Of the 317 US wireless brands we track, 165 are gone: shut down, sold, merged or renamed. Most died for one of three reasons: the Sprint network shutdown in 2022, an acquisition that retired the brand, or the business simply failing. If you still hold a number from one of them, the number is usually recoverable, but porting it is harder than porting a live line.

Every confirmed US carrier that shut down

Each row is confirmed from the carrier’s own notice or a dated public record, and the source is cited on that brand’s page. Brands we could not confirm are not on this list. Where a carrier never published a shutdown date, the cell says so rather than guessing.

Brand	When	What happened	Where customers went
7-Eleven Speak Out Wireless	2010	7-Eleven Speak Out Wireless was a prepaid service sold in US 7-Eleven stores on Cingular’s network. It stopped operating in the US in 2010; the brand continues in Canada.	No US successor; brand continues in Canada
Aio Wireless	May 2014	AT&T launched it in 2013 as a prepaid brand and folded it into Cricket Wireless in May 2014.	Cricket Wireless
AirLink Mobile	End date not published	AirLink Mobile, an Iowa prepaid brand on Sprint’s CDMA network, no longer operates. The sources do not state the exact date it ended.	No single successor carrier
Alaska Communications Wireless	February 2, 2015	It sold its wireless business to GCI, and the sale closed on February 2, 2015.	GCI Wireless
Albany Mutual Telephone	Not confirmed (appears shut down)	Albany Mutual Telephone sold cellular service through at least 2017. Its domain now points to Albany Fiber Communications, which lists no mobile service.	No successor carrier found
Alltel	Early 2016	Split between Verizon and AT&T, then dissolved by AT&T	Verizon and AT&T
Amp’d Mobile	2007	It was a mobile virtual network operator on Verizon Wireless’s network that went bankrupt in 2007.	No single successor
AT&T GoPhone	July 12, 2017	Renamed AT&T Prepaid; the service never stopped.	AT&T Prepaid
Best Cellular	Date not published	Stopped operating as a wireless carrier	Lines closed, numbers released
Big Sky Mobile	2017	Big Sky Mobile ended in 2017. It sold its spectrum licenses to AT&T and T-Mobile and exited the wireless business.	No single successor carrier
BirchMobile	May 7, 2018	BirchMobile was a product brand of Birch Communications. Fusion Connect closed its purchase of Birch on May 7, 2018, and Birch is now defunct.	Fusion Connect (business services only)
Blaze Wireless	December 2019	Blaze Wireless ended in December 2019. Its parent, Pinpoint Communications, discontinued cellular service.	No single successor carrier
Blue Jay Wireless	2018	Blue Jay Wireless was a Lifeline phone provider that is now defunct. Wikipedia lists its end date as 2018, and Missouri cancelled its carrier designation that September.	No confirmed successor carrier
Blue Wireless	July 2020	Blue Wireless, also called Buffalo-Lake Erie Wireless, shut down in July 2020 and sold its spectrum to Verizon. It did not transfer its customers to any carrier.	No successor carrier (spectrum sold to Verizon)
Bluegrass Cellular	March 5, 2021	It no longer sells service under its own name.	Verizon Postpaid
Bluegreen Mobile	Not published	Stopped activating lines around 2016; the company published no shutdown notice.	No single successor
Boom Mobile	June 2026	It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June 2026 and service stopped the same month.	No single successor
Boost Infinite	July 17, 2024	Boost folded it into Boost Mobile on July 17, 2024.	Boost Mobile
Breakaway Wireless	Not confirmed (appears shut down)	Breakaway Wireless was a local cell carrier in Sanpete County, Utah. Its website was last archived in December 2014, and no official end date was found.	No successor carrier found
Brightspot	December 31, 2015	Brightspot was Target’s in-store prepaid phone service on T-Mobile’s network. It launched in October 2013 and ended on December 31, 2015.	No single successor carrier
Broadpoint	July 2015	Broadpoint was an offshore cellular network on Gulf of Mexico oil and gas platforms. Tampnet agreed to acquire it in July 2015.	Tampnet (network acquired)
Budget Mobile	2017	Relinquished its Lifeline designations state by state in 2017; Kentucky service ended May 31, 2017.	No single successor
