Triangle Mobile was the cell service of Triangle Communications, a rural Montana cooperative, and ran an LTE network built to Verizon specifications. In early 2021 Verizon agreed to buy those network assets. Triangle then ended mobile service. Customers were not moved to Verizon and had until December 15 to choose a new carrier.
Triangle Mobile is gone
On January 27, 2021, Triangle announced that Verizon would buy Triangle Mobile’s LTE in Rural America assets, including its coverage area. The deal was expected to close mid-2021. Triangle then told mobile customers to move their lines to a carrier of their choice by December 15. Verizon took responsibility for Triangle’s LRA and CDMA tower equipment. Triangle’s landline, fiber and fixed wireless internet service continued.
If you had a Triangle Mobile line
There was no automatic successor. Triangle said customers would not be moved to Verizon. Each customer picked a new carrier, and Triangle offered a $50 credit per line for switching. Triangle lines no longer exist, so Triangle cannot issue a transfer PIN. If you moved your number, ask your current carrier for its account details.
How Triangle Mobile ended
- January 27, 2021: Triangle announces Verizon will buy Triangle Mobile’s LTE in Rural America assets. Close expected mid-2021.
- February 3, 2021: Local papers in Montana report the agreement. Landline and internet service are not affected.
- March 12, 2021: Light Reading reports Verizon will remove Triangle’s Huawei CDMA equipment before folding the network into its own.
- December 15, 2021: Deadline for Triangle Mobile customers to move their lines to a new carrier.
Why Triangle Mobile ended
Triangle Mobile was a small rural carrier with about 3,000 customers, according to Light Reading. It was a member of Verizon’s LTE in Rural America program, and its LTE network was already built to Verizon specifications. Verizon agreed to buy those network assets in 2021. Triangle’s CDMA network included Huawei equipment, which Verizon said it would replace. Once the network went to Verizon, Triangle stopped selling mobile service and kept its landline and internet business.
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 Triangle 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. Triangle Mobile counts in our tracked total, not in our active total, so it does not appear in tools built for live carriers.
Questions about Triangle Mobile
Is Triangle Mobile still available?
No. Triangle Mobile ended its cell service. Customers had until December 15, 2021 to move their lines. Triangle Communications still offers landline, fiber and fixed wireless internet, but not mobile phone service.
Which network did Triangle Mobile use?
Triangle Mobile ran its own towers as a member of Verizon’s LTE in Rural America program. Its LTE network was built to Verizon specifications. Verizon bought those network assets in 2021.
What happened to Triangle Mobile customers?
Triangle told customers they would not be moved to Verizon. Each customer chose a new carrier by December 15. Triangle listed Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Spectrum Mobile, Straight Talk and Tracfone as options and offered a $50 credit per line.
Will my coverage change if I switched to Verizon?
Triangle said Verizon and Triangle used the same network for LTE, so coverage should stay the same on Verizon. It warned that coverage may differ with other carriers. Check a carrier’s map before you switch.
Sources
Checked October 13, 2026.
- Triangle Communications: Important Message Regarding Triangle Mobile & Verizon: Triangle’s customer notice: December 15 deadline, customers not moved to Verizon, $50 credit, Verizon takes LRA/CDMA tower equipment. Year not printed.
- Big Sandy Mountaineer: Triangle and Verizon enter agreement: Press release dated January 27, 2021: Verizon buys LRA assets, close expected mid-2021, landline and internet unaffected.
- Light Reading: Verizon to buy tiny Montana operator, but will ditch Huawei’s equipment first: March 12, 2021: about 3,000 customers, LRA member, Huawei CDMA equipment to be replaced.
- Phillips County News: Triangle Mobile and Verizon reach agreement: February 3, 2021: Verizon to acquire LRA assets and coverage area, close expected mid-year 2021.
Best Cellular. “Triangle Mobile: What Happened,” BestCellular.com. https://bestcellular.com/triangle-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 Triangle Mobile’s customers. These carriers publish their network and run today.