Jeff Moore

Prepaid carriers were in fine trash-talking form for Halloween, based on our store checks. "T-Mobile is scary and bad," Cricket signage said. Vintage rotary-dial landline phones – covered in spider webs – seen at a Kansas Boost store: “Verizon customer service dial 5.” AT&T? Dial 4. The Boost rep looked underpaid. :)

Starlink is advertising heavily. Its Super Bowl TV ad has aired 28K times. There has been solid radio and strong outdoor and online advertising, per new Wave7 Research fixed wireless report. Below are Starlink ads we saw at the Kansas City airport on 8/19. @WISPAnews

C Spire is now bundling 5G wireless internet with mobile service, as is Cellcom, but Cellcom has launched fiber/mobile bundles also, per new Wave7 Research fixed wireless report. Left is a map of C Spire stores in Mississippi and map of Cellcom stores in Wisconsin is at right.

Starlink displays at Home Depot look like this, seen at HD stores in California and Kansas, per new Wave7 Research fixed wireless report. Hearing Lowe's could be next. Rep at Kansas HD said sales have been brisk. Her parents switched from Hughesnet to Starlink. @WISPAnews

Kansas-based IdeaTek is among the most active WISPs, per new Wave7 Research fixed wireless report. The company just acquired Wave Wireless, a small WISP in Kansas. It has 150 towers, 8.5K miles of fiber, 75K+ subs, and does advertising -- TV, radio, & billboards. @IdeaTek2 billboard as seen in Topeka in June. @WISPAnews

For wireless business connectivity, do you choose Verizon Business 5G or Starlink? Well, Verizon Business is pitching SpeedFusion technology that allows for seamless bonding or failover between 5G and Starlink, per new Wave7 Research fixed wireless report. @WISPAnews

Nextlink is a WISP and fiberco that operates in 12 states and has 2.6K towers, as seen below. Making news due to new sales arrangement with DSI and is teasing a new, simple Internet service, Air, as detailed in new Wave7 Research fixed wireless report. @nxlink @WISPAnews

Starlink is sold at Tractor Supply stores and has a deal with 4-H, the agri youth organization, per new Wave7 Research fixed wireless report. There are 2.4K+ U.S. Tractor Supply stores. Pix taken at Kansas TS store on 10/5, but seeing same at California TS stores. @WISPAnews

Interesting report from @Michael_Kan of @PCMag about Starlink looking into having stores. There aren't any Starlink stores now, but this report provides a great overview of national retailers selling Starlink. pcmag.com/news/what-happened…

Verizon Value is executing well in the dealer channel. Simple Mobile wins the survey as Verizon Prepaid gains amid positive feedback for both. Ultra Mobile in second place, positive dealer feedback. Some complaints about AT&T Prepaid activations staying activated. Solid: T-Mobile Prepaid, H2O, & Gen Mobile.

Starlink Mobile as a 4th national carrier? “Entering the game is very difficult; other companies, large and small, have all come to the same conclusion: It’s just easier to sign an MVNO agreement,” I told @Michael_Kan of @PCMag. Charter and Comcast have the scale, but they reached the same conclusion. pcmag.com/news/starlink-migh…

Yello is a new MVNO for kids, powered by TextNow. Price is $19.99/month and the Moto G Play is featured. Only approved contacts can reach the kids using Yello. This launch was covered in a new Wave7 Research prepaid report.

Window signage at a California Total Wireless store on 10/1. Top offers are free Galaxy A16 for switchers, $20/mo BYO unlimited, "iPhone 16e on us" with financing, free Motorola phones, and $35/mo fixed wireless Internet. Pix were in new Wave7 Research prepaid report.

BYO fever, a top theme for prepaid in fall 2026. $15/mo for 3 months from Metro w/upfront payment of $45, as seen at Kansas Metro store on 9/28, plus online Straight Talk pitch of $20/mo BYO unlimited. Phones are expensive these days. Covered in new Wave7 Research prepaid report.

There are Starlink displays in 2K+ Boost stores, including this one next to the iPhone display at a Wisconsin Boost store, 10/19. Sign pitches $15/mo BYO service for forlorn UScellular customers. Pix were in new Wave7 Research prepaid report.

Prepaid wireless TV advertising has been soft recently from prepaid carriers, per new Wave7 Research prepaid report. We are seeing outdoor advertising. A Boost billboard urging people to “stay close” and “go far” via the WhatsApp Global Connection Plan was seen in Calif. on 10/1.

Verizon Value "block parties" attracting dealers this fall, per new Wave7 Research prepaid report. Coming up in Miami on 10/21 and in Houston on 10/28. There were events in NYC & L.A., plus Vegas event at @theprepaidexpo. Recruiting Simple, Verizon Prepaid, & Tracfone dealers.

Top prepaid trend for fall 2026 is voice/Internet bundling, per new Wave7 Research prepaid report. $15/mo bundle savings, Metro is pitching. New $75 voice/Internet bundle from Cricket. Straight Talk announced fixed wireless at $35/month bundled. 2K+ Boost stores now have Starlink displays.

True on Straight Talk getting Ultra Wideband with all unlimited plans. Also, Straight Talk Home Internet is now $35/mo bundled with an unlimited phone plan. Here's a Straight Talk Home Internet pic we took at a Kansas Walmart on 9/18.