BYO Wireless	September 2015	Its customers were transferred to Budget Mobile in September 2015, and that brand is gone too.	Budget Mobile
BZRMobile	Not confirmed (appears shut down)	BZRMobile appears to be shut down. Wikipedia lists it as a defunct Sprint-hosted brand, and no official end date was found.	No successor carrier found
Caffee Communications	March 2018	Caffee Communications was a small mobile phone brand on the Verizon network. Wikipedia lists it as ending in March 2018.	No successor carrier found
Carolina West Wireless	September 30, 2026	Shut down its wireless service after 35 years and transferred its network to Verizon.	Verizon
Charge	June 30, 2017	Sprint MVNO, ended operations	Not published
Chariton Valley Wireless	2021	It no longer sells service under its own name.	Verizon Postpaid
Chat Mobility	December 31, 2024	Sold its network assets to Verizon and ceased operations on December 31, 2024.	Verizon Postpaid
Chit Chat Mobile	Not confirmed (appears shut down)	Chit Chat Mobile appears to be shut down. It filed for Chapter 11 in 2014, its last dated news is from February 2015, and no official end date was found.	No successor carrier found
Choice Wireless	December 31, 2024	Commnet Wireless, a unit of ATN International, stopped offering its Choice Wireless brand as of December 31, 2024. Commnet still runs the Choice Broadband brand.	No single successor carrier
Cincinnati Bell Wireless	early 2015	Cincinnati Bell sold its wireless spectrum to Verizon in 2014 and moved its customers off the network in early 2015.	No single successor
Circle-K Talk-and-Go	2011	Circle-K Talk-and-Go was a prepaid phone service sold in Circle K stores starting in November 2005. Wikipedia lists it as ending in 2011.	No successor carrier found
ClearTalk	March 16, 2018	ClearTalk discontinued service on March 16, 2018. Parent Flat Wireless shut its network and moved customers to Boost Mobile.	Boost Mobile
Clearwire	2015	It sold wireless broadband on a WiMAX network, and Sprint switched that network off in 2015.	T-Mobile Postpaid
Cloven	Not confirmed (appears shut down)	Cloven appears to be shut down. Wikipedia lists it as a defunct Sprint-hosted mobile brand, and no official end date was found.	No successor carrier found
Common Cents Mobile	May 2011	Common Cents Mobile was Sprint’s 7-cent-a-minute prepaid brand sold only at Walmart. Sprint folded it into Virgin Mobile payLo in May 2011.	Virgin Mobile USA (payLo)
CTC Wireless	2019	CTC Wireless exited the wireless business in 2019. It was the cellular brand of CTC Telecom, Inc. of Cambridge, Idaho.	No single successor carrier
CTExcel	January 3, 2022	China Telecom Americas exited US wireless resale under an FCC revocation order; no carrier took the customers.	None; customers chose their own carrier
DataJack	2014	DataJack was a prepaid, data-only mobile broadband brand. In 2014 its parent merged with TelBill, sold its subscriber base and became Unified Signal.	Unnamed buyer of the subscriber base
DataPass	March 2019	DataPass was a small US MVNO that resold T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon service. It launched in early 2018 and quietly shut down at the start of March 2019.	No single successor carrier
Disney Mobile	December 31, 2007	It was an MVNO on Sprint’s network, built around a Family Center with parental controls, and Disney closed it on December 31, 2007.	No single successor
DTC Wireless	Date not published	No longer offers wireless service	Not published
Earth Tones Wireless	Not confirmed (appears shut down)	Earth Tones Wireless was the cell phone service of Earth Tones, a phone company owned by environmental groups. Its wireless pages were archived from 2007 to 2014, and no end date was found.	No successor carrier found
EarthLink Wireless	March 2005	EarthLink’s original wireless service launched in 2004. EarthLink moved about 27,000 subscribers into SK-EarthLink, later called Helio, in 2005.	Helio (SK-EarthLink joint venture)
Embarq Wireless	2009	Embarq, the former Sprint landline company, resold Sprint cell service. It stopped new sign-ups in early 2008 and ended its wireless service in 2009.	No single successor carrier
enVie Mobile	Date not published	Out of business; H2O Wireless discontinued the brand	H2O Wireless
Español Mobile	Date not published	Out of business	Not published
