Changes for Selectel Wireless

Selectel Wireless, a Verizon MVNO, has gone through a few changes in the last few months: a data increase for one of their more popular plans, an increase in texts on another and a ban on activating non-Verizon phones. All of the changes have already gone into effect. Good news first then. Selectel’s mid range monthly plan, $30/month has received an increase in data from 300 MB to 500 MB. This popular plan also includes 1300 voice minutes and 3000 texts. Their $75 yearly plan has also received an increase in texts, from 1500 texts to 2000. In addition, Prepaid News reports that Selectel dealers were told that the MVNO would be getting LTE data ‘soon’ but no specific date has been released. Now for the bad news. Late last month, Selectel Wireless announced that they can no longer activate non-Verizon phones. The ban, they say, is due to policy changes from Verizon that will eventually effect all MVNOs. Previously, users could ‘flash’ their phones to work on Verizon’s network. Selectel itself did not offer this service, but if users brought an unlocked, flashed phone, it could be activated. However, with this new ban, all phones must be Verizon phones. Prepaid non-Verizon phones activated prior to this pan should continue to work as normal as long as the account stays active and nothing is done to require the phone to be reactivated. Selectel’s wireless plans are pretty average as far as prices go, and their coverage map looks pretty good. It will be interesting to see if they lose any customers with this new strict phone policy or not.]]>