The introduction of Midco Mobile is less like a singular launch and more like a wave that continues to build in size. Since debuting in April, early adoption has outpaced the operator’s internal projections, but according to company leaders, one of the clearer signs of momentum has been the number of customers signing up without ever talking to a Midco representative.
At the same time that a growing number of cable operators are introducing their own mobile offerings, those companies are also making an effort to alleviate customers’ potential hesitation about switching from a more traditional carrier to the new kid on the block. Midco President/COO Ben Dold is well aware of that sentiment and acknowledges such a transition “can be a little intimidating” for customers. However, Midco has also seen “a meaningful percentage of orders coming in online where someone’s seeing the marketing or hearing from someone,” which Dold attributes to the company’s preparation ahead of launch.
It also helps that Midco has spent nearly a century growing its roots throughout the Midwest. “Midco is such a known, established 95-year-old company, and because of that, people feel really good about taking a leap with a new product,” says Midco VP of Product Management Emma Fox. “We started to see more and more customers asking for their connectivity from one person, and we thought, well, let’s see if we can be that person.”
Midco Mobile’s momentum started with an internal commitment well before launch. Dold ported his own number onto the platform to become the company’s first live customer, and Fox’s team ran employee field trials, expanding the scope after each stage proved solid. “That was part of that deliberate [approach]—make sure every step works before you add another step,” Fox says. Dold echoed the importance of internal support. “We knew that if our teams were excited, they would be excited about telling our customers and talking about it within the community.”
That philosophy paid off when Midco saw mobile sales come in before it even turned on marketing. Once teams took Midco Mobile to market, the rollout leaned into storytelling and showcasing the product at local events, rather than touting it as a pure price play.
Midco took on other means of marketing, including a wrapped promotional Jeep that is an unexpected fan fave. “I’ve driven the Midco Mobile-wrapped vehicle several times, and it gets people’s attention on the road and when you’re filling it with gas,” Dold says.
Midco isn’t treating the early success as a finish line. Dold and Fox said the next step for Midco Mobile is compounding the momentum it’s built so far, and the roadmap ahead is about giving customers more reasons to remain engaged.
“We’re listening to customers and what they’re looking for, and we’re going to build in more flexibility in the future,” Fox says. “So different packages, different promos—I think there’s a lot of exciting ideas out there and we’re excited for what’s next.”
Fast Facts
Midco Mobile runs as an MVNO built with Telgoo5 serving as the mobile virtual network enabler—handling billing, lifecycle management and digital commerce—while BlueConnects manages the underlying MVNO relationship, OSS/BSS operations and eSIM/physical SIM capabilities.
Its two plans start at $15/month for a by-the-gig “Flex” option that comes with unlimited domestic talk and text. That’s alongside the $30/month Unlimited plan that includes a three-year price lock, 5 GB of mobile hotspot usage and unlimited talk, text and data.