Users of MVNO powered by T-Mobile and Verizon plan next steps as service shuts off

An MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) by the name of Mobi has suddenly run into severe problems, and users say that they no longer have any service. Mobi, an MVNO that operates on the T-Mobile and Verizon networks, seems to have been abandoned, and most of you are already taking the logical next step.

Most of you are bailing

According to a poll, most of you think that porting out and ditching Mobi is the smartest route to take. Almost 83 percent of voters believe that the current debacle is unacceptable, and that it’s better to port out right away than to wait for a miracle.

Less than five percent of you said that you were willing to wait a week and see if the situation resolves itself. The remaining voters — around 13 percent — said that they were done with MVNOs altogether, and would rather switch to one of the major carriers. Which approach is the smartest in your opinion?

Will MVNOs lose favor with consumers?

The entire situation is odd: service has been shut off and there are rumors that the CEO has fled to Brazil. What happened to Mobi isn’t as important as the fact that numerous users were suddenly left without cellular service.

This incident might push some people to switch to “more reliable” carriers, like T-Mobile, AT&T, or Verizon. The recent sale of EchoStar’s spectrum — as it gave up on making Boost Mobile the fourth major U.S. carrier network — signals volatility when it comes to MVNOs. Volatility that many people simply cannot afford to bear.

Just what the top dogs want

If people start moving away from MVNOs in the future due to similar incidents, it will be to the benefit of the big three. Less competition means less incentive to provide users with discounts or reasonably-priced plans.

T-Mobile is moving to an all-digital future with its T-Life app, and employees claim that they will soon be let go. Verizon just laid off thousands of its workers as well. If MVNOs go the way of the dodo, then we can expect more layoffs and more apps like T-Life taking center stage.

Hopefully, that will never come to pass, as many of you think that MVNOs are the future. Let’s just hope that other, better MVNOs can take the place of Mobi.