mvno

It seems like everyone is getting in on the budget wireless network business. Joining Virgin Mobile, Boost, Metro PCS, and Cricket, newcomer Voyager Mobile also has high hopes in the prepaid mobile phone market. On May 15, the company plans to provide frugal handset users access to extremely affordable service especially considering they don't have to sign onerous contracts to receive service. … Read more

Simplexity MVNO Services announced today that it will enter into a multi-year partnership with Sprint to launch a third-party branded wireless service slated for spring 2012.

Under the agreement, Simplexity will become a direct wholesale customer and vendor of Sprint's wireless and data network. This means that Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) who do not want a direct relationship with Sprint can get services right from Simplexity if they want to start up another virtual operator.

Terry Hsu, Simplexity's president of MVNO services, told CNET that the company will still provide a full range of privately labeled voice … Read more

Cellular carriers are evil.

Or dumb. Because what but an evil or dumb company would punish its best customers for underestimating the amount of their product that they want? Cellular overage charges are insultingly high. That's why people over-buy the service plans they need: to "save" by making sure they don't get into the carriers' punishing overuse charges.

Can you run a mobile carrier with a more transparent, customer-friendly service model? While charging less for the same service? Tucows will be trying to do so when it rolls out Ting, an MVNO on the Sprint network, … Read more

China Telecom wants to go where Walt Disney and ESPN couldn't: the U.S. wireless business.

The Chinese telecommunications provider wants to break into the U.S. market with its own service next year, the company told Bloomberg BusinessWeek. The company intends to go after Chinese Americans and tourists with its offer, which would provide one line for use in the U.S, and another that would work in China.

Rather than build its own network, it plans to lease capacity from another carrier, although the company declined to specify to Bloomberg who the potential partner would be. Traditionally, … Read more

The mobile world moves at a breakneck pace, and it's difficult to keep up--even without the technical jargon most industry insiders throw around. And they do love to toss those terms about.

This week, I continue with the techno-babble trend with a few more network terms for 4G. (Who doesn't love those?)

So for some light reading, here are a few terms telecom experts throw around with the assumption that everyone understands them.

TD-LTE: Just when you thought there possibly couldn't be anymore 4G terms, Clearwire pops up and decides to switch to a technology that hasn'… Read more

A couple of months ago I posted a query in my 411 column about prepaid GSM Android phones and the lack thereof. What I failed to mention was that you can of course use any GSM phone as a prepaid handset, as long as you're willing to pay full price for the phone up front. All you have to do is pop in a SIM card and you're good to go. After you do so, however, AT&T continues to charge you the usual high monthly rates, and even though T-Mobile does offer a cheaper Even More … Read more

Considering many MVNOs have failed or been acquired in recent years (Helio, Disney Mobile, Virgin Mobile, just to name a few), we can't help but think they're a bad idea. (MVNOs are Mobile Virtual Network Operators that sell their own service plans and handsets, but piggyback on another carrier's network). Still, that apparently hasn't stopped Japan's NTT DoCoMo from thinking about starting one up in the U.S.

Indeed, it seems that the Japanese company is contemplating leasing capacity from either T-Mobile USA or AT&T. While we can't imagine it'll make … Read more

Virgin Mobile USA and Helio have confirmed that they are in early stages of talks to merge the companies.

On Tuesday Virgin Mobile issued a statement that the two companies were in talks, and a Helio spokesman confirmed the news. The company has been rumored to be in talks over a merger since last week.

"These discussions are in early stages and there are no assurances that any transaction will result," Rick Heineman, a spokesman for Helio said in an email. "We will not have additional comments unless an agreement is reached."

Virgin Mobile USA and … Read more

Virtual cell phone operators Virgin Mobile USA and Helio are rumored to be in merger talks, a move that could bring a lot of benefits to both companies.

The tie-up between the two MVNOs, or mobile virtual network operators, was first reported Thursday by the wireless blog MocoNews. According to the blog, SK Telecom, one of Helio's parent companies, would buy out Virgin Mobile USA and then Virgin Mobile would buy Helio in an all-stock transaction.

As the economy tightens and other larger wireless carriers look to consolidate, it makes sense for these smaller players, who essentially resell service … Read more