ETC (Enhanced Telecommunications Corporation)	Not confirmed (appears shut down)	ETC’s cell service appears to be shut down. Great Plains Communications bought ETC in September 2020, and its site lists no cell service today.	No successor carrier found
Expo Mobile	Not stated (service moved to Selectel, December 2018)	Expo Mobile is gone. Selectel Wireless took over its customer service in December 2018, and Wikipedia now lists Expo Mobile as defunct.	Selectel Wireless (customer service, December 2018)
FairPoint Communications	July 3, 2017	FairPoint Communications was acquired by Consolidated Communications on July 3, 2017. FairPoint customers became Consolidated customers.	Consolidated Communications
FamilyTalk Wireless	2017	FamilyTalk Wireless is gone. Wikipedia lists it as a defunct US mobile virtual network operator that ended in 2017.	No single successor carrier
Farmers Mutual Telephone Company	Not confirmed (appears shut down)	A Farmers Mutual Telephone Company reported mobile handsets to the FCC for 2017. The Idaho company with that name now lists no mobile service, and no end date was found.	No successor carrier found
FeelSafe Wireless	2022	FeelSafe Wireless was a Lifeline phone brand that was renamed AirTalk Wireless. Sources disagree on the year: 2020 or 2022.	AirTalk Wireless
Firefly Mobile	2012	Firefly Mobile made the Firefly, a kids’ phone with no number keypad, launched in 2005 and sold with its own wireless service. Wikipedia’s carrier list shows the service ended in 2012.	No single successor carrier
Flash Wireless	December 2021	The brand was retired in December 2021 and the company was dissolved into ACN Communication Services in January 2023.	No single successor
FordMobile	2018	FordMobile was a small personal mobile phone brand. Wikipedia lists it as ending in 2018, but its host network is not confirmed.	No successor carrier found
Frontier Communications	January 20, 2026	Verizon acquired Frontier Communications on January 20, 2026. The business now runs as Frontier, a Verizon Company.	Verizon (Frontier, a Verizon Company)
Fuzion Mobile	2013	Fuzion Mobile is gone. Wikipedia lists it as a defunct AT&T-hosted brand that ended in 2013.	No successor carrier found
GIV Mobile	January 31, 2016	GIV Mobile was a T-Mobile MVNO that donated 8 percent of revenue to a charity the customer picked. It shut down with sister brand Ptel on January 31, 2016.	No single successor carrier
GreatCall	May 2021	The name changed in May 2021 and the service never stopped.	Lively
GTC Wireless	2009	GTC Wireless is gone. Atrium Wireless Partners bought it from GTC Telecom in November 2007, and Wikipedia lists the service as ending in 2009.	No successor carrier found
Helio	May 25, 2010	Helio was a premium phone service on Sprint’s network from SK Telecom and EarthLink. Virgin Mobile USA bought it in 2008, and Sprint ended Helio service on May 25, 2010.	Sprint postpaid (by customer choice)
Hello Mobile	January 2025	Absorbed into Liberty Wireless in December 2024; the brand stopped operating in January 2025.	Liberty Wireless
HipHop Global Mobile	2018	Its website no longer exists.	No single successor
Ideal Mobile	Not confirmed (appears shut down)	Ideal Mobile was a small prepaid carrier that ran on the Sprint network. It no longer sells service, and no official shutdown date was found.	No successor carrier found
Indigo Wireless	2023	It stopped selling mobile service to retail customers in 2023.	No single successor
Infinium Wireless	2017	Infinium Wireless is gone. Wikipedia lists it as a defunct US mobile virtual network operator that ended in 2017.	No single successor carrier
iQ Cellular	2014	iQ Cellular is gone. Wikipedia lists it as a defunct US brand that ended in 2014, with AT&T, Sprint and Verizon as host networks.	No successor carrier found
Itel UTel	Not confirmed (appears shut down)	Itel UTel appears to be shut down. Wikipedia lists it as a defunct Sprint-hosted brand but gives no end date, and no official notice was found.	No successor carrier found
Jaguar Mobile	Not stated	Jaguar Mobile is gone. Wikipedia lists it as a defunct US mobile virtual network operator on T-Mobile, with no end date.	No single successor carrier
Jump Mobile	February 26, 2010	Jump Mobile was Leap Wireless’s per-minute prepaid brand on the Cricket network. Leap replaced it with Cricket PayGo from October 2008 and retired the brand on February 26, 2010.	Cricket Wireless
