Simple Mobile has won Wave7 Research's 3Q24 multi-carrier prepaid dealer survey. This is the 39th edition of the survey, and Simple Mobile has won all but one of them. Ultra Mobile stole the spotlight from Simple Mobile in the 1Q24 prepaid dealer survey.
Simple Mobile was found at 21 of 30 dealers surveyed, holding steady compared to the last survey. A total of 11 dealers said it was their top seller, down from 13 in the previous poll. Verizon Prepaid remained in second place. AT&T Prepaid earned the dubious distinction of being labeled the survey loser by Wave7 Research. It was found carried by 11 dealers, down from 16 in 2Q24.
3Q24 Prepaid Dealer Full Survey Results
The latest survey was conducted in August and September 2024. Representatives from 30 independent multi-carrier prepaid dealers in a variety of markets around the USA were interviewed. The full results of the survey are detailed below.
Note: The "number of dealers" column indicates the number of dealers out of 30 selling the brand. The "1st place" column denotes the number of dealers reporting the brand as their top seller, while "2nd place" etc., means the number of dealers reporting that as their second best-selling brand.
| Provider | Number of Dealers | 1st Place | 2nd Place | 3rd Place | Also-Ran |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Mobile | 21 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 4 |
| Verizon Prepaid | 19 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 2 |
| H2O Wireless | 18 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 4 |
| Ultra Mobile | 13 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 7 |
| T-Mobile Prepaid | 12 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| AT&T Prepaid | 11 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| Lyca Mobile | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Boost Mobile | 6 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Gen Mobile | 6 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Cricket Wireless | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Selectel | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Wave7 Research Momentum Award Winner
Wave7 Research gave its Momentum Award to H2O Wireless. It was mentioned by 18 of the dealers surveyed and was a top 3 seller in 14 of them. In the last survey, 14 dealers carried the brand and it was a top 3 seller at 6 of them. BestMVNO is not aware of any special deals through H2O Wireless's dealer channel during the quarter that could have been responsible for pushing the brand up the rankings.
Two brands that were not included in the survey but may be worth watching are Boom! Mobile and MobileX. Wave7 Research analysts observed Boom! Mobile A-frame signage displayed outside two multi-carrier dealer stores, while one dealer had recently received marketing materials for MobileX. As of the survey date, none of the dealers reported any activations for either brand.
Verizon Value Brands Receiving a Lot of Attention
The top two survey results belong to Verizon-owned brands. Over the past few months, Verizon's Value division has invested heavily in promoting its prepaid brands across all channels, including independent dealers, national retailers, and branded stores.
Wave7 Research wrote in its prepaid report that Simple Mobile launched a new radio ad on 10/1 which has already aired more than 2k times. The ad pitches Simple Mobile's 3x data offer as well as a $10/month Lifeline discount. This marks the first new ad, either TV or radio, from Simple Mobile in a long time. Signage for the triple data offer has appeared at some dealerships. Together, the promotion and ad serve to strengthen the brand’s awareness among potential consumers in Q4, and will likely help it to retain the top spot in the next dealer survey.
In the national retail channel, Verizon is pushing a $25/month BYOD unlimited plan from Straight Talk Wireless at Walmart with support from TV and radio ads. Target stores have an offer for a free Moto G 5G with the purchase of Tracfone's $192 annual plan with in-store activation.
Total Wireless branded stores get to pitch Total Wireless's $25 BYOD truly unlimited data plan and several free phone offers.
“Simple Mobile was the winner of the Wave7 Research Multi-Carrier Independent Dealer Survey, as usual. That said, there were strong showings for H2O Wireless and Verizon Prepaid. H2O Wireless was mentioned by 18 of 30 stores, up from previous results, and was the winner of the Wave7 Momentum Award.” – Jeff Moore, Principal of Wave7 Research