Related Research Articles
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.
TracFone Wireless, Inc. (TFWI) is an American prepaid, no-contract mobile phone provider. TFWI is a subsidiary of Verizon Communications, and offers products and services under several brands. It operates as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), holding agreements with the three largest United States wireless network operators to provide service: AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile US, and Verizon.
Prepaid refers to goods and services paid for in advance. Examples include postage stamps, attorneys, tolls, public transit cards like the Greater London Oyster card, pay as you go cell phones, and stored-value cards such as gift cards and preloaded credit cards.
C Spire, formerly known as Cellular South, Inc., is a privately owned telecommunications company headquartered in Ridgeland, Mississippi. The company consists of three business divisions – C Spire Wireless, C Spire Home Fiber, and C Spire Business.
Q-Telecom was the fourth mobile telephony provider in Greece. It began operation in June 2002. As of 2008, it called itself "Q" and called its services "MyQ." The company provided GSM phone service, supported by LMDS and backbone networks, and called itself the only complete and integrated telecom provider in Greece. In May 2007, it merged with WIND Hellas, which was known at the time as TIM Hellas.
Sprint Corporation was an American telecommunications company. Before being acquired by T-Mobile US on April 1, 2020, it was the fourth-largest mobile network operator in the United States, serving 54.3 million customers as of June 30, 2019. The company also offered wireless voice, messaging, and broadband services through its various subsidiaries under the Boost Mobile and Open Mobile brands and wholesale access to its wireless networks to mobile virtual network operators.
The Universal Service Fund (USF) is a system of telecommunications subsidies and fees managed by the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) intended to promote universal access to telecommunications services in the United States. The FCC established the fund in 1997 in compliance with the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The FCC is a government agency that implements and enforces telecommunications regulations across the U.S. and its territories. The Universal Service Fund's budget ranges from $5–8 billion per year depending on the needs of the telecommunications providers. These needs include the cost to maintain the hardware needed for their services and the services themselves. The total 2019 proposed budget for the USF was $8.4 billion. The budget is revised quarterly allowing the service providers to accurately estimate their costs. As of 2019, roughly 60% of the USF budget was put towards “high-cost” areas, 19% went to libraries and schools, 13% was for low income areas, and 8% was for rural health care. In 2019 the rate for the USF budget was 24.4% of a telecom company's interstate and international end-user revenues.
The Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC) regulates investor-owned electric, natural gas, and water and wastewater utilities. The FPSC facilitates competitive markets in the telecommunications industry, has authority over intercarrier disputes, and oversees pay telephones, the federal Lifeline Assistance Program and Telecommunications Relay Service.
IDT Corporation is a multinational provider of cloud communications, point of sale systems, unified communications, and financial services foreign exchange services for selected clients. It has units dedicated for businesses and consumers such as the Boss Revolution pre-paid phone cards, headquartered in Newark, New Jersey.
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. 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. In May 2019, the company announced the name of its prepaid product brand changing from "i-wireless, a Kroger Co." to "Kroger Wireless."
The history of the prepaid mobile phones began in the 1990s when mobile phone operators sought to expand their market reach. Up until this point, mobile phone services were exclusively offered on a postpaid basis (contract-based), which excluded individuals with poor credit ratings and minors under the age of 18 In early 1991, Kenneth Johnson of Queens, New York along with Mark Feldman, Pedro Diaz and Kevin Lambright of Alicomm Mobile, was the first to successfully create a prepaid cellular phone and Network. His company expanded to a Sales force from Maine to Florida. Two years later others would come out with similar systems.
Assurance Wireless is a telephone service subsidized by the federal Lifeline Assistance program, a government benefit program supported by the federal Universal Service Fund. The service provides to low-income eligible people a free phone, free monthly data, unlimited texting, and free monthly minutes. Assurance Wireless users do not receive a bill, are not required to sign a contract, and do not pay activation fees or recurring fees. Founded in 2009, Assurance Wireless has used the T-Mobile network for coverage since 2020.
Arlene Joy Harris is an entrepreneur, inventor, investor, and policy advocate in the telecommunications industry. She is the president and co-founder of Dyna LLC, an incubator for start-up and early-stage organizations historically in the wireless technology field. Harris is widely recognized as a pioneer in mobile and wireless enterprise and an innovator of consumer products and services. In May 2007, she became the first female inductee of the Wireless Hall of Fame, and was named to the Consumer Technology Hall of Fame in 2017.
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.
Viva Móvil, LLC, branded as Viva Móvil by Jennifer Lopez, was an American retail service founded by American entertainer Jennifer Lopez.
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.
Lifeline is the Federal Communications Commission's program, established in 1985, intended to make communications services more affordable for low-income consumers. Lifeline provides subscribers a discount on monthly telephone service purchased from participating providers in the marketplace. Subscribers can also purchase discounted broadband internet from participating providers.
Visible is a cell phone service owned and operated wholly by Verizon Communications. Visible competes primarily against T-Mobile's Metro by T-Mobile, AT&T's Cricket Wireless and Dish's Boost Mobile as part of the prepaid wireless service provider brands.
Boost Mobile is an American wireless service provider owned by Dish Wireless. It uses the Dish, AT&T and T-Mobile networks to deliver wireless services. As of Q3 2023, Boost Mobile, along with its sister brands Boost Infinite, Gen Mobile, and Ting Mobile had 7.50 million customers.
References
- ↑ GmbH, finanzen net. "South Florida-Based Hello Mobile Beats Nationwide Prepaid Prices | Markets Insider". markets.businessinsider.com. Retrieved 2020-02-28.
- ↑ "News & Events | Quadrant Holdings LLC & Issa Asad". Quadrant Holdings, LLC. Retrieved 2020-02-28.
- ↑ "Lifeline Program for Low-Income Consumers". Federal Communications Commission. 27 January 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
- ↑ Cardenas, Alexa (2018-07-03). "Q Link's Phone Plan: Everything You Wanted to Know". Q Link Wireless Blog. Retrieved 2020-02-28.
- ↑ "Lifeline Support for Affordable Communications". 4 March 2016.