By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS
NEW YORK (AP) — More and more celebrities are looking to attach their names to your phone. Or rather, wireless services that could power it.
From cosmetics to snacks and signature spirits, brands launched or co-owned by high-profile figures are just about everywhere you look today. But several big names are also venturing into the market for mobile virtual network operators — or MVNOs, an industry term for businesses that provide cell coverage by leasing infrastructure from bigger, more established carriers.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s family was the most recent to join the list with the launch of Trump Mobile this week. Here’s what to know.
Which big names have entered the phone business?
On Monday, The Trump Organization (currently run by the president’s sons Eric and Donald Jr.) unveiled Trump Mobile. The company says this new business will offer cell service, through an apparent licensing deal with “all three major cellular carriers” in the U.S., and sell gold phones by August.
Trump Mobile marks the latest in a string of new Trump-branded offerings — which already span from golden sneakers to “God Bless the USA” bibles — despite mounting ethical concerns that the president is profiting off his position and could distort public policy for personal gain.
“This raises a real question about a conflict of interest,” said Ben Bentzin, an associate professor of instruction at The University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business. As the sitting president, Trump appoints leadership for the Federal Communications Commission — and the family’s new phone venture exists under this regulatory authority.
All of this sets Trump Mobile apart from other big names that have recently ventured into the wireless business. Still, its launch arrives as a growing number of celebrities tap into this space.
Just last week, actors Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett launched SmartLess Mobile, a name that…
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