First consumer telephone service company launches in Boston since Bell, now AT&T, which was started here in 1876.
After one year of operating virtually, Community Phone is launching a pop-up retail store in the heart of Harvard Square. Community Phone, the first-ever cell phone carrier for consumers based in Massachusetts, was founded by Boston resident James Graham (a 2017 Thiel Fellow) to bring telecommunications back to the community. The launch party for the retail store was held on December 28 at 5pm at 31 Church St. The program featured multiple special guests including John Sortino (founder of Vermont Teddy Bear Company), Anne Bernays (American novelist), and other resident creatives and notables. It also included an installation featuring Cambridge, in particular, as a cornerstone of telecommunications development.
Community Phone is a new model of cell phone provider, operating on three major carriers’ networks instead of just one. We are dedicated to serving customers and making technology friendlier and easier to understand, rather than selling bigger and bigger phones. For this reason, we emphasize understanding what has already been purchased and how much of that is going to waste each month. Then we sell only what the customer really needs, which often saves $100 a month or more. Instead of making customers wait on hold for a call-center employee, local Community Phone representatives are instantly available to talk with customers anytime!