XE Mobile was a prepaid mobile virtual network operator aimed at college students, launched in 2006 on AT&T Mobility’s network. In December 2007 it posted notice that it would cease operations and shut down entirely on December 31, 2007. Phone service stopped, all accounts were canceled and balances expired.
XE Mobile is gone
XE Mobile shut down on December 31, 2007. In mid-December the company posted a notice on its website saying it “will cease operations and shut down entirely on December 31st.” On that date phone service stopped and “all user accounts will be canceled,” Phone Scoop reported. RCR Wireless News added that account balances expired on December 31 and that calls to XE’s main office did not connect.
If you had an XE Mobile line
No carrier took over XE Mobile customers. The sources name no successor. Prepaid balances expired at the shutdown and were not carried anywhere. A number not moved before December 31, 2007 is almost certainly gone. Any active carrier will work today.
How XE Mobile ended
- 2006: XE Mobile launches as a prepaid service for college students on AT&T Mobility’s network (April 2006 per Phone Scoop; late 2006 per RCR Wireless News).
- December 13, 2007: Phone Scoop reports XE’s notice that it will shut down entirely on December 31.
- December 17, 2007: RCR Wireless News calls XE the latest failed mobile virtual network operator; calls to its office do not connect.
- December 31, 2007: Service stops, accounts are canceled and balances expire.
Why XE Mobile ended
XE Mobile did not say why it closed, and the sources do not state a reason. RCR Wireless News placed it in a wave of failed mobile virtual network operators in 2006 and 2007, alongside Disney Mobile, Mobile ESPN and Amp’d Mobile. XE had chased a narrow audience: college students, with free incoming texts, 10 to 20 cent minutes and retail discounts at stores like Target and Foot Locker.
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 XE 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. XE Mobile counts in our tracked total, not in our active total, so it does not appear in tools built for live carriers.
Questions about XE Mobile
Is XE Mobile still available?
No. XE Mobile ceased operations and shut down entirely on December 31, 2007. All user accounts were canceled on that date. There is no XE Mobile service to buy or reactivate today.
Which network did XE Mobile use?
XE Mobile ran on AT&T Mobility’s network, according to RCR Wireless News. It was a mobile virtual network operator, meaning it rented capacity on AT&T rather than running its own towers.
What happened to XE Mobile customers?
Their service stopped on December 31, 2007, and their accounts were canceled. Remaining prepaid balances expired. No carrier took them over. XE gave subscribers a phone number to call about closing their accounts.
Did XE Mobile refund prepaid balances?
The sources do not report refunds. RCR Wireless News said account balances expired on December 31, 2007, the day the service shut down. Phone Scoop said all user accounts were canceled on that date.
Sources
Checked October 13, 2026.
- Phone Scoop: XE Mobile shutting down: Launched April 2006; will shut down entirely December 31; all accounts canceled (December 13, 2007).
- RCR Wireless News: XE Mobile, another MVNO down and out: Launched late 2006 on AT&T Mobility; balances expire December 31 (December 17, 2007).
- Wikipedia: List of mobile virtual network operators in the United States: Lists XE Mobile as defunct, end date 2007.
Best Cellular. “XE Mobile: What Happened,” BestCellular.com. https://bestcellular.com/xe-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 XE Mobile’s customers. These carriers publish their network and run today.