Consumer Cellular: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|American postpaid mobile virtual network operator}}

| name = Consumer Cellular, Inc.

| type = [[Privately held company|Private]]

| parent =

| foundation = {{start date and age|1995}}

| location = [[Scottsdale, Arizona]], US<br />{{Coord|33.636666|-111.879729|type:landmark_region:US-AZ|display=inline,title}}<!-- geolocated off address of 7204 Southwest Durham Road # 300 Tigard, OR 97224-->

| owner = [[GTCR]]

| num_employees = 3,100<ref name=factsheet />

| homepage = {{url|https://consumercellular.com}}

'''Consumer Cellular, Inc.''' is an American [[postpaid mobile phone|postpaid]] [[mobile virtual network operator]] founded by John Marick and Greg Pryor in Portland, Oregon in October 1995.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/baig/2017/07/03/cell-phone-plans-seniors-offer-more-service-lighter-data/103037490/|title=Cellphone plans for seniors offer more service, lighter data|website=USA TODAY}}</ref> The company offers cellphones, no-contract cellphone plans, and accessories with a focus on users over age 50. Including its corporate headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona, Consumer Cellular is completely U.S. based, employing more than 3,100 people in Arizona, Oregon, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Texas.<ref name=factsheet>[https://www.consumercellular.com/content/dam/consumercellularincprogram/web/pages/press/PR%20Fact%20Sheet%202024.pdf Consumer Cellular Fact Sheet], www.consumercellular.com</ref>

Consumer Cellular provides wireless service using network capacity from [[AT&T]] and [[T-Mobile US|T Mobile]] (conversation with Consumer Cellular Support in May 2022 confirmed that only the AT&T network is being used at this time for new subscribers phones){{Citation needed|date=September 2022}} and also resells AT&T wholesale wireless services to other virtual operators. The company was included on the Inc 5000 list as one of America's fastest growing companies every year between 2009 and 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.inc.com/profile/consumer-cellular|title=Consumer Cellular is on the Private Titans|website=Inc.com}}</ref> {{As of| August 2020}}, when it put itself up for sale, the company had close to 4&nbsp;million subscribers.<ref>{{Cite web|work=[[Light Reading]]|first=Mike|last=Dano|url=https://www.lightreading.com/services/consumer-cellular-fielding-interest-from-buyers---sources/d/d-id/763109?|title = Consumer Cellular fielding interest from buyers - sources|date=August 11, 2020|access-date=November 15, 2023}}</ref> In October 2020, Chicago private equity company [[GTCR]] purchased Consumer Cellular for about $2.3 billion.<ref>{{Citation|work=[[Light Reading]]|first=Mike|last=Dano|title=Consumer Cellular sold to private equity firm for around $2.3B|url=https://www.lightreading.com/oss-bss-cx/consumer-cellular-sold-to-private-equity-firm-for-around-2-3b|date=October 27, 2020|access-date=November 15, 2023}}</ref>

In February 2013, in celebration of its one millionth customer, Consumer Cellular donated $1&nbsp;million: $100,000 to each of five non-profit partners, and the remainder to its employees. To celebrate its 20th anniversary and its milestone of 2&nbsp;million customers, it donated $2&nbsp;million to the Knight Cancer Challenge on behalf of their customers in 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog/health-care-inc/2015/06/portland-company-gives-2m-to-knight-cancer.html|title=Portland company gives $2M to Knight Cancer Challenge|website=Portland Business Journal}}</ref> After reaching 2.5&nbsp;million customers in the summer of 2017, it donated 2.5&nbsp;million meals via [[Feeding America]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://1859oregonmagazine.com/think-oregon/business/consumer-cellular-gives-back-to-fight-hunger/|title=Consumer Cellular Gives Back to Fight Hunger|date=24 May 2017|publisher=}}</ref> and to mark the addition of its 3&nbsp;millionth customer in October 2018, the company donated $500,000 to each of three charities selected by its employees.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/464481279/consumer-cellular-commemorates-three-millionth-customer-by-gifting-three-million-dollars |title=Consumer Cellular Commemorates Three Millionth Customer by Gifting Three Million Dollars |publisher=EIN News |date=2018-10-09 |accessdate=2019-04-03}}</ref>InMay 2018, Consumer Cellular announced an investment in GrandPad<ref name="biz">{{cite news |last=Spencer |first=Malia |title=Consumer Cellular invests in senior-aimed tablet startup |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2018/05/21/consumer-cellular-invests-in-senior-focused-tablet.html |date=May 21, 2018 |newspaper=Portland Business Journal |access-date=May 13, 2020 }}</ref> and also became a distributorofthe GrandPad tablet in the United States.<ref name="seattle">{{cite news |last=Kharif |first=Olga |title=An iPad for 80-year-olds: Senior-citizen carrier Consumer Cellular bets on tablets |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/an-ipad-for-80-year-olds-senior-citizen-carrier-consumer-cellular-bets-on-tablets/ |date=May 13, 2018 |newspaper=The Seattle Times |access-date=May 13, 2020 }}</ref>

