Voce Hoping to Gain Traction as World’s First Luxury Wireless Service

Authored by Scott Goldberg on January 30, 2007 - 12:25pm.

Voce, self-proscribed “the world’s first premium wireless service,” arrives with a question mark: What, exactly, will the service do that I can’t find elsewhere? At first glance the answer lacks detail. “(Voce) combines outstanding coverage and advanced mobile devices with an unprecedented level of personalized attention and care,” says the company’s “About Us” page. That’s a big claim for an industry that constantly updates its products and offers plenty of “luxurious” alternatives (see: Apple’s iPhone, due in June).

Voce is an “MVNO” (mobile virtual network operator). MVNOs purchase wholesale minutes from wireless carriers, then repackage them for sale in a customized set of services, content, and devices. Voce relies on Sprint’s, T-Mobile’s, and Cingular’s network capacity for delivery.

Differentiation in the wireless market typically arrives in small packages, like phone features and calling plans. Voce offers a service comparison chart on its website, and the essentials include:

No call limits
Unlimited 411
No contracts
Yearly handset upgrades
Superior network coverage

The price tag? A $500 upfront fee to precede a $200 monthly rate, two numbers that have come down from a $1,500 signup and $500 bill only 2 years ago.

But don’t be entirely scared away: Voce throws in your handset as well as a large selection of accessories, such as an extra battery and a Bluetooth kit. The company currently offers 5 phones, spread between Motorola (the PEBL and RAZR), Nokia (the 7380 and 8801), and Palm (Treo 650).

Still, Voce will face a difficult battle convincing luxury goods hunters to buy its service. People who pay high premiums for any good or service require, at least in part, a way to display their valuable, high-priced possessions to others. Voce is banking on a service, essentially, so beyond others that luxury shoppers won’t mind the inability to show off. And Voce isn’t offering a key item that other luxury services often include: the chance to mingle with fellow VIPs. It seems the average luxury goods buyer won’t be convinced the extra money, unimportant as it may be to them, is worth the investment.

Voce could assist itself tremendously, however, if it became an exclusive carrier in the burgeoning world of luxury handsets like Prada’s LG-KE850 or the iPhone.

Scott Goldberg

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Comments

VOCE

Submitted by jason dottley (not verified) on January 31, 2007 - 12:55am.

Hi! I must contribute to your story. Yesterday was my first day of VOCE service, and let me tell you, it is fantastic. First of all, you left out the BIGGEST difference of all -- at least for me: when you call for information you ALWAYS get a LIVE assistant. That is worth the monthly fee. Plus, it's unlimited. You also failed to mention the travel services. I also just got a new Treo to replace one of the two that I paid over $500 each for while with Cingular. And one last thing, there's NO SERVICE CONTRACT. They, to quote their website, earn your business everyday. You don't need to show off something that's so practical. Why would you NOT have VOCE?

VOCE

Submitted by anonymous (not verified) on March 5, 2007 - 12:01am.

Hi! I ALSO have VOCE, I have had it going on three days now, and i LOVE IT. The personall assitants do ANYTHING for you. I had them looking into the traffic for my trip back from vegas, talking to them while i was bored, looking into the shows in Vegas, costs and times of those shows. They even will go and cancel reservations for you that has nothing to do with them. They are like Personal Assistants LITTERALLY. If they can do it with a computer, internet, or a phone. They will do it for you. 200 bucks a month is AWESOME for what you get. LITERALLY unlimited internet (not 5Gb like everyone else), UNLIMITED voice all the time, UNLIMTED TEXT all the time, and then my favorite. Say you want to go to Europe, and are going to hit five countries. If you take your cingular, or verizon phone or who ever, it would cost a fortune to make phone calls. NOT VOCE. You call them and tell them a day or two in advance, and they will fed ex over night to you SIM cards for all of those countries JUST to save you the cost of international calls. THEY (as in VOCE) do anything and everything they can to help you and make your day easier. Need advice on what to do for a date, call them, need relationship help, call them. THEY are there for you. You dont pay for the minutes or anything, your paying for the SERVICE (the Personal Mobile Assitants) that you cannot get anywhere else. THAT is why i love VOCE. I will never go back to anyone else. Perfect signal, perfect help, perfect everything. Switch, its WELL worth the money, the time and frustration you will save by having them help you with whatever you need, is awesome. Go ahead, TRY it for one month, you just pay the fees, and if you dont like it, cancel it, get ur money back, NO cancellation fees, because there is NO CONTRACT, ever. NO Hidden fees, NOTHING. so yea.. GO VOCE!! lol