Full Answer
Is Virgin Mobile owned by another company?
Virgin Mobile USA was a no-contract mobile virtual network operator owned by Sprint Corporation. It licensed the Virgin Mobile brand from United Kingdom-based Virgin Group. Virgin Mobile USA was headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, and provided service to approximately 6 million customers.
Who bought out Virgin Mobile?
Pros & Cons of Switching to Boost Mobile
- Unlimited plan options
- Plans include hotspot allowance
- Discounts for family plans
- 99% coverage for calls (via domestic roaming)
- Taxes and fees included
- Poor coverage on Sprint's network
- There are other cheaper carriers/plans
Who is the current CEO of Virgin Mobile USA?
Lutz Schüler has been CEO of Virgin Media since June 2019, after spending ten months as the company’s Chief Operating Officer. Lutz is also member of the Liberty Global Executive Leadership Team.
Who is the carrier of Virgin Mobile?
Virgin Media O2 - the company that owns the Virgin Mobile and O2 networks - said a family of four going abroad for two weeks could see an extra £100 on their bill, based on analysis of rates from other providers.
Who bought out Virgin Mobile?
Sprint NextelIn addition to pulling from Best Buy and Walmart, it also took the Virgin Mobile brand out of Target in 2018 when Sprint ended that relationship. Sprint Nextel acquired Virgin Mobile in 2009 for $483 million and the Virgin Mobile brand is licensed from the Virgin Group founded by billionaire Sir Richard Branson.
Does Virgin Mobile still exist?
As of April 2020, the Assurance Wireless brand is now under the T-Mobile family after the merger with Sprint was officially completed earlier this year and after Virgin Mobile was officially shut down and folded into Boost Mobile.
Is Virgin Mobile owned by T-Mobile?
Sprint-owned Virgin Mobile USA shutting down as T-Mobile merger process continues. Sprint is shutting down its prepaid Virgin Mobile USA phone business and moving customers over to sister brand Boost Mobile. As part of the merger with T-Mobile, Sprint agreed to sell off its subsidiaries Virgin and Boost to Dish Network ...
Is Virgin Mobile shutting down in the UK?
The company set up in 2004, Virgin Mobile Group (UK) Limited, became dormant and was eventually dissolved in 2020.
What will happen to Virgin Mobile customers?
In February, Virgin Mobile shuts down, and existing customers will be transferred over to Boost Mobile, another discount carrier that Sprint owns and operates — at least for the moment.
Who Towers does Virgin Mobile use?
Virgin Mobile is a well-known MVNO brand that runs on Sprint's network and is a subsidiary of the company. As such, the coverage you get on Sprint is the same as the coverage you get on Virgin Mobile.
Did Boost Mobile buy Virgin Mobile?
The Virgin Mobile USA service will be discontinued, and we are happy to announce that most of the existing Virgin Mobile customers will be transferred to our sister brand, Boost Mobile beginning in February.
Who owns Virgin Mobile UK?
Virgin Media O2Virgin Mobile / Parent organizationVirgin Media O2 is a mass media and telecommunications company based in London, England. The company was formed in June 2021 as a 50:50 joint venture between Liberty Global and Telefónica through the merger of their respective Virgin Media and O2 UK businesses. Wikipedia
Does Virgin Mobile still use EE?
In 2019, Virgin Mobile announced it was ending its deal with EE and moving over to the Vodafone network from 2021. That transition started happening in January this year, meaning that customers taking new contracts or upgrading to 5G services are now running on Vodafone's network.
Why are Virgin Mobile changing SIM cards?
We've made changes so our network's even better than before. We've sent you a new SIM so that you can keep using our services and make the most of any new features. It's important you swap your SIM to keep your phone service running.
Who owns Virgin Mobile?
In 2009, Sprint Nextel bought out joint-venture partner Virgin Group, becoming the sole owner of Virgin Mobile USA. In June 2017, Virgin Mobile dropped all Android and began to only offer iPhones to new customers under its new "Inner Circle" unlimited plan.
When was Virgin Mobile founded?
Founded in 2001 as a joint venture between Virgin Group and Sprint Corporation, Virgin Mobile USA commenced operations in June 2002 as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), providing services via the Sprint 1900 MHz CDMA network. In 2009, Sprint Nextel bought out joint-venture partner Virgin Group, becoming the sole owner of Virgin Mobile USA.
What was the first 4G phone?
The HTC EVO V 4G, which was also previously released by Sprint as the HTC EVO 3D was the first 4G smartphone. On February 25, 2013, Virgin Mobile USA released the Samsung Galaxy Victory 4G LTE, its first 4G device using Sprint's 4G LTE network.
How many attempts can you get on Virgin Mobile?
In response to the wide media coverage, Virgin Mobile updated its online account access system, limiting users to 20 attempts from one IP address.
How many digits are required to access Virgin Mobile?
To access their account via the Virgin Mobile USA website, customers must enter their ten-digit telephone number and a six-digit password. The maximum possible number of six-digit passwords is one million, a relatively small number. According to Burke, Virgin Mobile USA did not employ security techniques that would prevent an attacker from rapidly cycling through all possible password permutations, allowing a brute force attack to succeed in twelve days or less.
