Do cellphone carrier companies buy cellphone service from cellphone provider companies before they resell it to customers?

Yes, cellphone carrier companies often purchase network access or wholesale services from larger telecom providers. These wholesale agreements allow carriers to use the infrastructure and network capacity of these providers to offer their own services to customers. Essentially, they resell this access under their brand while managing customer service and billing. This model helps smaller carriers enter the market without investing heavily in their own infrastructure.