It has been unnerving to see the real cellular carriers disappear, some of which were top performers among our Mountain Wireless Ratings. Then there is the handful of prepaid carriers that sort of came and went without much notice. PrepaYd (yes, with a "Y") and Voyager Wireless made an attempt at prepaid success and eventually threw in the towel. Target made a much more feeble try at wireless with their Brightspot Wireless (named after their dog, Spot?). Even Kroger has been able to maintain their own, iWireless.
All of these "Secondary" wireless companies are MVNO's (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) who just use the network facilities of the top carriers that own the towers and sites and such, and these MVNO's can just go into business with a desk, a phone and a website. Such is the case with a handful of other prepaid companies who may also just fade away without notice. Walmart has started 3 prepaid services of their own and we wonder how many of these will survive.
If the major carriers continue to cut prices on their own prepaid product (Cricket, MetroPCS, Boost, etc.), the small guys who don't operate efficiently will be pushed aside. Does that mean higher prices again some day? Probably not...as long as most of the MVNO's stay sane and competitive, and no more retail chains think they can make their own wireless product. Even Jennifer Lopez tried her own wireless and had to say, "adios."
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