In Case You Missed It: XE Mobile Shut Down

Speaking of failed MVNOs, RCR Wireless News reported last week that XE Mobile, the college-focused MVNO that offered cheap long-distance pricing shut down.

XE Mobile wasn’t exactly on our radar to begin with, given its dearth of mobile media options. But it’s yet more writing on the wall for the MVNO concept.

To recap, MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) like XE Mobile, Amp’d Mobile, Disney Mobile, and Mobile ESPN—all dead and buried—licensed bandwidth from major carriers such as Sprint and Verizon. In turn, they repackaged it and sold it along with an often exclusive-array of cell phones and services, many of which were focused on different aspects of mobile media.

On paper, it sounded like the vendors would save lots of money by not having to build out and maintain their own cellular networks. But the model clearly isn’t working.

XE Mobile: Another MVNO down and out [RCR Wireless News]

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