Thumb Cellular
An editor has nominated this article for deletion. You are welcome to participate in the deletion discussion, which will decide whether or not to retain it. |
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2024) |
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | August, 1991 |
| Founder | John Eichler |
Number of locations | 4 |
Area served | The Thumb |
| Products | 4G LTE, CDMA, SMS (text messaging), MMS (picture messaging), iPhone, Android |
| Services | Mobile communications |
Number of employees | 40+ |
| Parent | Agri-Valley Communications, Inc. |
| Website | https://www.thumbcellular.com/ |
Thumb Cellular LLC[1] is a regional wireless service provider that services the Thumb region of the US state of Michigan. The company is a subsidiary of Agri-Valley Communications, Inc.[2] It consists of 4 locations in Bad Axe, Caro, Pigeon, and Sandusky. Thumb Cellular is a mobile virtual network operator of Verizon Wireless.[3] Their current CEO is Edwin H. Eichler, the son of the founder, John Eichler.[4]
History[edit]
Thumb Cellular was founded in August of 1991 in Pigeon by Edwin and Neal Eichler as a split off from Pigeon Telephone which itself was founded by their father, John Eichler. It began with one office in Pigeon, 4 cellular towers, and 5 employees. Thumb Cellular has since expanded to 4 locations, 40+ employees, and 45 cellular towers.[5]
In 2011, Thumb Cellular joined the Verizon Rural LTE program, which brought Thumb Cellular to the Verizon Wireless network, and provided them with 4G LTE connectivity for the first time, but their 4G LTE towers were not finished being installed until January 2013.[6][7]
Locations[edit]
Thumb Cellular currently has 4 locations:
- Bad Axe – 757 N. Van Dyke Road, Bad Axe, MI.
- Caro – 660 N. State Street, Suite A, Caro, MI.
- Pigeon – 82 S. Main Street, Pigeon, MI.
- Sandusky – 66 S. Elk Street, Sandusky, MI.
No new locations are expected to be opened as the Thumb has been losing population, meaning the demand for a cellular provider is expected to not increase anytime soon.[8]
References[edit]
- ^ "THUMB CELLULAR LLC :: Michigan (US) :: OpenCorporates". opencorporates.com. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
- ^ Creenan, By Robert. "From Farms to Telephones". Huron Daily Tribune. Retrieved 2024-05-20.
- ^ "Thumb Cellular Latest Rural Carrier to Partner with Verizon for 4G LTE". www.telecompetitor.com. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
- ^ "About Thumb Cellular". Thumb Cellular. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
- ^ "About Thumb Cellular". Thumb Cellular. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
- ^ Leins, Tom. "Meet the Cellcos Serving Rural America: Part 2". blog.telegeography.com. Retrieved 2024-05-25.
- ^ "Thumb Cellular Latest Rural Carrier to Partner with Verizon for 4G LTE". www.telecompetitor.com. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
- ^ Gilchrist, Tom (2021-10-20). "Survey says: Thumb, Great Lakes Bay lose people". The Advertiser. Retrieved 2024-05-25.
 | This article has not been added to any content categories. Please help out by adding categories to it so that it can be listed with similar articles. (May 2024) |