With advance pay talk, text and data plans growing in popularity, is Walmart becoming one of the regional network operator's biggest competitors? Walmart's no–contract Straight Talk plans are simple and easy to understand, and they offer consumers great value. With over 22 million U.S. subscribers, Straight Talk is clearly a force to be reckoned with.

Demand for mobile data—particularly mobile video—has exceeded even the most optimistic projections, placing increasing strain on networks.