prime subscriber growth is believed to have slowed following last year’s price hike, which saw the cost of an annual Prime subscription rise from $119 to $139. Amazon also faces increased competition from the likes of Walmart Plus, a $98/year subscription service from the retailer that offers free grocery delivery on orders over $35. Walmart last year added Paramount Plus subscriptions to its subscription service, which competes with Amazon’s own Prime Video streaming service.

Although Amazon will pay wireless carriers to use its network under the plans, Bloomberg Note that partnering with the e-commerce giant could be a double-edged sword for them. If Amazon priced its wireless offering as cheap as it was BloombergThe report suggests that it runs the risk of competing with carriers for its existing customers. Amazon Has Historically Proved That It’s Up For It Spend Big for Prime Subscriber Growth,

Fellow tech giant Google already offers a wireless network of its own called Google Fi. Like Amazon’s rumored plans, Google Fi is known as a mobile virtual network operator, or MVNO, and runs on T-Mobile’s network as well as a network of Wi-Fi hotspots nationally.