Latest news with #MVNOs
Phone Arena
a day ago
- Business
- Phone Arena
T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon: Americans are fatigued by the big three's pricing
T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon run the show when it comes to cellular service across the United States. However, a combination of recent pricing changes and other business practices has soured many customers' perception of the 'big three', prompting them to look elsewhere. This pricing fatigue was made clearer than ever in a survey conducted a few days ago, where U.S. customers showed that they're more than willing to jump ship if it means a reduction in their bills. Not only that, another survey not long ago showed that MVNOs are the future for cellular service in the U.S. Verizon has very erratic pricing. | Image credit — Verizon Nobody wants to pay huge bills each month, but for many customers it's no longer a choice. T-Mobile , AT&T , and Verizon have all contributed to increasing bills in their own ways these past few months, and users are exhausted. Online forums dedicated to discussions about the three carriers are, more often than not, filled with complaints about bills and suggestions for alternatives. In many instances, I've noticed that users no longer care about being a loyal long-term customer, and only wish to feel some financial relief. According to anecdotes from customer service representatives, callers sometimes break down crying because they can't afford to keep their plans. The carriers have noticed this, of course, and are offering bonuses for new and existing customers every week. Verizon , in particular, is determined to improve customer retention. But how can they do that when their actions appear as nothing but hostile to users. T-Mobile is growing rapidly, but existing customers aren't short on complaints. | Image credit — The New York Times T-Mobile , not too long ago, introduced some very controversial pricing updates to its plans. According to many users, these updates had inflated their bills on plans that had been marketed as price locked. Some customers even made good on their promise and jumped ship to another carrier. The controversies continued when T-Mobile phased out plans that included taxes and other fees. This was also seen as a way to gouge customers of their money, and I saw my fair share of impolite comments during that time. Meanwhile, Verizon has been on a very erratic path. It's clear that the company desperately wants to retain its dwindling customer base, but it's going about a very odd way of doing so. Some Verizon customers randomly receive massive discounts, and are more than happy to stick around. Others aren't as lucky, and keep seeing their bills go up instead. Is it any surprise, then, that people are considering MVNOs ( Mobile Virtual Network Operator ) more seriously than ever before? Over the last few months, I have received a decent number of emails from Americans that are fed up with their carrier's performance and billing. Be it T-Mobile , AT&T , or Verizon , customers are fatigued and holding out hope for a surprise discount every the current state of the job market, and the economy as a whole, it's no surprise that people are having trouble keeping up with their phone bills. Unfortunately, despite some recent much-appreciated gestures of good will, the big three are becoming too expensive for has led to an awkward loop where customers switch networks every few years to avail bonuses for new signups. When they start getting billed at the usual rates, they jump ship again. It's a very odd situation, yet it's the best way that some people can save a few bucks. I really think that T-Mobile , AT&T , and Verizon need to come up with a better business model. We've seen enough price increases, and we need that to come to a pause. In addition, I think that even the representatives that work at these companies' stores would appreciate getting rid of AI tools. These tools are looking for every chance they can get to add unnecessary extras to a customer's bill. If this goes unnoticed, both the customer and the representative suffer later down the line when the user tries to get these extras canceled. And, lastly, we absolutely need more consumer-friendly practices to go into play. I don't know how we got to this point, but having a phone in the U.S. can sometimes feel like more of a battle than just the purchase of a basic service.
Scoop
10-07-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Rocket Mobile Tops List Of Lowest Priced Plans In Latest ComCom Report
Rocket Mobile's unlimited data plans have topped the list of the lowest cost mobile plans in New Zealand, in the latest Telecommunications Monitoring Report released by the Commerce Commission. Based on price per GB, Rocket Mobile's unlimited data plans were ranked first, second, fourth and sixth in the list, beating out the big players by a fair margin. Head of Rocket Mobile NZ, James Whittome, says the report really reinforces the brand's best value position within the NZ mobile market. 'We've already won Best Value Mobile Provider at the NZ Compare Awards for the past two years. Having all four of our unlimited plans ranked at the top of this ComCom list really highlights how other providers are overcharging consumers for mobile data.' The annual report, which looks at the state of Aotearoa's telco sector, found that even though Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) market share had increased by 61 percent year on year, it still only comprised 2.5 percent of total mobile connections. At the same time, MVNOs typically offer the same inclusions for lower prices than the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). Despite the potential savings consumers can make by switching providers, the report also found that 63 percent of Kiwis have been with the same provider for over 5 years, up from 60 percent the previous year. Only 5 percent of Kiwis had switched providers in the last 12 months. 'Cost of living is at the forefront of Kiwis' minds at the moment, so switching to a better value plan should be a no brainer. Yet there's still a misconception that it's a difficult process.' 'The only way we're going to see some real change and more competitive prices in the mobile market is if more consumers move to MVNOs like us. Since we launched, we've already seen some big telcos respond by slightly increasing data inclusions on selected plans, but overall they're still relying on inertia to keep the status quo.' 'This ComCom report should be a wakeup call to Kiwi consumers that they're still paying too much for their data, and there's no reason to keep it that way when you can switch and get the same or even more, for less money.' With rising mobile data usage rates, Whittome is confident more consumers will consider MVNOs for lower cost mobile plans, especially when technologies like eSIM enables easy switching within minutes. All of Rocket Mobile's plans are eSIM ready, new customers can bring their number for free and sign up with no credit checks, contracts or early termination fees.
