Ting Mobile Announces Bring Your Own (Sprint) Device

Outside of the “Big Four” carriers, there are several smaller providers. Virgin Mobile and Cricket are probably the best known, but we here at Techcitement have also mentioned others like Straight Talk, Credo, Republic Wireless, and Ting. Most of those networks are what is known as MVNO — Mobile Virtual Network Operators; they lease wireless spectrum from the big boys and can charge lower rates. What you traditionally haven’t been able to do, however, is easily take a handset from one network and activate it on another (barring unlocked GSM devices on Straight Talk/AT&T/T-Mobile). This single-company device operation is especially true of providers who use CDMA phones and are on Sprint or Verizon’s network, where I would go so far as to call it essentially impossible. Ting Wireless has decided to buck that trend.

The fairly fresh-faced mobile provider was opened by TuCows in February of 2012. Using Sprint’s airwaves, Ting has offered a traditional assortment of full-price phones and low rates. The freshman carrier doesn’t have unlimited anything, but not everyone needs that. I personally use my phone for less than 100 minutes of talk every month, but use up much more than the maximum 3 GB of data. Ting also offers free tethering/hotspots, which is a nice touch.

Even nicer is Ting’s announced plan to activate any Sprint phone. While there are some exceptions (as of right now, Ting can’t activate iPhones, Blackberries, or any Push-to-Talk phones), you can manage to get a lot of good devices on a cheaper network. Interestingly enough, Ting also said that any of its devices will be portable to Sprint as well.

This is a potential game-changer for CDMA MVNOs. If this became more widely adopted, users would be more likely to buy unsubsidized phones, knowing that they could move them from carrier to carrier. This isn’t just a win-win; it’s  a win-win-win. Ting’s offer is a good value for the consumer, as we say. Furthermore, it’s worth doing for the companies that provide the back-end, because they get paid no matter whose name the bill is in. It’s alsoa smart move for the MVNOs because most consumers will stay where they start from sheer inertia, or lack thereof.

Ting is expecting to go live with BYO(S)D in the fourth quarter of this year. I, for one, will be dusting off my old Pre to give it a try. Stay tuned.