Cox Communications announced today that it plans to launch a mobile phone service next year.

“Wireless service will be a key driver to Cox’s future growth,” Pat Esser, president of Cox Communications, said in a statement.

Cox plans to use Sprint’s mobile network to launch the first products. The company is also working on its own 3G wireless and 4G wireless networks. For 4G service, Cox has joined the Long Term Evolution crowd, which is also the technology of choice for AT&T and Verizon Wireless.

This shouldn’t come as a complete surprise. Back when I visited Cox in March 2007, Cox already offered some of its TV services on Sprint cellphones (see photo on right). 

The Atlanta cable company has spent $500 million on wireless spectrum at Federal Communications Commission auctions. The idea is that Cox customers will be able to use their mobile phone to “access television favorites, program their DVR, access content saved on their home computer … .” 

Ayn Craciun, a spokeswoman for Cox’s O.C. operations, said geographical availability has not been announced and would not confirm whether Orange County is on the list.

According to the Associated Press, the cable company owns wireless licenses in Atlanta, New Orleans, San Diego, Omaha, Neb.,  Las Vegas, Kansas and southern New Mexico. 

The AP story also mentions that Cox has long been involved in wireless. In the 1990s it “built and operated a cellular network covering Southern California and Las Vegas” and sold it to Sprint in 1999. A more recent partnership with Sprint that let customers access their DVR was scuttled this year.

Related stories:

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• AT&T’s U-Verse TV has less than 1 million users
• How to get cheaper cable TV in O.C., part 2
• How to get cheaper cable TV from Time Warner Cable
• Time Warner Cable plans more channels in O.C. despite fines
• UPDATED: Verizon FiOS TV heavily targeting apartments, condos in O.C. and more
• Cox wants to give back to O.C.’s women-owned businesses
• DirecTV offers extremely local weather reports
• Californians not so speedy when it comes to Internet (Tuesday, August 12th, 2008)
• Cox adds more HD channels for free (Thursday, July 3rd, 2008)
• Behind the TV services (Tuesday, May 8th, 2007)
• New TV tricks from your cable company (Tuesday, March 27th, 2007)

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