Embarq bundles up with wireless

The newly branded regional carrier Embarq, formerly the local division of Sprint, has entered the wireless market with an offering designed to weave wireless and wireline together for its local constituents.

“A lot of wireless companies have sold wireless with a passion and hope that you’ll disconnect your wireline service,” said Steve Mueller, director of wireless marketing for Embarq. “For us it’s really about wireless and wireline working together.”

For Embarq, which has about 7 million access lines in 18 states, the main target for wireless service is existing customers, Mueller said. The company is offering service using the mobile virtual network operator, or MVNO, model on Sprint’s network, but all rate plans and features are Embarq-branded, he said.

Embarq’s wireless offering features deals on more minutes for customers that also buy local service, as well as unlimited calling between Embarq wireline and wireless lines. Other features include unified voicemail between wireless and wireline, and a service called Nominated Number that lets customers add five extra numbers (even non-Embarq numbers) to their unlimited calling lists.

“This is about bringing as much value as we can to customers with both landline and wireless,” Mueller said.