FOR RELEASE OCTOBER 20, 2026. More than half of the US wireless brands BestCellular.com tracks no longer exist. Wireless carriers that shut down, were sold, merged or were renamed now outnumber the ones still running. Its free dataset, published today, covers 317 US carriers and phone-service brands. 165 of them shut down, were sold, merged or were renamed, and each has its own dated page explaining what happened to its customers.
Key findings
- 317 US carriers and phone-service brands tracked.
- 165 are gone: 123 shut down, 28 were acquired, 10 were renamed and 4 merged.
- 152 still operate. 141 of those are mobile carriers.
- Of the 141 active mobile carriers, 25 run on Verizon, 27 on T-Mobile and 19 on AT&T. 32 run their own networks and 10 use more than one.
- 28 active mobile carriers do not publish which network they use.
Why it matters
Most US wireless brands rent a network they do not own, and many do not last. When a brand shuts down, its customers need an account number and a transfer PIN to keep their phone number. BestCellular.com documents where each brand’s customers went, so people can find out who holds an old number today.
The full release
Most US wireless brands do not own a network, and many do not last. BestCellular.com, operated by Assertive Holdings, LLC, has published an open dataset of 317 US carriers and phone-service brands. 152 still operate. 165 shut down, were acquired, merged or were renamed, and each has its own page explaining what happened to its customers.
Of the 141 active mobile carriers, 25 run on Verizon, 27 on T-Mobile and 19 on AT&T. 32 run their own networks and 10 use more than one. 28 do not publish which network they use.
The dataset is licensed CC BY 4.0. Every record lists its sources, and each active carrier page gives the account number and transfer PIN steps customers need to switch.
BestCellular.com is an independent reference and sells no wireless service. Its free tools include a transfer PIN lookup, a phone unlock checker, a phone compatibility check and a printable port-in card for wireless stores.
How we documented wireless carriers that shut down
Each brand’s host network comes from the carrier’s own pages, regulator filings or published news. When a carrier does not say which network it uses, the dataset records it as not published instead of guessing. Shut-down dates come from dated sources: carrier notices, SEC and FCC filings, trademark records and trade press. Where the only record is an uncited Wikipedia entry, the brand’s page says so. Twenty brands no longer sell service but have no official end date; those pages are labeled “appears to be shut down.”
BestCellular.com compared its list of wireless carriers that shut down with Wikipedia’s list of US mobile virtual network operators. Wikipedia’s defunct table has 93 rows. BestCellular.com has a page for 91 of them by name, plus 76 shut-down brands that table does not list.
Use the data
- Download the dataset and read the license
- All wireless carriers that shut down, with dates and where customers went
- All active US carriers A to Z
Questions about the list
How many US wireless carriers have shut down?
As of October 20, 2026, BestCellular.com documents 165 US wireless brands that shut down, were acquired, merged or were renamed, out of 317 it tracks.
How many cell phone carriers are there in the US today?
BestCellular.com counts 152 operating US carriers and phone-service brands as of October 20, 2026. 141 of them are mobile carriers; the rest are internet-calling or landline services.
Which network do most US wireless brands use?
Among the 141 active mobile carriers, T-Mobile hosts 27, Verizon 25 and AT&T 19. 32 run their own networks, 10 use more than one, and 28 do not say.
Can I use this data in my story or research?
Yes. The dataset is free under CC BY 4.0. Credit “BestCellular.com, US carrier dataset” and link to BestCellular.com/data/.
Media contact
M. Curtis McCoy, Director of Marketing, BestCellular.com. Contact BestCellular.com.
About BestCellular.com: BestCellular.com is a free reference for US wireless carriers: account numbers, transfer PINs, host networks and what happened to brands that shut down. Operated by Assertive Holdings, LLC.