TracFone Wireless
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| Type | Subsidiary of América Móvil (NYSE: AMX, BMV: AMX NASDAQ: AMOV) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1996 |
| Headquarters |  Miami, Florida, USA |
| Key people | Fredrick J. Pollak (President and CEO) |
| Industry | Prepaid Cellphone Services |
| Revenue | ▲$1.480 billion USD (Jan-Dec 2008)[1] |
| Net income | ▲$269 million USD (Jan-Dec 2008)[1] |
| Employees | 400+ (2008) |
| Parent | América Móvil (98.2%) Others (1.8%) |
| Website | www.tracfone.com www.net10.com |
For the TracFone by KVH Industries, see that company's article.
TracFone Wireless or TracFone is a prepaid mobile phone provider. A subsidiary of América Móvil, it provides service in the United States, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands. TracFone is currently the fifth-largest mobile network operator and the largest mobile virtual network operator in the U.S. market with over 11 million customers.[2]
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[edit] History
TracFone was established in 1996 as Topp Telecom Inc., a prepaid cell phone company, in Miami, Florida. In February 1999, Topp received a major infusion of capital from Teléfonos de México or Telmex (NYSE: TMX), Mexico's largest telephone company. TelMex paid $57.5 million for a 55 percent controlling interest in the company.
In 2000, Telmex spun off their mobile unit, creating América Móvil, of which Topp Telecom became a subsidiary. In November 2000, Topp Telecom Inc. changed its name to TracFone Wireless Inc.[3] The company has since grown into the prepaid leader of the United States.
[edit] Service
TracFone provides four brands of service: TracFone, Net10, Safelink Wireless, and Straight Talk. TracFone, Net10, and Straight Talk differ only in their logos and prepaid minute rates. Safelink Wireless is a United States government supported and mandated program that provides a free cell phone and airtime each month for low-income-eligible customers.[4][5] It is similar to the Lifeline and LinkUp government subsidized service for home telephones.[6]
The TracFone-branded service allows a customer to buy airtime units to use on selected digital phones by Samsung, Nokia, LG, Motorola, and Kyocera. Depending on the region, TracFone service works on a GSM or a cdmaOne network.
TracFone service is limited to TracFone-branded handsets (all TracFone handsets are pre-programmed by the manufacturer, therefore, the handset is locked including its latest GSM models). Other GSM handsets will not accept TracFone SIM cards, even if unlocked. Additionally, on most handsets, some features like USB and Bluetooth have been crippled by the manufacturer to prevent direct transfer of user files. Photos can be downloaded from and uploaded to phones via MMS only and custom ring tones must be purchased from TracFone. Address book data cannot be uploaded and must be entered manually on most models.
[edit] International Long Distance
In keeping with its marketing to immigrant communities[citation needed], Tracfone provides international calling options to all its customers. A toll-free number in the US is dialed to make phone calls to at least some telephones in over 50 countries.
The International Neighbors plan allows Tracfone customers to obtain up to three local telephone numbers in any of several Canadian or Mexican cities. These are forwarded to the Tracfone customer in the United States at the standard rates.
[edit] Company Operations
TracFone's customer care centers are located in:[citation needed]
Barranquilla, (Colombia)- Bogotá, (Colombia)
Guatemala City, (Guatemala)
Belize City, (Belize)
Georgetown, (Guyana)
Cebu, the (Philippines).
TracFone's warehouse is managed by Brightpoint. [7]
[edit] Carriers
Currently, TracFone uses the networks of several different cellphone carriers to provide service.
For newer models with SIM cards,[citation needed]
- AT&T Wireless (Cingular) on most Motorola GSM phones.
- T-Mobile on most LG models.
On Tracfones with SIM cards, the carrier can be identified in the same manner as any other SIM-based phone, by interpreting the SIM number.[citation needed]
On T-Mobile phones, the first line of the SIM number will end in "SIMT5", on Cingular/AT&T, the first line will end in "SIMC4", .[citation needed]
On phones which do not use SIM cards, carriers are usually[citation needed]:
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ a b http://www.americamovil.com/docs/reportes/eng/2008_4.pdf
- ^ AMÉRICA MÓVIL’S FORTH QUARTER OF 2008 FINANCIAL AND OPERATING REPORT
- ^ Miami company prepares prepaid cell-phone invasion - South Florida Business Journal:
- ^ "TracFone Wireless Launches SafeLink Wireless to Aid Nearly 500,000 Low-Income Households in Georgia", Reuters, Thursday, February 5, 2009
- ^ "TracFone Wireless Launches SafeLink Wireless® to Aid Nearly 585,000 Low-Income Households in Pennsylvania", Business Wire, February 09, 2009
- ^ Lifeline Site - Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ BRIGHTPOINT OVERVIEW
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