I can't speak for the population at large, but I can say why I will be switching from MetroPCS even though I've been happy with them: coverage. My phone does not work as a phone - at all - within a 10 mile radius of where I now live. I'll be looking into other prepaid options, but nothing looks nearly as promising and I quickly start encroaching on "not actually cheaper" territory. Virgin mobile would be one of the better options, but I refuse to give them any business ever since they screwed up my billing causing me to overdraft, and then refused to cover any of the fees that caused me to incur.