MobileX to pay commission to subs who drive salesMobileX to pay commission to subs who drive sales

MobileX, the hip, cost-conscious MVNO, has signed a deal with "lifestyle" brand Ethika to roll out a line of products and apparel, including hoodies and T-shirts (with "phone-friendly" pockets), phone cases, headphones and (eventually) sneakers. While that will help MobileX lead with its brand and try to connect with the cool kids, it will also open up a new sales channel, according to MobileX founder and CEO Peter Adderton.

The new lineup, to be marketed under the "ethikaX" brand, will debut in Q1 2025 and be sold via the MobileX app and website and through select Ethika retail partners.

Some of the new apparel will be equipped with QR codes that MobileX subscribers can use to sell the mobile service and earn commissions, Adderton told Light Reading this week at CES in Las Vegas.

How it will work: Once a customer registers the QR code on, say, an EthikaX hoodie, that code will become unique to the wearer/customer. The QR code can then be used to direct friends, family and acquaintances to the MobileX app, where they can sign up for service. In turn, the QR code owner driving the sale will earn a commission.

MobileX has yet to disclose how much commission it will pay, but the commission will continue to be earned for as long as the customer (and their QR code-driven buyers) stay with the service.

"You [the customer] are basically a retailer to us," Adderton said. "Your apparel becomes a money-making machine … One hoodie can make you thousands of dollars."

MobileX founder and CEO Peter Adderton intends to use a new lineup of co-branded apparel as a sales channel for the MVNO. (Source: Jeff Baumgartner/Light Reading)

Adderton believes the approach will expand MobileX's distribution, which already includes a deal with Walmart.

Marketing ramp-up

MobileX's deal will Ethika arrives as the MVNO makes plans to ratchet up its marketing. The company recently finished migrating customers to a new platform that eliminated some stability and latency issues seen earlier.

MobileX hasn't revealed customer numbers, but Adderton said the company has tens of thousands of them.

"We're seeing growth now," he added, noting that MobileX's churn rate for December was a mere 0.5%. "The MVNO space is getting hotter and stronger," he added.

MobileX is also trying to connect with young consumers through other efforts, including its sponsorship of the Winter X Games and BMX great Ryan "R-Willy" Williams.

MobileX's AI-assisted, customizable plans start at just $3.48 per month, up to $24.88 per month for a plan with unlimited data. All plans come with international roaming. MobileX uses the Verizon mobile network but relies heavily on offload to keep consumer costs down.

Adderton founded Boost, the US prepaid service that's now part of EchoStar/Dish. He still runs Boost Mobile in Australia.