Sprint Nextel and Time Warner have partnered to create a new wireless phone company called Pivot, which promises to provide Time Warner's cable customers with mobile phone service that will include video.

However, the service initially will be available only in 40 Mainland cities when it is launched this year. The service eventually will be offered in Hawai'i, but not until next year at the earliest, said Alan Pollock, vice president of marketing for Time Warner Oceanic Cable.

"The plans are being made, but it certainly won't be this year," he said.

Meanwhile, Time Warner Oceanic is focused on building its Digital Phone business, which uses Internet technology to provide voice calls. As Hawai'i's major TV-service provider, Oceanic already offers customers bundled TV, high-speed Internet and wired home phone service. Pivot will allow Oceanic to add mobile phone service to that bundle.

"The whole industry is going bundle," Pollock said. "Ultimately the consumer benefits because these bundled prices are to their benefit."

Pivot, which also is owned by Comcast, Cox and Advanced /Newhouse, also will give Oceanic greater customer exposure and access by allowing customers to shop for cable services at 15 Sprint Nextel stores statewide.

Pivot promises to give wireless phone customers the ability to watch live TV, access home TV listings, check home e-mail and voice mail, access the Internet, and make unlimited calls between their cable home service and mobile phones. Customers also will have the convenience of one point of contact for service and billing, according to Pivot. Pricing will vary by market and has yet to be announced.

Pivot, which was formally called SpectrumCo, paid $3.8 million this year to buy licenses for Hawai'i airwave frequencies auctioned by the Federal Communications Commission.

Earlier this month, Oceanic competitor Hawaiian Telcom announced the launch of a bundle of local, unlimited long distance, High-Speed Internet and wireless service for less than $100 a month, excluding taxes.

Hawaiian Telcom has postponed the expected launch of a new television service until the first half of next year. The company earlier said the service might be offered in the second half of this year.

Reach Sean Hao at shao@honoluluadvertiser.com.