Company type | Subsidiary |
---|---|
Industry | Telecommunication |
Founded | 2005 |
Headquarters | , United States |
Number of locations | In Kroger family of stores |
Key people | Gary Millerchip (Board Member) |
Services | Mobile virtual network operator |
Parent | Kroger |
Kroger Wireless LLC is an American mobile virtual network operator providing domestic telecommunications services via the T-Mobile Network. The brand was launched as i-wireless, a Kroger Co. It was trialed in 130 Kroger stores in 2006, before being rolled out by mid-2008 to over 2,200 locations, including banner stores such as Dillons, Ralphs, Fred Meyer, and Fry's Food and Drug. [1] Unique among US wireless operators, i-wireless created a loyalty offer allowing customers the ability to earn Wireless Rewards on select plans when using their shopper's loyalty card on in-store qualifying purchases. [2] In May 2019, the company announced the name of its prepaid product brand changing from "i-wireless, a Kroger Co." to "Kroger Wireless." [3]
Kroger Wireless is the private-label wireless service sold exclusively within the Kroger Family of Companies stores. [4] Kroger Wireless acts like other US prepaid carriers–requiring no contracts, activation fees, or credit checks to purchase their phones. The company offers “Unlimited” rate plans including unlimited talk/text and data allotments up to and including unlimited data. [5]
Kroger Wireless invites customers to purchase phones at select Kroger store locations, [6] via their website, [7] or by bringing their eligible Sprint device for activation. [8] In addition, it hosts the Kroger Wireless My Account [9] app for Android or iOS mobile customers. [10]
i-wireless dba Access Wireless is a service provider for the government-funded Lifeline Assistance program. [11] The Lifeline Assistance program was designed to ensure that quality telecommunications services are available to low-income customers at reasonable and affordable rates. Customers who qualify for the program receive a free allotment of voice, text and data, and may receive a free mobile phone- dependent on individual state regulations. [12]
Virgin Mobile is a wireless communications brand used by seven independent brand-licensees worldwide. Virgin Mobile branded wireless communications services are available in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Colombia, Chile, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Poland and Mexico. Virgin Mobile branded services used to be offered in Australia, France, Singapore, India, Qatar, South Africa and the United States.
Rogers Wireless Inc. is a Canadian mobile network operator headquartered in Toronto, providing service nationally throughout Canada. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rogers Communications. The company had revenues of just under $15.1 billion in 2018. Rogers Wireless is the largest wireless carrier in Canada, with 13.7 million subscribers as of Q2 2023.
Fido Solutions Inc. is a Canadian mobile network operator owned by Rogers Communications. Since its acquisition by Rogers in 2004, it has operated as a Mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) using the Rogers Wireless network.
A prepaid mobile device, also known as a pay-as-you-go (PAYG), pay-as-you-talk, pay and go, go-phone, prepay, or burner phone, is a mobile device such as a phone for which credit is purchased in advance of service use. The purchased credit is used to pay for telecommunications services at the point the service is accessed or consumed. If there is no credit, then access is denied by the cellular network or Intelligent Network. Users can top up their credit at any time using a variety of payment mechanisms.
Virgin Mobile USA was a no-contract Mobile Virtual Network Operator. It used Sprint's network for coverage. It licensed the Virgin Mobile brand from United Kingdom-based Virgin Group. Virgin Mobile USA was headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, and provided service to approximately 6 million customers.
TracFone Wireless, Inc. (TFWI) was an American wireless service provider. It was a mobile virtual network operator offering prepaid and no-contract service on the AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile US, and Verizon networks under multiple brands, including TracFone, Net10 Wireless, GoSmart Mobile, Page Plus Cellular, SafeLink Wireless, Simple Mobile, Total Wireless, and Straight Talk Wireless.
Alltel was a landline, wireless and general telecommunications services provider, primarily based in the United States. Before its wireless division was acquired by Verizon Wireless and AT&T, Alltel provided cellular service to 34 states and had approximately 13 million subscribers. As a regulatory condition of the acquisition by Verizon, a small portion of Alltel was spun off and continued to operate under the same name in six states, mostly in rural areas. Following the merger, Alltel remained the ninth largest wireless telecommunications company in the United States, with approximately 800,000 customers. On January 22, 2013, AT&T announced they were acquiring what remained of Alltel from Atlantic Tele-Network for $780 million in cash.
