[1][4][5] Aio was nominally run in the model of a "small startup business" but with the expectation to become a nationwide player in the sub-sector, as large as MetroPCS.

[1] It eventually grew to 27 markets,[9] with plans to expand its physical presence into areas with a population totaling 220 million Americans by the summer of 2016.

[14][11][15] Aio, and its successor Cricket, allowed AT&T to make use of the AT&T cellular network to aim for price-conscious consumers and experiment with offerings that might be later made available to AT&T postpaid customers, by competing through lower priced plans against other large providers, while still offering the comfort, desired by some consumers, of backing by AT&T, and while keeping the main AT&T brand separate and positioned as a premium service with premium prices.

[23] Although using AT&T towers, Aio Wireless routed its customers' voice and data traffic through its own systems.

[18] The phones available for purchase from Aio were seen as typical for a prepaid provider, ranging from $30 feature phones to $50 low-end smartphones to various iPhone models, both at reduced prices for refurbished handsets to $649.99 for the then-new iPhone 5, the standard unsubsidized price.