Kajeet	August 23, 2017	Kajeet ended its consumer cell phone service on August 23, 2017. The company kept going, but only as a connectivity provider for schools and organizations.	TPO Mobile (optional migration offer)
KDDI Mobile	January 2019	KDDI Mobile ended in early 2019. Telrite Holdings bought its operator, Locus Telecommunications, from KDDI America in January 2019, and the KDDI Mobile SIM site moved to H2O Wireless Japan.	H2O Wireless (H2O Wireless Japan)
Leap Wireless	2014	It was the parent company of Cricket Wireless until AT&T bought it in 2014.	Cricket Wireless
Lucky Wireless	2011	Lucky Wireless is gone. Wikipedia lists it as a defunct Verizon-hosted US brand that ended in 2011. It is not Bell’s Lucky Mobile in Canada.	No successor carrier found
Maxsip Telecom	2026	Maxsip Telecom is winding down operations — that is the company’s own wording.	No single successor
Mi Gente Mobile	2013	Mi Gente Mobile is gone. Wikipedia lists it as a defunct Sprint-hosted US brand that ended in 2013.	No successor carrier found
Mid-Rivers Communications	August 1, 2019	Mid-Rivers Communications sold its cellular network to Verizon in 2019. Its retail cellular service ended on August 1, 2019.	No single successor carrier (Verizon bought the network)
Millenicom	October 31, 2014	Millenicom was a mobile internet provider that resold Verizon Wireless service. It ended its Verizon plans and its operations as a provider on October 31, 2014, and customers had to deal directly with Verizon.	Verizon Postpaid
Mingo Wireless	2012	Mingo Wireless is gone. Wikipedia lists it as a defunct Sprint-hosted US brand that ended in 2012.	No successor carrier found
Mobile ESPN	2006	ESPN sold a sports-focused phone service as an MVNO on Sprint’s network and stopped selling it in 2006.	No single successor
MobileNation	Not published	No longer in service; the company published no shutdown notice.	No single successor
MOSH Mobile	2012	MOSH Mobile was a small Indiana phone brand that ran on Centennial Wireless. It was defunct by 2012, and by November 20, 2012 its website sent visitors to AT&T.	No successor carrier found
Movida	2012	Movida was a Hispanic-focused prepaid phone brand on Sprint. It filed for bankruptcy in April 2008, was bought by APC Wireless that month, and Wikipedia lists its end as 2012.	No successor carrier found
MTA Solutions	August 1, 2017	MTA Solutions ended its cell phone service, MTA Wireless, as of August 1, 2017. The Alaska co-op kept its internet and landline business.	No single successor carrier
NetZero Mobile Broadband	Not confirmed (appears shut down)	NetZero is still in business, but its mobile broadband service appears to be shut down. NetZero’s site no longer lists a mobile plan, and no official end date was found.	No successor carrier found
Next G Mobile	December 31, 2013	Next G Mobile was a small prepaid-style reseller on the Verizon network. It went offline and out of business as of December 31, 2013.	No single successor carrier
Nextel	June 30, 2013	Sprint bought Nextel in 2005 and shut the Nextel iDEN network down on June 30, 2013.	T-Mobile Postpaid
NorthwestCell	December 31, 2024	NorthwestCell ended its wireless operations on December 31, 2024. It sold select network assets to Verizon and referred its northwest Missouri customers there.	Verizon (preferred provider; customers could choose any carrier)
NTT DoCoMo USA	2016	Discontinued its US wireless service	Not published
Omni Prepaid	2012	Omni Prepaid was a US prepaid phone brand that Wikipedia lists as ended in 2012. Its host network is not recorded.	No successor carrier found
Open Mobile PR	May 30, 2018	Merged into a Sprint joint venture in 2017; the brand became Boost Mobile, and the prepaid base passed to Liberty in 2024.	Liberty Mobile
OTG Mobile	Not published	Its website no longer exists.	No single successor
Phonata	2013	Phonata was a US phone brand that used AT&T, Sprint and Verizon, according to Wikipedia. It ended in 2013.	No successor carrier found
Pioneer Cellular	2023	Moved its mobile customers to Verizon and exited wireless to focus on broadband.	Verizon
PlatinumTel Mobile	Date not published	Went out of business	Numbers ported out or deactivated
PrepaYd Wireless	Date not published	Went out of business	Numbers ported out or deactivated
