Simple Mobile led the pack in the latest Wave7 Research multi-carrier prepaid dealer survey. According to the firm's fourth-quarter 2021 survey, it was the number one selling brand by a mile. Wave7 Research has conducted the survey a total of 28 straight quarters, and Simple Mobile has led the way every single time.
The most recent survey was conducted in November and December of 2021. Thirty representatives from 30 independent multi-carrier prepaid dealers in a wide variety of markets participated in the survey.
Prepaid Dealer Survey Results
Note: The "number of dealers" column indicates the number of dealers 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 | 25 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 3 |
| AT&T Prepaid | 15 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| H2O Wireless | 14 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 4 |
| Ultra Mobile | 13 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 4 |
| Verizon Prepaid | 13 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 5 |
| Net10 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Boost Mobile | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Page Plus | 9 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| GoSmart Mobile | 6 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Lycamobile | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Cricket Wireless | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| T-Mobile Prepaid | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Total Wireless | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| TracFone | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Selectel Wireless | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Red Pocket Mobile | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Wave7 Research named Lycamobile its survey loser. Lycamobile slipped to an all-time low in the survey being available through only five dealers. By contrast, 10 dealers carried the brand in the previous quarter's survey. Lycamobile is a partner of the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars.
What's most interesting about the survey is that Verizon now dominates in the prepaid multi-carrier dealer channel. This is a result of Verizon closing on its acquisition of TracFone and all of its associated brands in November of 2021. Simple Mobile, Verizon Prepaid, Net10 Wireless, Page Plus Cellular, GoSmart Mobile, Total Wireless, and TracFone are all prepaid Verizon brands. They accounted for seven of the 16 brands carried by the dealers surveyed.
Simple Mobile was the top-selling Verizon prepaid brand overall and was also found in 25 of the 30 dealers surveyed. Verizon Prepaid also had a strong presence in the channel where it was found in 13 of 30 dealers surveyed. Verizon now has a stranglehold in the prepaid multi-carrier dealer channel just like it does at Walmart where many TracFone brands, as well as Verizon Prepaid, are also sold.
“Verizon’s acquisition of TracFone has put it in the catbird seat for prepaid sales in both the multi-carrier dealer channel and in the national retail channel. In 2022, this survey will be a barometer for Verizon’s performance in the multi-carrier dealer channel.” – Jeff Moore, Principal of Wave7 Research
Wave7 Research gave AT&T Prepaid its Wave7 Momentum award for the survey. For the first time ever, AT&T Prepaid finished in second place in the survey in terms of the number of dealers carrying the brand. It was carried in 15 stores like it has been in the previous two quarters but is up from 13 stores in 1Q21. AT&T Prepaid was a top-three seller in seven of those 15 stores. This is in contrast to survey winner Simple Mobile where it was a top-three seller in 22 of the 25 stores it was carried in.
Wave7 Research also named H2O Wireless and Ultra Mobile as its other survey winners. Ultra Mobile was mentioned by 13 of the 30 dealers surveyed and was a top-two seller in nine of them. H2O Wireless was found in 14 of the 30 dealers and was a top-three seller in ten of them.
You can view the previous quarter's survey here to see how it compares to the most recent quarter's.