Prepaid Wireless News

Tello Mobile Launches Tax Refund Promo: 3 Months of Unlimited for $30

By Joe Paonessa • 04/06/26

Tello has launched a new tax season promotion that drops the cost of its “Unlimited” plan to the equivalent of $10 per month for the first three month...

Red Gen Mobile branded smartphone resting on a wooden desk beside SIM cards and wireless earbuds, illustrating Gen Mobile’s updated prepaid phone plans.

Gen Mobile Adds More Data to Plans, Keeps Monthly Rates The Same

By Joe Paonessa • 04/04/26

On April 2 2026 Gen Mobile quietly upgraded its prepaid plans. The EchoStar-owned MVNO, which uses the AT&T and T-Mobile networks, announced that...

Cricket Wireless storefront with signage displayed during the 2026 tax season for 4 unlimited lines for $25 and a $49 iPhone 16e.

Prepaid Tax Season Looked Softer In 2026, Even As Cheap Androids Sold Well

By Joe Paonessa • 04/03/26

Tax season is one of the bigger selling periods of the year for prepaid wireless. Refund checks hit, traffic picks up, and stores lean harder into swi...

Cricket Wireless storefront in Denver showing phone plan deals and phone deals

Cricket Set To Sell AT&T Fiber In More Stores, Expanding AT&T’s Bundle Push

By Joe Paonessa • 04/02/26

Cricket Wireless may soon become another retail channel for AT&T Fiber. Wave7 Research has reported for months that select Cricket dealers in Texa...

Independent MVNO owner watches a Metro by T-Mobile store advertise a $25 unlimited plan while weighing how to compete.

MVNOs Can’t Beat Their Suppliers on Price. So What Comes Next?

By Joe Paonessa • 03/26/26

There was a time when MVNOs could count on one big advantage: they were the cheaper alternative. They could come in under the major carriers, offer a...

PureTalk Calls Most of Its New Plans “Unlimited,” Adds Free Second Number and Watch Lines

By Joe Paonessa • 03/24/26

PureTalk has updated its wireless plans to streamline their naming to “Unlimited” for all but one, while adding enhancements to some plans such as fre...

Frustrated wireless customer reacting to changes as another person shows a $15 10GB phone plan, highlighting concerns about losing cheap plans and rollover data

Tello Improved The Value Of Its Wireless Plans, But Some Redditors Are Upset

By Joe Paonessa • 03/21/26

Tello Mobile has built its brand around budget‑friendly plans with mix‑and‑match options. For years the MVNO let subscribers pick a specific amount of...

Smartphone showing $20, $25, and $30 unlimited plans in front of Metro by T-Mobile and Total Wireless stores.

Metro by T-Mobile Continues Price War Started by Total Wireless With New $20 and $30 Unlimited Plans

By Joe Paonessa • 03/20/26

In late 2024 Verizon’s prepaid value brand Total Wireless launched an aggressive promotion by offering a 50% discount to new customers who brought the...

A futuristic advertisement featuring a green macaw with a headset holding a smartphone. Floating AR screens surround the bird detailing

New MVNO Parrot Mobile Launches With Plans Starting at $6 Per Month

By Joe Paonessa • 03/19/26

Parrot Mobile officially launched last week as a new contract-free MVNO, entering an increasingly crowded prepaid wireless market. The company is offe...

Total Wireless Expands Store Count as Verizon Pushes Harder Into Value Wireless Retail

By Joe Paonessa • 03/12/26

Total Wireless is rapidly expanding its retail footprint across the United States as Verizon moves to strengthen its presence in the prepaid and value...

Lyca Mobile Pitches 40GB Plan For $18/Month Among Other Offers

By Joe Paonessa • 02/09/26

Lyca Mobile is pitching multiple offers for February, as detailed in the latest prepaid report the firm Wave7 Research sent out to its subscribers. Ly...

Two prepaid wireless promos at a California dealer: a MobileX sidewalk sign reading ‘Connect to the world for less’ with plan prices, alongside an Ultra Mobile in-store poster advertising ‘Lock in 25GB’ for $29/month for life.

Ultra Mobile Takes Top Spot in Wave7 Research 4Q25 Prepaid Dealer Survey, Edges Out Simple Mobile

By Joe Paonessa • 02/09/26

Ultra Mobile has claimed the number one spot in the latest quarterly multi-carrier prepaid dealer survey conducted in 4Q25 by Wave7 Research. This mar...

A winter-themed digital graphic with an icy blue background and a glowing dark star. Text displays US Mobile's Mid-Winter Blowout deals for Unlimited Starter at $9.92 per month and Unlimited Premium at $12.42 per month.

US Mobile Pushes For Subscriber Growth With $9.92/Month Unlimited Plan Deal

By Joe Paonessa • 01/29/26

US Mobile’s push to add more subscribers continues with its most aggressive promo to date. Dubbed the “Mid-Winter Blowout”, the promo features their U...

Consumer Cellular retail store interior with orange Consumer Cellular signage, customer seating area, and service counters labeled “Coming Soon.”

Consumer Cellular Rapidly Opening Stores, Lowers “Unlimited” Plan Price

By Joe Paonessa • 01/28/26

Consumer Cellular continues to open branded stores, and they are opening them at a rapid pace. The brand seems to be announcing new store openings nea...

People looking at a smartphone showing “Helium Mobile” while discontinued $5 and $20 plan signs burn in the background near a cell tower

Helium Mobile Plan Changes: Free Plan Now Has Taxes, Legacy Plans Discontinued

By Joe Paonessa • 01/15/26

Helium Mobile is rolling out multiple plan changes that will directly impact existing customers, according to several reports from Reddit users (1, 2)...