There is a new MVNO on the block called Pugga Squared Wireless. Pugga Squared has launched by first providing home internet plans but it does intend to launch phone plans at a later date. The MVNO is powered by Plum.
Plum is an mobile virtual network enabler (MVNE) that offers a software platform and provides a third-party relationship to a major carrier to allow companies to start their own MVNOs. Plum has exclusively partnered with T-Mobile as its major carrier and is responsible for other recent fixed wireless home internet plan launches from Ultra Mobile and Earthlink.
Pugga Squared Home Internet Plans
Pugga Squared is currently offering three home internet plans. Given that it's a newly launched brand with a website and plans still in development, the offerings may be subject to change. Here is what's available:
- $50/month - 50GB of high-speed data
- $135/month - 100GB of high-speed data
- $190/month - 200GB of high-speed data
For those in need of more than 200GB of high-speed data in a month, customizable options are available by contacting Pugga Squared.
Pugga Squared is advertising that its data speeds will be up to 500Mbps upload and download, but that speeds will also vary based on local markets and what tower a subscriber is connected to. The above data allotments are not a hard-cap. The MVNO says that after the allotments are reached, data speeds will be slowed during times that the network is congested.
Subscribers signing up for one of the plans will be charged a one time activation fee of $35. Customers that need a modem/router from the company will be charged a monthly fee of $14.95. Pugga Squared does not list what brand of equipment it offers. All other taxes may be included with the plans. When I went through their checkout page, I did not have any other taxes added on, and I live in an area where taxes are generally charged. One other thing to note is that there appears to be a bug on their website. When I went to check out the 50GB plan, I was shown that I would be billed $90/month for the service even though on their plans page it is advertised as being $50/month. There is no discrepancy with any of the other plans. For comparison's sake, Earthlink is charging $64.95/month for its 50GB fixed wireless plan while Ultra Mobile charges $79.88/month. So I would be surprised if $90/month is the correct price for the 50GB plan here. I will reach out to a Pugga Squared rep and update this post if a response is received.
Throughout the Pugga Squared website it's mentioned that "Pugga Squared Wireless provides advanced communications using the Largest and Fastest 5G Network in the USA." However, on its internet plans page, only 4G LTE is mentioned. I believe the 4G LTE mention is in error, as I'm not aware of T-Mobile limiting 5G network access with any of its direct or indirect partners.
Pugga Squared isn't new to the wireless space. As noted in a prepaid report from the firm Wave7 Research, Pugga Squared said on its Facebook page "We have moved away from being a retailer for a major brand and thus created our own brand, plans and offering the best in wireless.” A search in Google shows that Pugga Squared was previously an authorized T-Mobile for Business Partner.
“Wave7 Research is unaware of any retail presence or advertising from Pugga Squared and we are yet to see any evidence that it will have an impact on the wireless market or on the home Internet market. To me, the significance of this is that Plum is enabling a variety of competitors to emerge, providing mobile service and home Internet service. A variety of others, no doubt, will emerge also.” – Jeff Moore, Principal of Wave7 Research
UPDATE: A tipster has shared with BestMVNO that a previous wireless venture run by the persons behind Pugga Squared resulted in the company being kicked out of the government's EBB program after numerous allegations of fraud. You can read the full document straight from the FCC's website located here: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-378909A1.txt
Update 2: 3/7/2022 - The head of Pugga Squared has issued the following statement to BestMNVO in regards to the fraud allegations claimed in the FCC document:
“Pugga Squared Wireless has nothing to do with Cleo Communications. The actions that are being questioned were from when I, was ill and hired an outside company to manage the company. They worked to obtain devices from an online famous marketplace and were unable to obtain the devices after placing the order. Refunds were issued to those that were affected. Any customer at that time who never received a refund was instructed to contact their bank to reverse the charges back to Cleo Communications and the dispute would not be disputed and approved by the company. The allegations of fraud are very limited and questionable on the FCC’s part as funds were never obtained from them nor the Universal Service Fund. As far as the company that was hired to run Cleo while I was absent, their contract has since been terminated, and are no longer operating Cleo Communications nor have anything to do with Pugga Squared Wireless. Rest assured, Pugga Squared Wireless is running as a complete MVNO and has secured the correct contracts and thus will be operating above and beyond as we should to service our customers and the public. As a show of good faith, we have launched our brand new rate plans, and are offering the plans at a discount until further notice and offering plans as a BYOD.” -Head Of Pugga Squared
JUST BASHED CONTRACTORS IN HIS COMPANY BUT NOW THAT I WEIGH SEVERAL FACTORS I THINK HE MAY BE AN HONEST PERSON I’M NOT SAYING HE IS TOTALLY BUT I’M BETTING IN MY GOOD INSTINCT ASSESSING MANY FACTORS OVER 3 YEARS THAT KYLE TRAXLER IS PROBABLY 70% LIKELY THAT HE IS TELLING THE TRUTH BECAUSE THEY’RE HAVING COMPANIES WHO DID NOT DISTRIBUTE IN CHINA IS NOT A MOSTLY BAD PLACE TO GET DEVICES IT’S MOSTLY GOOD BUT I HAVE READ JUST RECENTLY OF A COMPANY IN THE MIDDLE EAST WHO ORDERED A THOUSAND TABLETS FROM BENTON TECHNOLOGIES AND THEY GAVE BENT IN A BAD NAME ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE SOME GREAT TABLETS. AND WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE FACT OF THE WAY CONTRACTOR HAS OPERATED AND HE IS BACK IN THE TELECOM GAME I THINK THAT HE PROBABLY IS AN HONEST PERSON AND THE REASON I BASHED HIM IS BECAUSE I PERSONALLY SPOKE TO MANY PEOPLE WHO I RECOMMENDED HIS COMPANY TO AND I HEARD THEIR STORIES BUT I DIDN’T HEAR HIS STORY TO BE HONEST SO I BEGAN WARNING PEOPLE IN THIS AND THAT AND I HAVE BASHED HIS NAME SO I WILL GO BACK AND CLEAN IT UP IF THAT’S THE CASE BECAUSE HE WOULD BE A VERY VALUABLE PERSON EVEN IF HE DID HAVE A PAST WITH A SMALL BIT OF CRIMINAL HISTORY WITH A COUPLE OF ARRESTS AND THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT MANY FACTORS WHICH ARE INVOLVED I CAN’T QUITE EXPLAIN BUT IT LENDS ME TO BELIEVE THAT HE’S PROBABLY TELLING THE TRUTH AND THAT HE DAMN SURE DESERVES A CHANCE IF HE IS AND IT WOULD BE GREAT IF HE COULD GET A FEW OF THE PEOPLE WHO GOT THE DEVICES TO COME FORWARD BECAUSE THAT WOULD HELP AND HE HAS A LOT OF UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE WHICH WOULD BE VERY BENEFICIAL TO MANY CUSTOMERS WHO ARE MANY OF THEM AND ME ALSO EX-CONS OURSELVES I HAVE SEEN A LOT OF EVIDENCE WHICH POINTS TO HIS BEING VERY INTELLIGENT ALSO AND IF HE LOVES THIS GAME HE PROBABLY DIDN’T GIVE IT UP SO MAYBE THAT’S WHY HE STUCK IN HERE DOZENS AND DOZENS OF HOURS IN CLEANING HIS NAME UP IF I FIND THIS TO BE TRUE. THERE IS A LOT WHICH LENDS ME TO BELIEVE THAT HE IS TELLING THE TRUTH AND I CAN’T PROMISE YOU THAT BUT I’M TELLING YOU I’M MAKING AN ASSESSMENT BASED UPON A LOT OF INFORMATION IN SEVERAL CATEGORIES BOTH TANGIBLE AND NOT TANGIBLE. AND I JUST DON’T THINK HE WOULD BE HERE IN THE TELECOM GAME ESPECIALLY TALKING ABOUT THE INCIDENT IN THE GOINGS-ON THAT HAPPENED IF HE WERE INSINCERE SO JUST GIVE HIM A CHANCE. AND ANYONE WHO HAS ANY GOOD INTERACTION WITH HIM OWES IT TO OTHER PEOPLE TO GET ONLINE AND LET THEM KNOW BECAUSE HE WAS OFFERING INCREDIBLE GOOD DEALS AND HE WAS RIGHT BEHIND TARA COME WIRELESS AS FAR AS THE SECOND BEST OFFER EARLY FOR THE EMERGENCY BROUGHT THEM BENEFIT PROGRAM. HE HAD A GREAT IDEA WITH A VERY GOOD TABLET WHICH WAS A MTK TABLET AND THEY WERE GOOD TABLETS AND LIKE I SAID IT COULD BE POSSIBLE VERY EASILY OF WHAT HE IS SAYING SO PLEASE IF YOU DEAL WITH HIM GET ONLINE AND TALK TO SOME OTHER PEOPLE AND IF HE’S READING THIS THEN HE SHOULD KNOW THAT THE REASON I WAS BASHING HIM IS BECAUSE I WAS A HUGE CHEERLEADER OF HIS COMPANY EARLY ON. AND I THOUGHT HE WAS DOING THINGS JUST STRAIGHT OUT THE GATE BAD BUT I DON’T THINK HE WOULD HAVE BEEN DOING THAT EITHER BECAUSE HE WAS REGISTERED WITH THE USAC AND NOW THAT I HURT HIS WORDS ON THIS HE SHOULD KNOW THAT I WILL ON MY OWN ACCORD BE TELLING THIS TO OTHER PEOPLE IN HIS FAVOR.
$190/month for 200 GB of data? Puggatta be kidding.