Phone Arena
03-07-2025
- Business
- Phone Arena
New T-Mobile offer will tie customers not currently financing devices to the company
The telecom industry is getting fiercely competitive, not just because of the rising threat from Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) and cable operators, but also because the overall customer base is not growing at the same clip as before. Add to this the fact that customers are growing weary of the Big Three because of rate hikes and it's easy to see why they are desperate to lock users into a long-term commitment. T-Mobile previously made a couple of changes to make customers stay longer and is now running a new promo. The Mobile Report has learned that the carrier is targeting customers who don't currently finance devices through a new deal. The promo will let those customers save $830 on a new flagship phone if they trade in an old device. Though there's a trade-in requirement, customers will be delighted to know that even phones as old as the iPhone 11, Samsung Galaxy S10, OnePlus 9 Pro, and Pixel 6 qualify. It doesn't matter if the device is broken. The catch here is that customers who go for the deal will have to stay with T-Mobile for two years. But then again, this is the whole point of the promo. T-Mobile doesn't want to lose customers who aren't bound to it already. T-Mobile customers can trade in an old device and get a new flagship for $830 off. Customers who aren't considering leaving the company anytime soon probably won't mind though, considering they will get an iPhone 16, Pixel 9, or Galaxy S25 for free or a discounted price, depending on the model they go for. If you are wondering if you are eligible, don't expect T-Mobile to notify you. The offer will instead show up when you are shopping for a device in the T-Life app, assuming you qualify for it. Additionally, store reps might be able to assist you in finding out if you are eligible and help you claim it. You can let them know that eligible customers have the "2025 Loyalty Trade" segment on their accounts to help them look for deal doesn't exclude any plan, including grandfathered legacy plans. Customers with active Equipment Installment Plans (EIP) don't qualify though. This deal is yet another sign that T-Mobile is afraid of losing customers to rivals. The company is allegedly contemplating extending the duration of EIPs to 36 months. The company has also stopped giving discount bill credits to customers who pay off their devices ahead of time. Switch to a 2-month Total 5G or 5G+ plan with Total Wireless and score this foldable deal. We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Check Out The Offer
Techday NZ
03-07-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
2degrees accelerates MVNO growth with Totogi SaaS platform switch
New Zealand operator 2degrees has completed the migration from its legacy systems to Totogi's Charging-as-a-Service platform, aiming to support the evolution of its wholesale telecommunications business. Following the adoption of Totogi's cloud-native SaaS platform, 2degrees reports having accelerated its wholesale mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) revenue growth beyond what was possible with its previous systems. The company states it has on-boarded new MVNO partners and delivered over 300 new features without experiencing service disruptions. This development underscores the capabilities of SaaS-based operations in addressing the demands of the current telecoms environment. Wholesale growth Legacy monetisation systems have long been regarded as an obstacle to wholesale expansion for mobile network operators (MNOs), often requiring prolonged and expensive upgrade cycles. According to Totogi, its platform allows operators to on-board MVNOs more rapidly, deliver new functionalities swiftly, and avoid the need for disruptive and costly system upgrades. Chris Bradley, Head of Digital Architecture at 2degrees, said, "Totogi's SaaS-based charging platform has transformed how we operate our wholesale business. Wholesale success is about partnerships, agility and demonstrating quick time to value, and with Totogi, we continue to challenge the status quo, scaling and growing our wholesale business." Totogi's solution was introduced at 2degrees in 2024, with the aim of providing real-time monetisation of network services. Since then, 2degrees has been able to streamline its wholesale operations and increase efficiency in its commercial processes through the use of public cloud and automation. Platform capabilities The enhanced abilities provided by Totogi's platform include predictive churn scoring, giving operators insights to anticipate and address subscriber churn before it impacts revenue. Additionally, the platform offers automated customer journey mapping that leverages behavioural insights to improve engagement and increase average revenue per user (ARPU). "2degrees is proving that MNOs can support MVNOs at the speed the market demands—not at the pace of legacy systems," said Danielle Rios, Acting CEO of Totogi. "The telecom industry has reached a clear inflection point: operators stuck in legacy systems will lose ground, while those embracing public cloud, SaaS, and AI will dominate the market. With Totogi's multi-tenant platform, operators can run their wholesale business like a software company—rolling out features continuously, scaling dynamically, and turning their network into a competitive advantage rather than a limitation." The multi-tenant infrastructure of the platform is designed to allow continuous rollout of features whilst maintaining operational stability, which 2degrees cites as a key driver behind its enhanced agility and ability to scale. Market outlook 2degrees' migration to the new charging system comes as more telecommunications providers seek to modernise operations, especially in wholesale segments that serve MVNOs. The capacity to quickly on-board new partners and introduce service enhancements is considered crucial for growth as competition intensifies and as operators look to diversify revenues. Totogi reports that its SaaS approach frees up resources previously committed to managing upgrades and ongoing maintenance, thereby allowing operators to focus on commercial growth and innovation in service offerings. The partnership demonstrates the trend of mobile operators moving away from traditional monetisation systems in favour of public cloud-native platforms that promise operational flexibility, streamlined processes and, potentially, improved financial performance in wholesale telecommunications markets. By reducing deployment timelines and removing technical barriers, 2degrees' example is noted as an operational framework for other MNOs aiming to expand their MVNO activities and adapt to evolving requirements in the sector.
