Simple Freedom was Alltel’s prepaid wireless brand. It launched in more than 1,500 Wal-Mart stores in January 2003. Wikipedia lists its end date as 2007. It says customers in Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas and seven other states moved to Verizon prepaid, while other markets moved to AT&T Mobility.
Simple Freedom is gone
Simple Freedom ran on Alltel’s own CDMA network. Alltel launched it in January 2003 as a $69 Wal-Mart kit with a phone, charger and $10 of airtime. In February 2006 it was still on sale at Wal-Mart and Kmart. Wikipedia lists 2007 as its end date. No dated shutdown notice from Alltel was found.
If you had a Simple Freedom line
According to Wikipedia, customers in Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas and seven other states moved to Verizon prepaid. Customers in other markets moved to AT&T Mobility. A Simple Freedom number that made one of those moves now sits with Verizon or AT&T. If you are unsure, ask either carrier whether the number is on file.
The 2007 end date and the customer moves come from an uncited Wikipedia row, and the row does not say when the moves to Verizon and AT&T happened.
How Simple Freedom ended
- January 31, 2003: Alltel launches Simple Freedom prepaid service in more than 1,500 Wal-Mart stores, per RCR Wireless News.
- February 6, 2006: Alltel still sells Simple Freedom at Wal-Mart and Kmart while launching its new U prepaid service.
- 2007: Simple Freedom ends, per Wikipedia.
Why Simple Freedom ended
No source states why Alltel dropped Simple Freedom. In February 2006 Alltel launched a new prepaid service called U, with pay per minute, pay per day and pay per month options. Alltel’s prepaid marketing director said prepaid had not been a focus historically. Simple Freedom was still sold at that time. Wikipedia lists its end as 2007.
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 Simple Freedom
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. Simple Freedom counts in our tracked total, not in our active total, so it does not appear in tools built for live carriers.
Questions about Simple Freedom
Is Simple Freedom still available?
No. Simple Freedom was Alltel’s prepaid brand, and Wikipedia lists its end date as 2007. You cannot buy or activate a Simple Freedom plan today. Alltel’s retail brand no longer sells phone service.
Which network did Simple Freedom use?
Simple Freedom ran on Alltel’s own CDMA network, per Wikipedia. It was not a third-party reseller. Alltel sold it as its own prepaid brand through Wal-Mart and later Kmart stores.
What happened to Simple Freedom customers?
Wikipedia says customers in Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas and seven other states moved to Verizon prepaid. Customers in other markets moved to AT&T Mobility. The row does not list the other seven states or give dates for the moves.
How much did Simple Freedom cost?
At launch in January 2003, the Wal-Mart kit cost $69 with a phone, charger and $10 of airtime. Calls on Alltel’s network cost 25 cents a minute and off-network calls 50 cents, per RCR Wireless News.
Sources
Checked October 14, 2026.
- Wikipedia: List of mobile virtual network operators in the United States: Lists Simple Freedom: Personal market, Alltel host, CDMA, end date 2007; customers in Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas and seven other states moved to Verizon prepaid, other markets to AT&T Mobility (checked October 14, 2026).
- RCR Wireless News: Alltel offers prepaid package in Wal-Mart stores: Launch in 1,500+ Wal-Mart stores, $69 kit, per-minute rates (January 31, 2003).
- RCR Wireless News: Alltel expands prepaid options with U service: Simple Freedom still sold at Wal-Mart and Kmart; Alltel launches U prepaid (February 6, 2006).
Best Cellular. “Simple Freedom: What Happened,” BestCellular.com. https://bestcellular.com/simple-freedom/
Free to reuse with credit. Licence, sources and the full dataset. All defunct carriers are listed on carriers that shut down.