Ultra Mobile

Last updated
Ultra Mobile
Company type Private
Industry Telecommunications
Founded2011;13 years ago (2011)
FounderDavid Glickman
Headquarters Costa Mesa, California, U.S.
Key people
  • David Glickman (CEO)
  • Rizwan Kassim (Managing Partner)
Services Prepaid mobile phone plans
Number of employees
150 (2017)
Parent T-Mobile US
Website www.ultramobile.com

Ultra Mobile is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) that uses the T-Mobile US network. Customers can choose the number of minutes, text messages, or data that can be used via a prepaid mobile phone plan. [1] [2]

Contents

History

Ultra Mobile was co-founded by CEO David Glickman, who had previously founded TelePacific Communications, Justice Technology, and Primo Connect. [3]

By 2016, Ultra Mobile products were available in over 25,000 retail stores in the US, including Target and 7-Eleven. [3] [4]

In January 2016, the company acquired rights from Univision Communications to manage the Univision Mobile brand, another T-Mobile mobile virtual network operator which specializes in US SIM-based international calling plans for calls to Latin American countries. [5] [6] In May 2017, Ultra Mobile announced that it was closing down the Univision Mobile brand and that it would automatically transfer all Univision Mobile subscribers to Ultra Mobile. [7]

In August 2016, Ultra Mobile launched Mint Mobile, formerly Mint SIM, an online-only MVNO specializing in prepaid mobile plans on the T-Mobile cellular network, which provides discounted pricing based on monthly, quarterly, or yearly terms paid in advance. [8]

In 2017, the company had approximately 150 employees in the US, Europe, and Asia, and had focused on hiring millennials. [9] [10]

In November 2019, the corporate spin-off of Mint Mobile from Ultra Mobile was completed [11] and Ryan Reynolds acquired a 20%-25% ownership stake in Mint Mobile. [12] Reynolds and founder Glickman both served on the board of directors for The Michael J. Fox Foundation and Glickman was impressed with how Reynolds handled marketing for Deadpool . [13]

In March 2023, T-Mobile US agreed to acquire Mint Mobile and Ultra Mobile for up to $1.35 billion. [14]

On May 1, 2024, the announcement was published that the planned acquisition was completed as per the agreement. [15]

Awards and recognition

In 2015, Ultra Mobile was ranked number 1 in Inc. magazine's list of the 5,000 fastest growing private companies in the United States, with a year-over-year growth rate of 100,849% and revenues of US$118 million in 2014, up from less than a million in 2012. [16]

The company was rated 3.0 or 3.5 out of 5 stars by WhistleOut. [17]

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References

  1. "Ultra Mobile's Glickman: Customized International Cell Service" . Bloomberg News . December 27, 2016.
  2. Dolcourt, Jessica (July 22, 2013). "Prepaid or postpaid?: The fight for your cell phone dollars (Smartphones Unlocked)". CNET .
  3. 1 2 Kharif, Olga (February 4, 2016). "The Phone Companies People Actually Love" . Bloomberg Businessweek .
  4. Blakely, Lindsay (September 2015). "How This Entrepreneur Started America's Fastest-Growing Company (Twice)". Inc.
  5. Martínez, Laura (January 29, 2016). "Univision y T-Mobile ponen fin a su alianza para Univision Mobile". CNET .
  6. "Univision Mobile, Powered by Ultra Mobile, to Offer Customers Unlimited Domestic and International Talk and Text" (Press release). PR Newswire. January 29, 2016.
  7. "Ultra Mobile Introduces Flex Plans, Shuts Down Univision Mobile". BestMVNO. 2017-05-18.
  8. Broida, Rick (November 16, 2016). "Get three months of Mint SIM cell service for $35". CNET .
  9. White, Ronald D. (February 5, 2017). "Ultra Mobile CEO David Glickman finds his calling" . Los Angeles Times .
  10. Glickman, David (March 26, 2015). "How I managed millennials to $100 million in sales". CNBC .
  11. HOFFMAN, SUSAN (October 21, 2021). "Employee-centric Mint Mobile in Costa Mesa given accolades for workplace culture" . Los Angeles Times .
  12. Gonzalez, Oscar (November 25, 2019). "Ryan Reynolds now owns Mint Mobile". CNET .
  13. "David Glickman". Inc. September 1, 2021 via PressReader.
  14. {Cite press release | url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230314006075/en/T-Mobile-to-Acquire-and-Turbocharge-Mint-Mobile-and-Ultra-Mobile-Brands-Will-Continue-Delivering-Value-on-the-Un-carrier%E2%80%99s-5G-Network | title=T-Mobile to Acquire and Turbocharge Mint Mobile and Ultra Mobile, Brands Will Continue Delivering Value on the Un-carrier's 5G Network | publisher=Business Wire | date=March 15, 2023}}
  15. https://www.t-mobile.com/news/business/t-mobile-closes-acquisition-mint-and-ultra-mobile
  16. "Ultra Mobile Tops Inc. 5000". Orange County Business Journal. August 13, 2015.
  17. Ilumba, Angelo. "Best Ultra Mobile Plans 2023". WhistleOut.