Windstream triples its lifetime offer

Windstream Communications, the Independent telco that launched a groundbreaking lifetime price guarantee for voice and broadband Internet service last year, announced this week that it will now offer a lifetime price guarantee triple-play package.

The new offer essentially extends the lifetime status to the digital TV service the telco re-sells from satellite TV company Dish Network. Like the previous and still available double-play offer, no annual contract is required.

“The original offer exceed our highest expectations,” said Ric Crane, chief marketing officer for Windstream. “It not only mitigated access line loss, but actually drove sales.” (The company had noted slowing landline losses in its first-quarter earnings report.)

Despite Windstream’s success with the lifetime offer, no other service providers currently sell such a plan. The Dish package included in the lifetime price guarantee includes HD channels ESPN, ESPN2, Food Network, HGTV, The Learning Channel, The Weather Channel, TNT, TBS and USA, as well as local channels in HD (where available), video-on-demand and music channels. The price is in the range of $85 to $90 in most markets, Crane said.

He added that Windstream studied market analytics and competitors’ price before settling on a price for the lifetime package, as well as assessing the future possibility of extending the price guarantee to other packages. “Right now, we’re just dipping our toe in the water with video,” Crane said.