Metro by T-Mobile is an American prepaid mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) wireless service provider and brand owned by T-Mobile US. It previously operated the fifth largest mobile telecommunications network in the United States using code-division multiple access (CDMA). In 2013, the carrier engaged in a reverse merger with T-Mobile US; post-merger, its services were merged under T-Mobile's UMTS and LTE network. Metro by T-Mobile competes primarily against Dish's Boost Mobile, AT&T's Cricket Wireless and Verizon's Visible as part of the wireless service provider brands.
Cricket Wireless is an American prepaid mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), wholly-owned by AT&T. It provides wireless services to ten million subscribers in the United States. Cricket Wireless was founded in March 1999 by Leap Wireless International. AT&T acquired Leap Wireless International in March 2014, and later merged Cricket Wireless operations with Aio Wireless. Cricket Wireless competes primarily against T-Mobile's Metro by T-Mobile, EchoStar's Boost Mobile and Verizon's Visible in the prepaid wireless segment.
Claro Company, known as Claro Mexico in Mexico, or simply Claro, is a Latin American telecommunications company, part of América Móvil, a Mexican telecom group. Claro serves clients in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico and Uruguay. The company's name means "bright," "clear," and also "of course," in both Portuguese and Spanish.
Solo Mobile is a discontinued mobile virtual network operator in Canada started by Bell Mobility in 2000. Historically, Solo was considered a discount wireless brand, offering low price monthly plans with some unlimited options in certain cities. Its products and services were only sold in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. The brand ceased advertising towards new customers since November 2011, and new activations were officially discontinued on May 17, 2012.
Koodo Mobile is a Canadian mobile flanker brand started by Telus in 2008 and mostly oriented toward younger customers. Koodo differs from its parent Telus by not requiring a fixed term contract. Koodo currently provides postpaid, prepaid, and wireless home phone services. Being a subsidiary of Telus, Koodo has been able to offer extensive coverage and a strong presence in mobile retailers. This allowed Koodo to gain a presence nationwide.
T-Mobile US, Inc. is an American wireless network operator headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. Its largest shareholder is Deutsche Telekom, a German company that operates telecommunications networks in several other countries. T-Mobile is the third-largest wireless carrier in the United States, after Verizon and AT&T, with 31.43% of the market share as of June 13, 2024.
Public Mobile Inc. is a Canadian self-serve mobile brand which is owned by Telus. Launched on March 18, 2010, Public Mobile was one of several new Canadian cellphone providers that started in 2009–10 after a federal government initiative to encourage competition in the wireless sector.
Chatr Mobile is a Canadian mobile virtual network operator owned by Rogers Communications Canada targeting entry-level customers. It is one of three wireless brands owned by Rogers Communications, including Rogers Wireless, and Fido Solutions. The provider launched its service in Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Quebec City, and Montreal under the name Chatr Wireless on July 28, 2010. The company re-branded to its current name in 2015.
TruConnect, formally known as TruConnect Mobile, is an American mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) that sells mobile hotspots and smartphones, 3G/4G LTE mobile data plans and prepaid cell phone talk & text plans on both T-Mobile and Verizon networks. TruConnect was the first prepaid broadband provider in the U.S. to offer a pay-as-you-go, portable Wi-Fi service plans. The only Lifeline provider (ETC) headquartered in Los Angeles, CA. TruConnect uses either Verizon's and/or T-Mobile's network depending on location.
TAG Mobile is an American wireless telecommunications provider based in Houston, Texas. It is an Eligible Telecommunications Carrier (ETC) that provides free wireless services to eligible Lifeline consumers across 19 states. The TAG Mobile Lifeline Program provides cell phones to those in the low-income category and also individuals on government assistance programs in the US.
Visible Service LLC, doing business as Visible by Verizon, is an American all-digital prepaid mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) and brand wholly-owned by Verizon. Launched in 2018, the carrier offers services on the Verizon network, with all services delivered via e-commerce and mobile apps using AI, and no brick and mortar retail presence.