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Simple Mobile has won the 1Q25 Wave7 Research multi-carrier prepaid dealer survey edging out Verizon Prepaid and Ultra Mobile. All three brands were carried by 20 of 32 dealers surveyed. However, Simple Mobile was the top seller in ten of them, with Verizon Prepaid the leader in seven, and Ultra Mobile in five. This is the 41st edition of the survey which has been running since 2015. Simple Mobile has won every survey except the 1Q24 where they lost to Ultra Mobile.
1Q25 Prepaid Dealer Full Survey Results
The latest survey was conducted in February and March 2025, and had a larger than usual sample size. Representatives from 32 independent multi-carrier prepaid dealers in a variety of markets around the USA were interviewed. Those who regularly follow the survey will note that there are usually 30 dealers in it.
Note: The "number of dealers" column indicates the number of dealers out of 32 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.
Top Selling Prepaid Brands In 4Q24 Wave7 Research Survey Of 25 Independent Dealers
| Provider | Number of Dealers | 1st Place | 2nd Place | 3rd Place | Also-Ran |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Mobile | 20 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 |
| Verizon Prepaid | 20 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 8 |
| Ultra Mobile | 20 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 4 |
| T-Mobile Prepaid | 17 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| AT&T Prepaid | 17 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 6 |
| H2O Wireless | 14 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 3 |
| Lyca Mobile | 14 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 9 |
| Gen Mobile | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
| Boost Mobile | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Cricket Wireless | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Surf USA Mobile | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
“Simple Mobile has won the survey again, but was only barely ahead of Verizon Prepaid and Ultra Mobile. One trend we’re seeing is that the top spots are filled by brands operated by the three main national carriers. All five top finishers in the survey are operated by Verizon, T-Mobile, or AT&T.” – Jeff Moore, Principal of Wave7 Research
Wave7 Research Momentum Award Winner
Wave7 Research once again gave its Momentum Award to Lyca Mobile. It was also the Momentum Award winner in the 4Q24 survey. Lyca Mobile was mentioned as being carried by 14 dealers, a big leap from eight in the 4Q24 survey and seven in the 3Q24 survey. It was the top seller in one of the dealer stores.
Earlier this year, Light Reading reported that Lyca Mobile aimed to double its customer base by expanding its dealer network, streamlining activations through a partnership with Epay, and increasing its focus on promotional offers.
Wave7 Research's survey results would seem to indicate those initiatives may be starting to pay off. However, one dealer in the survey has not been happy with the company stating a lack of support and subpar customer service provided by Lyca Mobile has caused the store to reduce Lyca Mobile activations to 1-2 per month.
AT&T Prepaid and T-Mobile Prepaid were deemed "other survey winners" by Wave7 Research. Interestingly, one dealer commented to the firm that they've had strong sales of T-Mobile Connect to parents who want an affordable plan with an appropriate data allocation for their kids.
Survey Losers
Not surprising, Wave7 Research named Selectel Wireless and UScellular its survey losers. Neither brand was mentioned in the survey but were found in previous surveys.
Selectel seems to have other plans in mind for distribution. A report from months ago in NWIDA noted that Selectel has been buying up multi-carrier stores in various markets and turning them into Selectel exclusive stores. Meanwhile, regional provider UScellular is pending acquisition by T-Mobile which could affect its efforts in the channel going forward.
Most Dealers Still Prefer Established National Brands
Like in the previous survey, a couple of dealers commented they preferred selling well established brands and MVNOs and didn't find much of a need to try out newcomers. However, one dealer surveyed has been interested in selling new brands as they carry Surf USA Mobile. Surf USA Mobile launched in May 2024, and made its first dealer survey appearance in the previous Wave7 Research survey. The MVNO has been working to market itself and has partnered with Racing America, and has sponsored race car driver Spencer Davis.
Interesting that Simple Mobile is consistently praised by dealers yet their service is equally consistently panned by customers on sites like TrustPilot, BBB, and Yelp.
To its credit, I guess Simple Mobile understands where its bread is buttered.