TORONTO – In conjunction with Telus Corp., Amp’d Mobile, the youth-targeted mobile entertainment provider, launched in Canada this month.
The company offers a series of plans that provide voice and text, exclusive music tracks and videos, live entertainment, 3D games and mobile communities through its Amp’d Live 3G user interface.
Amp’d Mobile will handle marketing and content, along with providing optimized handsets capable of fast download speeds. Telus provides the distribution network, and will handle customer care and billing under the revenue-share agreement.
Amp’d Mobile Canada, the Canadian arm of U.S.-based Amp’d Mobile Inc., has also established an in-house development studio in Toronto so it can broadcast ready live performances. The company’s first retail store and its offices are located next to the downtown Toronto studio.
To celebrate the opening of its Toronto studio, Amp’d Mobile has planned two weeks of studio sessions, beginning with Pride Tiger, which performed March 19 at 3 p.m. Other acts scheduled to appear include Stars of Track and Field, Kardinal Offishall, Roz Bell, the Klaxons and Die Mannequin.
Amp’d Mobile also has exclusive partnerships with MuchMusic, the NHL Players Association, and content agreements with the NHL, The Score, MTV Canada, the CBC, Musique Plus, Musimax, 33 Mag, Universal Music Canada, Warner Music Canada, Break.com and Fox Sports.
Although Amp’d Mobile Canada didn’t issue a media release until this week, the company soft-launched on March 14, the day mobile number portability started in Canada. Consumers can now keep their phone numbers when they switch carriers, which may make some more willing to move. Offerings like Amp’d Mobile are intended to retain customers.
Amp’d Mobile plans range from $35 to $90 a month, which is roughly on par with prices in the United States. Entertainment packages are extra: $7 per month for radio, $10 per month for television and there are some packages with unlimited Amp’d Live data. These packages include the Amp’d Silver (10 video channels, 100 messages) at $10 a month; Amp’d Gold (20 video channels, Amp’d Radio, 100 messages) for $15 a month, and the top tier Amp’d Platinum (20 video-on-demand channels, Amp’d Radio, Amp’d TV, unlimited text, picture and video messages) for $20 a month. Until September, music tracks can be downloaded for 99 cents each by customers.
The service is available through Amp’d Mobile’s Toronto office and Telus retail stores.