How much did Virgin Mobile sell in 2007?
On October 10, 2007, Virgin Mobile's sold 27.5 million shares at US$15 per share, at the low end of the original $15–$17 prediction. On November 15, 2007, approximately one month after the IPO, Virgin Mobile USA announced earnings for the three-month period ended September 30, 2007.
When did Sprint acquire Virgin Mobile?
On July 28, 2009, Sprint Nextel Corporation agreed to acquire the outstanding shares of Virgin Mobile USA, Inc. in return for Sprint Nextel stock valued at approximately US$5.50 per share of Virgin Mobile USA common stock. Prior to the purchase, Sprint Nextel owned 13.1% of Virgin Mobile USA.
What is the lowest cost wireless carrier?
Low-cost carriers that use Sprint's network include Google Fi and Republic Wireless, which charge $10 and $5 per gigabyte of data , respectively.
Is Virgin Mobile still alive?
The end of Virgin Mobile in the U.S. — wireless carriers operating under the Virgin name in other parts of the world are alive and well — shouldn't come as a surprise. Apart from an abortive attempt to rebrand itself as an iPhone-only carrier a few years ago, Virgin hasn't been firing on all cylinders for a while now.
Does Sprint own Virgin Mobile?
Customers of Virgin Mobile in the U.S. are about to get their wireless phone service from a new carrier. Sprint, which owns and operates Virgin Mobile, has posted a note on the Virgin website alerting customers that it is shutting down the discount wireless service.
Is Virgin Mobile going to shut down?
Some Virgin customers may have already gotten the news via text message. In February, Virgin Mobile shuts down, and existing customers will be transferred over to Boost Mobile, another discount carrier that Sprint owns and operates — at least for the moment.
Virgin Mobile and EE
Since the day it was formed in 1999, until quite recently, Virgin Mobile ran on the EE network.
Virgin Mobile and Vodafone
In 2019, Virgin Mobile announced it was ending its deal with EE and moving over to the Vodafone network from 2021.
Who owns Virgin Mobile?
Virgin Media owns Virgin Mobile Telecoms Limited, a UK-based Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) with contracts to use EE 's carrier network, with over four million subscribers.
When did Liberty Global buy Virgin Media?
On 5 February 2013, Liberty Global announced that they had agreed to buy Virgin Media for approximately US$23.3 billion (£15 billion) in a stock and cash merger. On 15 April, EU regulatory approval for the deal was granted, the final hurdle in the acquisition.
What is Virgin Media?
Since the acquisition of Smallworld Cable in 2014, Virgin Media is the sole national cable company in Great Britain and currently covers 51% of UK households. Virgin Media competes primarily in broadband with Sky, BT Group and TalkTalk, and in mobile with EE, Vodafone and Three.
What is Virgin Broadband?
It is a FTTN network, where fibre optic trunk lines are used to connect the area's headend to cabinets on the street. . In July 2009 and 2010, Virgin Media Broadband came first in an Ofcom broadband speed test in the UK.
When did Virgin Media merge with NTL?
NTL Group's services – previously marketed under the NTL, Telewest and Virgin.net brands were merged with Virgin Mobile under the "Virgin Media" brand on 8 February 2007, referred to by Virgin as V Day. Virgin.net was integrated into the new brand as Virgin Media Beyond Cable (later Virgin Media National).
How long was Virgin Media unsecured?
In March 2020, it became known that the Virgin Media marketing database accommodating the personal details (phone numbers, home and email addresses) of 900,000 users was left unsecured for 10 months. The company admitted that a member of their staff hadn't followed the correct security procedures, which resulted in the system's vulnerability. It is known for sure that at least one occasion of unauthorised access took place throughout these 10 months. After shutting down access, a forensic investigation was launched to gauge the extent of the damage and determine whether any data had been leaked.
When did Virgin Media acquire Smallworld?
On 4 June, shareholders approved the acquisition and the deal was completed on 7 June. On 3 February 2014, Virgin Media acquired Smallworld Fibre, a cable provider based in North West England and Western Scotland, for an undisclosed fee. Smallworld's network was merged into Virgin Media's during 2014.
Who owns O2 and Virgin Media?
The new company is a joint venture between Virgin Media owner Liberty Global and O2 owner Telefónica and has been created to provide a complete package of services: mobile, TV and full-fibre broadband. This enables the firm to tackle BT/EE head-on.
Who bought O2 broadband?
O2's non-mobile home broadband business was bought by Sky in 2013, so this merger will allow the new company to offer fixed-line broadband to O2 customers directly again.
Does Virgin Media use Vodafone?
Virgin Media did already offer mobile services, but as an MVNO (mobile virtual network operator), which meant it used a different network's mobile service to connect its customers. It currently uses Vodafone's network - having originally used EE's. However, that is now likely to change again.
Does Virgin Media notice changes?
If you are an existing O2 or Virgin Media customer (mobile, TV or broadband) you are unlikely to notice much change initially - at least, beyond the masthead on bills.
Will Virgin Mobile switch to O2?
