TPO Mobile was the US arm of The People’s Operator, a UK charity-focused phone company that pledged 10 percent of each bill to a charity of the customer’s choice. It ran on T-Mobile and Sprint. TPO shut down its US service on November 28, 2018, and moved existing customers to Ting.
TPO Mobile is gone
TPO Mobile shut down its US operations on November 28, 2018. It was an MVNO that used T-Mobile and Sprint, with plans from $10 to $45 a month. In May 2018, TPO said it wanted to leave the US to focus on the UK and was negotiating to move its US customers to another company’s platform. The UK business closed separately on February 26, 2019.
If you had a TPO Mobile line
Existing TPO Mobile customers were transferred to Ting. TPO lines no longer exist, so TPO cannot issue an account number or transfer PIN. If your number moved to Ting, ask Ting for its account details. If you later moved again, ask your current carrier. That carrier holds the number now.
How TPO Mobile ended
- 2012: The People’s Operator launches in the UK on EE’s network.
- 2014: TPO lists on the London Stock Exchange and expands into the US.
- May 17, 2018: TPO says it plans to end US operations and is negotiating to move US customers to a third party.
- November 28, 2018: TPO Mobile shuts down its US operations. Existing customers are transferred to Ting.
- February 26, 2019: TPO’s UK service closes.
Why TPO Mobile ended
TPO said in May 2018 that it wanted to end US operations to concentrate on the UK market. Its board was negotiating with an unnamed third party to move US customers to that party’s platform, with a cash payment for each customer transferred. By November 2018 the US service had closed and customers went to Ting. TechRadar later reported that TPO as a whole failed to attract enough customers and drew frequent complaints about customer service.
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 TPO 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. TPO Mobile counts in our tracked total, not in our active total, so it does not appear in tools built for live carriers.
Questions about TPO Mobile
Is TPO Mobile still available?
No. TPO Mobile shut down its US operations on November 28, 2018. You cannot sign up, and existing lines were transferred to Ting. The UK TPO service also closed on February 26, 2019.
Which network did TPO Mobile use?
TPO Mobile was an MVNO. Tom’s Guide reported that it used the T-Mobile and Sprint networks. TPO did not own any towers. Sprint has since merged into T-Mobile.
What happened to TPO Mobile customers?
Existing TPO Mobile customers were transferred to Ting when the US service closed on November 28, 2018. If your number went to Ting, Ting holds your account details. If you moved again later, ask your current carrier.
Did TPO Mobile really donate to charity?
TPO pledged to donate 10 percent of each monthly bill to a charity the customer chose. Tom’s Guide reported the pledge. BestCellular.com found no source that audits how much TPO actually donated.
Sources
Checked October 13, 2026.
- Tom’s Guide: What Is TPO Mobile, and Is It Worth It?: Editors’ note: US operations shut down November 28, 2018, customers transferred to Ting; networks T-Mobile and Sprint; plans $10 to $45. Published November 28, 2018.
- NWIDA: TPO looks to end US operations: May 17, 2018: TPO plans to end US operations to focus on the UK and is negotiating a customer transfer to a third party.
- TechRadar: Charitable MVNO The People’s Operator shuts down: February 15, 2019: UK service ends February 26, 2019; launched 2012; US expansion 2014; reasons for closure.
Best Cellular. “TPO Mobile: What Happened,” BestCellular.com. https://bestcellular.com/tpo-mobile/
Free to reuse with credit. Licence, sources and the full dataset. All defunct carriers are listed on carriers that shut down.