When you purchase cell phone coverage from a cell phone provider, your phone is in direct contact with the cell phone network of a major cell phone service provider. This is even the case if you purchase coverage from a mobile virtual network operator like Tracfone – ultimately your phone receives a signal directly from AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, or Sprint. Since there is no intermediary’s hardware between your phone and the telecommunications network, your phone is the PoP. As a matter of fact, in formal documents within the cellular world individual customers are often referred to as PoPs.