They typically offer prepaid budget plans on a subscription basis that are more affordable for the consumers. MVNO users sometimes may receive lesser priority than name-brand customers due to their ‘borrowing’ off the parent company’s finite bandwidth. For example, MVNO data speeds may be capped at 8Mbps while the parent company speeds go up to 20Mbps. Most MVNOs offer different types of perks and plans to attract customers. Some big players in the US market among many are as follows:
US Mobile is an MVNO that lets you customize nearly every aspect of your plan, from talk time to data usage.
It uses Verizon and T-Mobile networks, two of the big leaders. These networks span both types of cellular technologies used in the U.S which is great if you want to bring your own phone to the service. However, they might be a bit pricier than other options.
Their value lies in its personalization features; you pay for what you use and nothing more. This approach can save usage-conscious customers a lot of money compared to an unlimited everything plan from a Big Four carrier. If, for example, you only want unlimited texting, it costs just $9 a month. You can also always add minutes, texts or data onto your account, should your needs change. The main drawback of US Mobile is that only one line per plan is allowed, and there aren’t any discounts available for families. It’s much better tailored towards individuals.
– If you have a basic phone without data capabilities, Cricket Wireless’ inexpensive talk-and-text plan may be a good fit for you. It allows you to stay in touch via voice calls and text without paying extra for data. Owned and operated by AT&T, using its extensive cellular network, the prepaid provider offers affordable plans. The talk-and-text plan, which offers unlimited minutes and texts but no data access, is the cheapest option. You can combine lines on different plans under the same account to fit your family’s needs as well. They cover the shortcoming of US Mobile by allowing two lines per plan.
Cricket is generally a good value offering group discounts and auto pay discount on plans. The carrier often features new-customer promotions, such as discounted or free smartphones when you switch from another carrier. The biggest downside of Cricket’s service is the data-speed limitations. The Unlimited plan caps download speeds at 3 Mbps, which is much lower than alternative plans offered in the market.
Metro by T-Mobile offers attractive perks on certain plans such as Music Unlimited which ran successfully. Prices are lower than its parent company and with a greater offer variety in plans. They also offer Amazon Prime and Google One memberships, and generally boast excellent LTE coverage. They offer a huge selection of phones that are often discounted. The few cons are that during peak hours, data speeds may slow to give priority to primary carrier customers and they have existing caps on data.
Find and compare plans of these MVNOs and more in your zip code.