InAugust 2019, the company celebrated its 3.5 millionth customer by donating $350,000 to the American Red Cross through the Disaster Responder Program.<ref>[https://www.redcross.org/about-us/news-and-events/press-release/2019/consumer-cellular-celebrates-3-5-millionth-customer-by-gifting-350000-to-the-american-red-cross.html Consumer Cellular Celebrates 3.5 Millionth Customer by Gifting $350,000 to the American Red Cross]</ref> In the fall of 2020, to honor its 25th anniversary, Consumer Cellular donated $2.5&nbsp;million to [[Toys for Tots]].<ref>[https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2020/10/15/consumer-cellular-gives-2-5m-to-toys-for-tots.html Consumer Cellular gives $2.5M to Toys for Tots] Portland Business Journal. October 15, 2020</ref> In October 2020, upon the decision of Marick and Pryor to retire, Ed Evans was installed as CEO, replacing Marick.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/2020/10/consumer-cellular-one-of-oregons-biggest-tech-companies-sold-to-private-equity-firm-for-more-than-2-billion.html|title=Consumer Cellular sells in deal pegged at $2.3B|date=28 October 2020}}</ref>

Consumer Cellular offers low-cost,<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://www.consumerreports.org/smartphones/how-to-save-money-with-cheap-cell-phone-service/|title=How to Save Money With a Cheap Cell-Phone Service|first=Bree|last=Fowler|website=Consumer Reports|date=19 February 2022 }}</ref> no-contract monthly cellphone plans with simple cutoff points to offer flexibility.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lifehacker.com/why-i-love-this-mobile-carrier-for-old-people-1823732082|title=Why I Love This Mobile Carrier for Old People [Updated]|first=Nick|last=Douglas|website=Lifehacker|date=13 March 2018 }}</ref> Its cellphone selections include basic flip phones from Doro (of which the provider is the exclusive U.S. carrier) aimed toward seniors<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/03/more-tech-for-seniors/|title=More Tech for Older People|first=Eric A.|last=Taub|date=3 November 2009|publisher=}}</ref> as well as budget and premium Android smartphones from Motorola and Samsung.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.consumercellular.com/blog/go-day-motorola-moto-e4-plus/|title=Go All Day and More with the Motorola Moto E4 Plus|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.consumercellular.com/blog/experience-innovation-step-up-to-the-samsung-galaxy-note9/|title=Experience Innovation with the Samsung Galaxy Note9 Smartphone|publisher=}}</ref> In 2015, Consumer Cellular also began supporting the iPhone.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.consumercellular.com/blog/our-best-deal-ever-on-your-next-iphone/|title=Our best deal ever on your next iPhone.|publisher=}}</ref> The company expanded beyond cellphones in 2018 with the introduction of GrandPad,<ref>{{Cite news|date=2018-05-07|title=An iPad for 80-Year-Olds: Senior-Citizen Carrier Bets on Tablets|language=en|work=Bloomberg.com|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-05-07/an-ipad-for-80-year-olds-senior-citizen-carrier-bets-on-tablets|access-date=2020-09-09}}</ref> a simplified tablet designed for older users.

Consumer Cellular has been ranked by J.D. Power as "#1 in Customer Service among Non-Contract Value Wireless Providers, 10 Times in a Row". The awards are based on the results of the J.D. Power 2016 V2 - 2020 V2 U.S. Wireless Non-Contract Customer Care Performance Studies and 2021 (V1) Wireless Customer Care Mobile Virtual Network Operator Performance Study, which focus on the experiences of wireless service customers who made a sales transaction with their current carrier.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2021-us-wireless-customer-care-studies-volume-1|title = 2021 U.S. Wireless Customer Care Studies - Volume 1}}</ref>

Readers polled by ''PC Magazine'' ranked Consumer Cellular as top mobile carrier in its annual "Consumer Recommended" list for 2018. The rankings were based on a company’s net promoter score, with Consumer Cellular’s score of 87 out of 100 being described by the magazine as "user love that is almost unheard of in the tech world."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/365392/consumer-recommended-2018-the-tech-brands-you-love-most|title=Consumer Recommended 2018: The Tech Brands You Love Most|first=Eric|last=Griffith|date=December 12, 2018|website=PC Magazine}}</ref> Consumer Cellular has also been selected as "Favorite Wireless Carrier"by''PC Magazine'' readers six years in a row in its "Reader’s Choice" survey.<ref>[https://www.pcmag.com/news/367381/buying-a-new-phone-these-are-the-brands-carriers-and-oses Buying a New Phone? These Are the Brands, Carriers, and OSes to Pick]</ref>

[[Category:1995 establishments in Oregon]]

[[Category:American companies established in 1995]]

[[Category:Companies based in Tigard, Oregon]]