In addition, as stated above, it is likely that Virgin Mobile customers will have their network connectivity switched from using Vodafone's system to O2's. We're not yet sure when this might happen, as Virgin Media signed a deal with Vodafone that is meant to run until 2026.
Who bought Virgin Media?
In 2013, Virgin Media was bought by US firm Liberty Global for around £15 billion. It’s not clear whether Sir Richard still has a financial stake in the firm, but it’s certainly not a big one, if he does. (By the way, you can see the list of 114 companies Branson is still involved with by clicking here .)
Did Richard Branson ever really have a baby?
Not Richard Branson. He never really has.
Does Branson own Virgin Media?
Cut off: Branson doesn't own Virgin Media (pic by D@LY3D/Flickr) Sir Richard Branson is not a popular chap at present. After pleading with the British government to bail out Virgin Atlantic, he then announced plans to shed around a third of the airline’s jobs.
Who bought Mobilicity?
Through acquisitions – Mobilicity was purchased by Rogers and subscribers were rolled into their Chatr brand
What is MVNO in telecom?
As alluded to above, an MVNO can be as simple as a brand, with all network capabilities leased from those that own the spectrum. They can also bring in an MVNE such as Ztar Mobile to provide administrative functions, business support functions and operations support to complete the business model.
Who Owns Wireless Spectrum in Canada?
First off, you might be wondering what ‘wireless spectrum’ means. Essentially, all of our wireless communications travel over what is called spectrum or radio frequency. These frequencies were initially owned and controlled by the government and sold to carriers. Carriers build out network towers to have the signal reach all corners of our nation. Owning wireless spectrum is therefore essentially like owning the pipes to connect cell phones to the the rest of the world. Let’s start with the major players, those that actually own the towers and send the waves across the nation to keep our devices running with strong signal and LTE data no matter where we go. While there has been a lot of controversy on the topic and the never ending conversation of Canada’s mobile carrier space being an oligopoly, the top 3 mobile carriers (including subsidiary brands) in Canada hold close to 90% market share. Yes, that’s A LOT of market share! The following table outlines key carriers. We would refer to these carriers as full-service.
Who owns Koodo?
The ability to differentiate service offerings – For example, Koodo is owned by Telus but unlike it’s parent, it does not require you to sign a contract, in fact contracts don’t even exist at Koodo
Did Mobilicity and Public Mobile own their own spectrum?
While Mobilicity and Public Mobile had both acquired their own wireless spectrum through the government auction process as part of the government’s attempt to increase competition in the Canadian mobile carriers space, that didn’t last very long with both being sold to one of the larger carriers.
Overview
History
Virgin Mobile USA was formed in 2000 in San Francisco. In July 2000, John Tantum and Dave Whetstone pitched Richard Branson on entering the U.S. market after Virgin had successfully launched Virgin Mobile in the United Kingdom in 1999. At that point, the U.S. team began pitching the U.S. mobile operators on the concept of an MVNO, which at the time was not well underst…
Services
Virgin Mobile USA offered wireless products and services through Virgin Mobile.
Virgin Mobile-branded service was available within the contiguous United States, Hawaii and Puerto Rico coverage areas under the Sprint nationwide network.
Assurance Wireless is a telephone service subsidized by the federal Lifeline Assistance program, a government benefit program supported by the federal Universal Service Fund.
Network
Virgin Mobile USA provided wireless services in the contiguous United States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico via parent, Sprint's nationwide CDMA, EVDO, LTE, and Sprint Spark networks.
Since June 27, 2017, Virgin Mobile USA sold the iPhone in various models. Options included:
Customers who already owned an iPhone were able to bring it to Virgin Mobile USA if it was compatible. From February 2018, grandfathered customers without the iPhone-only Inner Circle …
Services
Inner Circle Virgin Mobile USA has one plan offering for new customers. The iPhone-only Inner Circle plan offers customers unlimited talk, text and data for $50. However, when users purchase an iPhone or bring their own iPhone and port their number to Virgin Mobile, the first 6 months of service are $1 per month. The Inner Circle plan also promotes "perks" that customers have exclusive access to as Inner Circle members. These "perks" include a companion ticket on Virgi…
Account security
In September, 2012, media outlets began reporting on the findings of Kevin Burke, a software developer and Virgin Mobile USA customer. Burke's experimentation led him to claim that Virgin Mobile USA's account security practices did not adequately protect customer account information.
To access their account via the Virgin Mobile USA website, customers must enter their ten-digit …
Marketing
Beginning on May 2, 2011, Virgin Mobile USA launched a campaign that revolved around a fictional Hollywood celebrity couple "Sparah". The campaign was expected to last six months, but ran through the end of 2011. Virgin Mobile produced multiple videos and photo galleries that starred the fictional couple and posted them to a dedicated website "sparah.com." Virgin Mobile USA hoped to connect the ability for consumers to enjoy data-intensive web content using a Virg…
Retail presence
Virgin Mobile products and services were sold via the virginmobileusa.com web site and at partner retail outlets, including Best Buy, RadioShack, Target, Fred Meyer, and Walmart.