PrimeCo	April 2000	It was a national wireless alliance that became part of Verizon Wireless in April 2000.	No single successor
Project Fi	2018	The name changed in 2018 and the service still runs.	Google Fi
PTel	January 31, 2016	Shut down with GIV Mobile; the port-out deadline was February 5, 2016.	No single successor
Puppy Wireless	2016	Its assets were acquired in 2016 and the retail brand has not sold service since.	No single successor
Pure Mobile	2012	Pure Mobile was a US phone brand that Wikipedia lists on Verizon. It ended in 2012.	No successor carrier found
Pure Unlimited	Not confirmed (appears shut down)	Pure Unlimited was a talk-and-text phone brand with no data, on AT&T. Wikipedia lists it as defunct, with no end date, and says its order page pointed customers to sister company Pure Talk.	Pure Talk
Q Link Wireless	Date not published	Shut down and debarred	Lifeline customers reassigned
Qwest Wireless	October 31, 2009	Qwest Wireless shut down on October 31, 2009. Qwest moved most customers to Verizon Wireless first and waived early termination fees for the rest.	Verizon Postpaid
Reach Mobile	August 18, 2026	Consumer service ended; the Reach site says Reach Mobile is now Slate Mobile, and the company sells its platform to cable operators instead.	Slate Mobile
Ready Mobile	December 31, 2020	Ready Mobile ended its wireless phone service on December 31, 2020. Its operator, ReadyWireless, LLC, named no successor carrier.	No successor carrier
Real Mobile	Not confirmed (appears shut down)	Real Mobile appears to be shut down. Its last dated news is from July 2017, its domain now redirects to a domain broker, and no official end date was found.	No successor carrier found
Red Stick Wireless	Not confirmed (appears shut down)	Red Stick Wireless was a US phone brand that used Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon. By August 2019 its website showed only a maintenance message, and no official end date has been found.	No successor carrier found
Republic Wireless	2023	DISH bought it in 2021 and moved every customer to Boost Infinite in 2023; Boost Infinite was folded into Boost Mobile in 2024.	Boost Mobile
Revol Wireless	January 16, 2014	This Ohio-based regional carrier ended service on January 16, 2014, after selling its licenses to Sprint.	No single successor
RingPlus	February 21, 2017	RingPlus shut down in February 2017 after Sprint moved to cut it off. Its customers were moved to Ting Mobile, with a final deadline of February 21, 2017.	Ting Mobile
Roam Mobility	June 30, 2020	Roam Mobility shut down on June 30, 2020. The Vancouver travel SIM brand blamed COVID-19, and every Roam number was permanently deactivated that day.	No successor carrier
ROK Mobile	Date not published	Shut down Verizon service, then the Sprint side	Not published
Scratch Wireless	April 2016	Scratch Wireless was discontinued in April 2016. The Wi-Fi-first carrier, which roamed onto Sprint, stopped selling service and never returned.	No single successor carrier
Shaka Mobile	Not confirmed (appears shut down)	Shaka Mobile appears to be shut down. Wikipedia lists it as a defunct Sprint-based prepaid brand, but no source gives an end date.	No successor carrier found
Shentel Wireless	July 1, 2021	Shentel sold its wireless business to T-Mobile in a deal that closed July 1, 2021. Shentel still exists, but it no longer sells cell service.	T-Mobile Postpaid
Silver Star Communications	December 30, 2022	Silver Star Communications ended its cellular service in Star Valley, Wyoming on December 30, 2022. The company still sells internet and voice, but no longer offers mobile service.	No single successor carrier
Simple Freedom	2007	Simple Freedom was Alltel’s own prepaid phone brand, launched at Wal-Mart in January 2003. Wikipedia lists it as ended in 2007.	Verizon prepaid or AT&T Mobility
Skype	May 5, 2025	Microsoft retired Skype on May 5, 2025. Users were moved to the free version of Microsoft Teams, and Skype phone services are winding down.	Microsoft Teams Free (no phone carrier)
SkyView Wireless	Not confirmed (appears shut down)	SkyView Wireless appears to be shut down. It stopped accepting new customers by July 2019, and its domain is now listed for sale.	No successor carrier found
