T-Mobile Teams with TD Synnex, Ingram Micro on Partner Plus Subsidy Program

Wireless giant T-Mobile is joining forces with distributors Ingram Micro and TD Synnex to lower 5G costs for channel partners, original equipment manufacturers and their customers.

Under the just-announced T-Mobile Partner Plus, the mobile service provider will introduce a novel channel subsidy program that extends rebates on 5G laptops and 5G business internet by easing the preliminary cost of 5G laptops and enterprise-grade 5G fixed-wireless access (FWA) gear manufactured by Ericcson's Cradlepoint.

"The potential performance and increased security advantages of 5G are well-established, but the upfront hardware costs can be a significant barrier to entry for many businesses," T-Mobile said, highlighting something that is all too familiar for the channel — barriers to entry.

That is especially true if you're dipping your toes into the channel for the first time or you operate a boutique consultancy, which often implies limited resources.

Unpacking the T-Mobile Partner Plus Program

For 5G laptops, T-Mobile says it will extend a subsidy credit of up to $400 and subsequent business savings per laptop for many popular network-certified 5G brands.

It further says businesses can leverage enhanced security via the option to add T-Mobile Secure Access Service Edge, which it touts as "the first SIM-based SASE solution that uses International Mobile Subscriber Identity and International Mobile Equipment Identity for clientless authentication," a tool that could be particularly significant for SMBs.

Related:T-Mobile Places Bet on the 5G Connected Laptop

On the business internet front, T-Mobile says it will offer a subsidy credit of up to $700 "on eligible certified 5G Cradlepoint routers and adapters."

Further, Cradlepoint will furnish up to two extra years of NetCloud Manager at no added cost when someone buys an eligible 5G Cradlepoint router or adapter, which the company says is up to a $900 value.

Cradlepoint's NetCloud Manager is a network service management platform that uses wireless cellular routers to guarantee network and user security.

T-Mobile claims businesses can save $1,600 on 5G costs via the program.

5G Costs See Adoption Rates Lag

According to Statista, as of the third quarter of 2023, 121 mobile network operators worldwide had invested in 5G standalone (5G SA) infrastructure for public networks. That number rose from 115 the previous year.

It further highlights another side of the equation, the lagging 5G adoption rate five years after its mainstage debut.

According to 5G Americas, only 29% of all North American connections by the end of 2023 were 5G. That did, however, result in a 64% year-over-year growth rate, according to the organization, which tracks 5G usage.

Related:T-Mobile for Business Maps Out 5G Connected Laptop Plan for Channel

Patrick Moorhead, founder, CEO and chief analyst at Moor Insights and Strategy, said the price tag associated with 5G devices like laptops, "has been a major obstacle for businesses looking to adopt 5G solutions."

Channel Futures TV: Editorial director Craig Galbraith asks T-Mobile for Business' Paul Spencer at the 2024 Channel Partners Conference & Expo about the company's new 5G-connected laptop.

T-Mobile placed its first serious bet on 5G-connected laptops in March and has since forged some beefy alliances along that trek. When it launched its connected laptop, it likewise teamed up with Cisco to cast its all-inclusive connected workspace 5G business internet.