Trump Mobile's launch marred by technical issues, high costs

A customer attempts to sign up for Trump Mobile, a new wireless service from President Donald Trump's family business. Despite successfully billing the customer's credit card, the service has been difficult to activate, and the advertised price has been significantly increased by a "plan telecom tax." The customer is still unable to use the service and is awaiting activation instructions. The customer service team has been helpful, but the process has been slow and confusing.

The Trump Organization has recently launched a new wireless service, Trump Mobile, along with a $499 smartphone called the T1. The service promises unlimited calls, texts, and data for $47.45 per month. However, early experiences with the service have been less than smooth.

A customer attempting to sign up for Trump Mobile reported successfully billing their credit card but encountered difficulties in activating the service. The customer was initially charged an additional "plan telecom tax" of $17.25 per month, significantly increasing the advertised price [1].

Trump Mobile has assured customers that their service team, based in the United States, is available 24 hours a day to assist. However, the customer service process has been slow and confusing, with activation instructions not being provided promptly [1].

The Trump Organization has faced skepticism regarding the "made in America" claims for the T1 smartphone. Experts have expressed doubts about the feasibility of manufacturing the phone in the United States by the announced launch date [2].

Despite these challenges, Trump Mobile is positioning itself as an alternative to major carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Smaller mobile phone providers, such as U.S. Mobile, Consumer Cellular, Mint Mobile, and Ting, have been praised for their customer satisfaction and perceived value [1].

The Trump Organization has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the activation issues and the "plan telecom tax." The company has emphasized that its service team is committed to assisting customers, but the initial experiences have been less than ideal [1].

As the Trump Mobile service continues to roll out, it will be important to monitor its performance and customer satisfaction. The success of the service could depend on its ability to provide reliable and affordable service, as well as its ability to address the concerns raised by early customers [1].

References:

[1] Shira Ovide. "Trump Mobile: A New Wireless Service with a Rocky Start." The Washington Post. June 17, 2025. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/06/17/trump-mobile-phone-signup-wireless-service/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/06/17/trump-mobile-phone-signup-wireless-service/)

[2] Yahoo Search. "Trump Mobile." June 17, 2025. [https://search.yahoo.com/search?fr2=p:fp,m:tn,ct:all,kt:org,pg:1,stl:txt,b:&fr=fp-tts&p=Trump+Mobile](https://search.yahoo.com/search?fr2=p:fp,m:tn,ct:all,kt:org,pg:1,stl:txt,b:&fr=fp-tts&p=Trump+Mobile)