Snake River PCS	Not confirmed (appears shut down)	Snake River PCS, a cell service of Eagle Telephone System, reported CDMA handsets to the FCC for 2017. No current mobile service or official end date was found.	No successor carrier found
Solavei	December 4, 2015	Shut down after T-Mobile ended its wholesale agreement.	No single successor
Spot Mobile	Date not published	Went out of business	Numbers ported out or deactivated
Sprint Postpaid	Brand retired Aug 2020, network off 2022	T-Mobile merger closed April 1, 2020	T-Mobile
Sprint Prepaid	2020	Transferred to DISH Network	Boost Mobile (DISH)
SRT Communications	Date not published	Discontinued its wireless business	Recommends another carrier
STi Mobile	early 2013	Its operator filed for bankruptcy in 2012 and the service was gone by early 2013.	No single successor
Stream Wireless	2024	Stream Wireless stopped phone service in 2024 after the Affordable Connectivity Program expired. It says it may resume if the program is renewed.	No successor carrier named
SWT Mobile	2013	SWT Mobile was a consumer phone brand that ran on AT&T’s network. Wikipedia lists it as ended in 2013.	No successor carrier found
TalkForGood	2013	TalkForGood was a no-contract phone service on Verizon’s network that donated part of each bill to a charity the customer chose. Wikipedia lists it as ended in 2013.	No successor carrier found
Telava Mobile	Not confirmed (appears shut down)	Telava Mobile appears to be shut down. Its parent, Telava Networks, sold WiMAX wireless broadband, its trademark was cancelled in 2016, and no official end date was found.	No successor carrier found
Telcel America	2021	Telcel America merged into Simple Mobile in 2021. Telcel’s website now redirects to Simple Mobile.	Simple Mobile
The People’s Operator USA	late 2018	This charity-focused MVNO closed its US service in late 2018 and moved its customers to Ting Mobile.	Ting
Total Call Mobile	December 25, 2016	Went out of business	enTouch Wireless
Touch Mobile	Date not published	No longer offering service	Not published
TPO Mobile	November 28, 2018	TPO Mobile shut down its US service on November 28, 2018. Existing customers were transferred to Ting.	Ting
Triangle Mobile	December 15, 2021	Triangle Mobile ended its cell service after Verizon agreed in 2021 to buy its LTE in Rural America network assets. Customers had until December 15 to move to a carrier of their choice.	No single successor carrier
Trumpet Mobile	2013	Trumpet Mobile was a prepaid phone brand on Sprint’s network, aimed at Latino customers and heavy international callers. Ready Mobile acquired it in January 2009, and Wikipedia lists its end as 2013.	No successor carrier found
Truphone	January 24, 2023	Truphone was acquired by 1GLOBAL on January 24, 2023, in a pre-pack administration sale. Truphone’s products were renamed 1GLOBAL.	1GLOBAL
TúYo Mobile	2012	TúYo Mobile was IDT Corporation’s prepaid phone service for US Hispanics. It launched in November 2005, and Wikipedia lists its end as 2012.	No successor carrier found
Univision Mobile	July 11, 2017	Out of business	Ultra Mobile
UppWireless	2016	UppWireless was a low-cost, app-based phone service from UppTalk that ran on T-Mobile’s 4G network. It launched in February 2014 and is gone; sources put the end in 2016 or 2017.	No successor carrier found
UVA Mobile	2017	UVA Mobile was a San Diego prepaid carrier on T-Mobile that launched in 2015 and ended in 2017, per Wikipedia. No successor carrier is named.	No successor carrier named in sources
UWT Mobile	Not stated	UWT Mobile is listed as defunct on Wikipedia’s list of US MVNOs, with no end date recorded. No successor carrier is named.	No successor carrier named in sources
Value Wireless	Not stated	Value Wireless is listed as defunct on Wikipedia’s list of US MVNOs, with no end date recorded. No successor carrier is named.	No successor carrier named in sources
Venn Mobile	June 26, 2020	Venn Mobile was a $30 unlimited plan on Sprint’s network that launched in January 2020. Sprint turned off its lines on June 26, 2020.	No single successor carrier
Virgin Mobile USA	2020	Customers were moved to Boost in 2020.	Boost Mobile
Voce	February 1, 2008	Voce was a luxury concierge cell phone service from Beverly Hills that launched in 2006. It shut down abruptly, without warning, around February 1, 2008.	No single successor carrier
