Votel Mobile was a no-contract phone brand from Macalester Telecom of America in Los Angeles. It ran on Sprint’s network and launched in 2012 with unlimited plans from $33.33 a month. Wikipedia lists its end as 2014. Its domain is now for sale, and Sprint itself no longer exists.
Votel Mobile is gone
Votel Mobile was reported launched on October 25, 2012 as a Sprint reseller from Macalester Telecom of America, which also ran Platinum Mobile. The Wikipedia MVNO list dates its end to 2014. No official shutdown notice was found. On October 14, 2026, votelmobile.com redirected to a GoDaddy page listing the domain for sale. Sprint, its host network, has since merged into T-Mobile.
If you had a Votel Mobile line
No source names a carrier that took Votel Mobile customers. Votel phones were built for Sprint’s CDMA network, which is shut down. If your number still works, it now sits with the carrier you moved it to. Ask that carrier for your account number and port-out PIN before you switch again.
The 2014 end year comes from one source, the Wikipedia MVNO list, which cites no reference for it.
How Votel Mobile ended
- October 25, 2012: FierceWireless reports Votel Mobile’s launch on Sprint with unlimited plans at $33.33 and $43.33 a month.
- 2014: End year given for Votel Mobile in the Wikipedia MVNO list.
Why Votel Mobile ended
The sources do not give a reason. Votel Mobile sold cheap unlimited plans on Sprint’s network, a crowded field in 2012. FierceWireless quoted CEO Jeff Javidzad promising no contracts and no surprises. The Wikipedia list shows the brand gone by 2014 but cites nothing. BestCellular.com found no press release or filing that explains the end.
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 Votel 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. Votel Mobile counts in our tracked total, not in our active total, so it does not appear in tools built for live carriers.
Questions about Votel Mobile
Is Votel Mobile still available?
No. The Wikipedia MVNO list shows Votel Mobile as defunct with an end year of 2014. On October 14, 2026, votelmobile.com redirected to a GoDaddy page offering the domain for sale.
Which network did Votel Mobile use?
Sprint. FierceWireless reported in October 2012 that Votel ran on Sprint Nextel’s network, and the Wikipedia list names Sprint with CDMA technology. Sprint has since merged into T-Mobile.
What happened to Votel Mobile customers?
The sources do not say. No successor carrier is named. Customers would have moved their numbers to a carrier of their choice before the service ended.
Who ran Votel Mobile?
Macalester Telecom of America in Los Angeles, according to FierceWireless in October 2012. The same company also ran Platinum Mobile, another Sprint reseller. Its CEO was Jeff Javidzad.
Sources
Checked October 14, 2026.
- Wikipedia: List of mobile virtual network operators in the United States: Lists Votel Mobile as defunct: Personal market, Sprint host, CDMA, end year 2014. No citation on the row. Checked October 14, 2026.
- FierceWireless: Sprint MVNO Votel offers unlimited smartphone service for $43.33 per month: October 25, 2012: Votel Mobile, from Macalester Telecom of America in Los Angeles, launches on Sprint; plans $33.33 and $43.33 a month.
- GoDaddy: votelmobile.com for sale: votelmobile.com redirects here and is listed for sale. Checked October 14, 2026.
Best Cellular. “Votel Mobile: What Happened,” BestCellular.com. https://bestcellular.com/votel-mobile/
Free to reuse with credit. Licence, sources and the full dataset. All defunct carriers are listed on carriers that shut down.