Big Sky Mobile was a small US carrier that ran its own GSM network with EDGE data. It ended in 2017. According to Wikipedia’s list of former US network operators, it sold its spectrum licenses to AT&T and T-Mobile and exited the business. Its network no longer operates.
Big Sky Mobile is gone
Big Sky Mobile ran its own network rather than renting one. It used GSM for voice and EDGE for data, per Wikipedia’s list of former US mobile network operators. That list gives 2017 as its end date. It says the company sold its spectrum licenses to AT&T and T-Mobile and exited the business. Wikipedia does not list a subscriber count. No Big Sky Mobile service is offered today.
If you had a Big Sky Mobile line
No source names one carrier that took Big Sky Mobile customers. Its spectrum went to AT&T and T-Mobile, but the sources do not say customers moved with it. A number still tied to the old account cannot be ported through Big Sky Mobile today. Ask your current carrier whether the number can be recovered, or start fresh with any active carrier.
How Big Sky Mobile ended
- 2017: Big Sky Mobile sells its spectrum licenses to AT&T and T-Mobile.
- 2017: Big Sky Mobile exits the wireless business and its GSM/EDGE network stops operating.
Why Big Sky Mobile ended
Wikipedia’s list gives one fact: Big Sky Mobile sold its spectrum licenses to AT&T and T-Mobile and exited the business in 2017. The sources do not state why the owners chose to sell. A carrier that runs its own network needs spectrum to carry calls. Once the licenses were sold, the service could not continue.
How to find who holds an old number now
- Check an old bill or payment record. It names the company that billed you last.
- Run the number through a carrier lookup tool. It shows the carrier that holds the number today.
- Call that carrier and ask for the account number and transfer PIN.
- Start the port from the new carrier. Never cancel the old line first.
Your right to keep a number
Number portability is federal law, not a carrier policy. The rule is the FCC’s: Portability: Keeping Your Phone Number When Changing Service Providers.
How we verified Big Sky Mobile
BestCellular.com tracks active carriers and defunct ones. We keep both, because people still search for brands that no longer exist. Every fact on this page comes from the sources listed below, and we leave a detail out when no source states it. Where sources disagree, this page says so. If you can document a correction, tell us and we will check it against the sources.
Tracked and active are different counts on this site. Big Sky Mobile counts in our tracked total, not in our active total, so it does not appear in tools built for live carriers.
Questions about Big Sky Mobile
Is Big Sky Mobile still available?
No. Wikipedia lists Big Sky Mobile among former US mobile network operators, with an end date of 2017. It sold its spectrum licenses and exited the business, so no line can be activated or used today.
Which network did Big Sky Mobile use?
Its own. Wikipedia lists Big Sky Mobile as a network operator, not a virtual carrier. It ran GSM for voice and EDGE for data. No host carrier is listed for it in that table.
What happened to Big Sky Mobile customers?
The sources do not say. Big Sky Mobile’s spectrum licenses went to AT&T and T-Mobile, but no source states that customers were transferred to either carrier. No successor carrier is named.
Who got Big Sky Mobile’s spectrum?
AT&T and T-Mobile. Wikipedia’s list of former US mobile network operators says Big Sky Mobile sold its spectrum licenses to those two carriers and exited the business in 2017. The sources do not give the price or license details.
Sources
Checked October 13, 2026.
- List of mobile network operators in the United States (Wikipedia): Former-operators table: GSM/EDGE, end date 2017, sold spectrum licenses to AT&T and T-Mobile and exited (no inline reference; checked 2026-10-13).
Best Cellular. “Big Sky Mobile: What Happened,” BestCellular.com. https://bestcellular.com/big-sky-mobile/
Free to reuse with credit. Licence, sources and the full dataset. All defunct carriers are listed on carriers that shut down.
Live carriers to look at instead
No carrier took over Big Sky Mobile’s customers. These carriers publish their network and run today.