Wireless service provider Ring Plus is set to shut down shortly, after the virtual wireless carrier sued Sprint, the carrier whose network it leased access to its 90,000 customers. RingPlus recently sent emails to customers notifying them of the situation, and then followed up with a notification that they will be automatically ported over to Ting along with a $35 credit.
RingPlus Wireless Sues Sprint, Alleges Fraud
RingPlus is one of the many virtual wireless carriers that do not operate their own network, but instead lease service access for their customers through a major carrier, such as Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and in this case, Sprint. Customers with Sprint compatible CDMA phones were able to sign up for service on RingPlus for extremely low cost monthly plans, which in some case were entirely free, due to the company's original business model. In exchange for the low-cost service, customers would hear advertisements played when making phone calls instead of the normal ringing.
RingPlus recently filed a lawsuit against Sprint alleging fraud, breach of contract, extortion, and patent infringement. RingPlus claims that Sprint tricked the company into entering a contract in order to steal the patents for the advertisement based business model and then put the company out of business.
RingPlus Set To Shut Down, Moves Customers To Ting
If that was indeed Sprint's plan, it appears to have been successful in that RingPlus is set to shut down service to its customers imminently. RingPlus sent an email to users informing them that service would be discontinued as of Feb. 11, and that they need to switch to another carrier before then in order to keep their service active. RingPlus also said it was filing for a court injunction to extend the time period for customers to switch.
Shortly thereafter, however, RingPlus announced that it had secured a deal with another virtual wireless network, Ting, to port all RingPlus customers to the Ting network along with an initial $35 credit toward service, that the migration would occur during the next one to two weeks, and that Sprint has agreed to continue service during the migration.
Regarding the lawsuit, Sprint made the following statement:
"Sprint has fulfilled every aspect of its agreement with RingPlus and we expect the same from our customer. Sprint will do its best to resolve this. We value our relationships with more than 100 MVNOs, and our top priority is to ensure we are delivering high-quality service and support based on each of our agreements."
