Do you subscribe to mobile virtual network operator Ting? You can now take advantage of its plans to get an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus. Ting has just announced that it will start activating unlocked iPhones on its network, provided that the devices are compatible with Sprint's network.
This is good news for Ting customers, especially those eyeing to get the newest iPhone models. Moreover, the MVNO is getting the iPhone 6 much sooner than expected, or at least compared to previous iPhone versions.
According to Michael Goldstein, Vice President of Marketing of Ting, the company will begin supporting GSM handsets soon. This means that the MVNO will no longer be exclusively tied down to a particular wireless carrier's phone. Whenever a new iPhone, Google Nexus, or Samsung Galaxy handset becomes available for purchase, customers can activate them immediately on Ting's network.
Since it was launched by Internet domain provider Tucows back in 2012, Ting has exclusively utilized Sprint's Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and 4G networks. But later this month or sometime in March of this year, Ting is planning to purchase capacity from a GSM carrier as well, not only providing access to its 2G and 3G voice networks, but also to its High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) and LTE data networks.
Ting has not announced the identity of the GSM carrier yet, but many suspect that it will be T-Mobile. Compared to AT&T, the other prominent GSM carrier in the United States, T-Mobile is generally considered to be more open to MVNOs.
By venturing into GSM territory, Ting is making it a bit easier for its customers to grab the handsets they want. Before, Ting's customers had to make use of old Sprint devices without any contract, or else find a used handset that is compatible with Sprint's network and then ask the carrier to unlock it. But the problem is Sprint has implemented a few restrictions on its new phones, in effect hindering MVNOs from pushing the newest and best mobile devices for a few months (sometimes a year) after they are launched. Fortunately, that has been changed with the new unlocking policies recently put in place, which requires operators to unlock phones after they are fully paid off.
Now that Ting is starting to get GSM support, its customers will no longer need to comply with loads of requirements in order to unlock and then activate their Sprint devices. They just have to insert a Ting SIM card into any unlocked GSM handset that works on the T-Mobile network, which not only includes all GSM devices that are available in the United States but also most of the CDMA phones available from major wireless carriers like Sprint and Verizon.
Of course, customers may also choose to purchase their handsets directly from Apple's or Google's stores, or from retail chains like Amazon or Best Buy. Or, they can just acquire a used phone from eBay.