Votel Mobile	2014	Votel Mobile was a low-cost, no-contract phone service on Sprint’s network, run by Macalester Telecom of America in Los Angeles. It launched in 2012 and ended in 2014.	No successor carrier found
Voyager Mobile	2015	Went out of business	Not published
West Central Wireless	August 31, 2023	Sold its mobile operations to Verizon and shut off cellular service on August 31, 2023.	Verizon Postpaid
Wireless Services US	July 2017	Wireless Services US ended in July 2017, per Wikipedia’s list of defunct US MVNOs. No successor carrier is named.	No successor carrier named in sources
WOW Mobile PCS	2012	WOW Mobile PCS was a personal phone service that ran on Sprint’s CDMA network. Wikipedia lists it as defunct, with an end date of 2012.	No successor carrier found
WUE	Date not published	Discontinued offering cellular service	Not published
XCellular USA	July 25, 2014	XCellular USA was a personal phone service that ran on Sprint’s CDMA and LTE network. Wikipedia lists it as defunct, with an end date of July 25, 2014.	No successor carrier found
XE Mobile	December 31, 2007	XE Mobile was a prepaid cell service for college students on AT&T’s network. It shut down entirely on December 31, 2007, and all accounts were canceled.	No single successor carrier
Yahoo Mobile	2021	Verizon ran it as a prepaid, app-based service on its own network, and it ended in 2021.	Visible
Zact	August 2014	Zact was a customizable prepaid service on Sprint’s network that launched in 2013. It stopped sign-ups on July 4, 2014 and shut down in August 2014.	Sprint (optional move; no automatic transfer)
Zapp	2012	Zapp was a personal phone service that ran on Sprint’s CDMA network. Wikipedia lists it as defunct, with an end date of 2012.	No successor carrier found
ZERO11 Wireless	Not confirmed (appears shut down)	ZERO11 Wireless appears to be shut down. Wikipedia lists it as a defunct AT&T reseller with no end date, and its domain shows no phone service.	No successor carrier found
ZingPCS	2016	It sold its wireless business in 2016.	No single successor
ZIP SIM	Not confirmed (appears shut down)	ZIP SIM, a short-term prepaid SIM from Otono Networks, appears to be shut down. Its domain is listed for sale, and no official end date was found.	No successor carrier found
ZUMA Prepaid	2013	ZUMA Prepaid was a personal phone service that ran on Sprint’s CDMA network. Wikipedia lists it as defunct, with an end date of 2013.	No successor carrier found

The Sprint shutdown killed more brands than any acquisition

T-Mobile closed its merger with Sprint on April 1, 2020, retired the Sprint brand in August 2020, and shut the Sprint network down in 2022. Every MVNO that depended on Sprint towers lost its network in one step. That is not a list of unrelated failures. It is one event with many names attached to it.

Carriers often blamed for shutting down that did not: Choice Wireless, Claro, United Wireless and Chit Chat Mobile all lost Sprint roaming or CDMA service, not their own business. FreedomPop ended its free plan in February 2026 but the brand still operates under Red Pocket Mobile. Project Fi was renamed Google Fi in 2018, not discontinued.

You have a number from a dead carrier. Now what?

A dead carrier is the hardest port there is. There is no customer service line to call for an account number, and no transfer PIN to generate. What usually still works: the number stays assigned to the underlying network for a period after the brand closes, and the carrier that absorbed the customer base can often release it.

Your right to take the number with you does not end because the carrier did. Number portability is an FCC rule, explained in Porting: Keeping Your Phone Number When You Change Providers. With carriers that shut down, the number usually sits with the successor or the host network, so start there.

Look up transfer PIN and account number instructions for every US carrier — free, no signup.

How we confirm carriers that shut down

We track US carriers. Every candidate was tested against one question: is the carrier itself the subject of the shutdown, or is the page describing something that happened to a network it used? That single test removed seven brands that are still operating. Three more were dropped because the only available wording was speculative rather than factual.