TracFone parent acquires Simple Mobile
updated 12:40 pm EDT, Fri May 11, 2012
T-Mobile brand Simple Mobile gets bought out by América Móvil's TracFone
Regional wireless provider América Móvil and its TracFone subsidiary and prepaid provider have purchased T-Mobile brand Simple Mobile on Thursday. While the financial details of the sale weren't revealed, TracFone is the largest mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in the US, with about 20 million subscribers. Simple Mobile, which sells only SIM cards and service to those with their won smartphones, has about one million subscribers and 2.5 million device activations.
Simple Mobile has distributors that sell hardware, though only about 40 percent of its subscribers take this route. The most popular phone is T-Mobile's myTouch. It offers unlimited talk, text, and data for $60 per month.
TracFone recently also launched a SIM-only service to its lineup. It operates smaller brands throughout the US, including Sprint Nextel, Straight Talk, Net10, and more.
Simple Mobile is planning on changing its network, bringing HSPA support for unlocked iPhones. This is likely a big reason for the appeal to TracFone. [via FierceWireless]
