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Recommend Me a Cellular Provider/Plans

Wich Wireless Carrier?

  • Sprint

    Votes: 1 5.9%

  • Verizon

    Votes: 4 23.5%

  • AT&T

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • T-Mobile

    Votes: 1 5.9%

  • Boost Mobile

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Metro PCS

    Votes: 1 5.9%

  • Stick with Credo Mobile

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Cricket

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Virgin Mobile

    Votes: 3 17.6%

  • Republic Wireless

    Votes: 1 5.9%

  • US Cellular

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Carrot Wireless

    Votes: 1 5.9%

  • Other?

    Votes: 5 29.4%
  • Total voters
    17
PortlandBass77

PortlandBass77

Jul 11, 2013
4,827
4,021
Portland, OR
www.youtube.com
#1
So I am going to need to switch carriers this summer (I'm using Credo Mobile currently) and I would like some recommendations from fellow TBers. My top options right now are Boost Mobile, Metro PCS, or Republic Wireless. I travel a lot and receive/send a lot of texts and calls so I have some (hopefully realistic?) requirements:

Budget: up to $35 per month
Must have unlimited text/calls
At least 500 mb data, though preferably 1 gb
Roaming coverage (for at least text and calls) must be included as I travel a lot. Credo uses the Sprint network where there is only roaming in places like Vermont and Montana, and I assume other networks are the same way.
Preferably offer no contract plans but this is not a deal breaker
 
#5
I bought my daughter's phone outright ($600), and got a "pay as you go" plan on Virgin Mobile (rides on the Sprint Network). $35/month unlimited talk and text, and a monthly cap of some sort on data (don't remember the limit). If you set up auto-pay, there is $5 discount, so it's $30.

When she hits the data cap, they throttle back the data speed, but don't cut it off. She hits the cap about 4/5 times a year because she streams video to her phone, and forgets to connect to the home WiFi sometimes. That said - she never seems to notice the speed reduction, and it's usually only a few days before the monthly renewal anyway (I get an email alert).
 
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#6
We've been with Verizon since before they were Verizon.
We haven't had any issues with coverage, except out in the way back woods of New Hampshire/Vermont/Maine, but I think ever carrier does out there.
Customer service has been great to us when we needed it, with one exception.
When our phones/lines dropped out of contract last year, it was a struggle over three months to get them to apply the new discounts. Multiple phone calls and visits to the Verizon store during that time.
To their credit, the made the discount retroactive to the day we were eligible once we got it sorted out, then gave us a $75 credit on our bill to say sorry.

-Mike
 
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#7
If you don't mind buying a Google Nexus phone, I'd look into getting an invite to their project Fi service. Research how it works to see if it would work for you but it sounds pretty decent lately. $20/month for unlimited talk and text, $10/GB of data. If you go over on data, you're only billed for the exact amount you used at the $10/GB rate (use half a GB, pay $5) and if you go under your stated 1GB, you get a credit for the unused amount on your next bill, again at the $10/GB rate.

You can get last year's Nexus 6 for around $250-$300 on Amazon, or used for cheaper on Swappa. If I weren't locked into an AT&T contract (and my wife didn't love her iPhone) I'd get us both on Fi in a heartbeat.
 
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#8
Luke19Boarder said:
I've been with T-Mobile for over a decade, and their prices seems to be in line with (if not cheaper) than the other major networks. Are you looking for a single line, or potentially some sort of family plan? If you can get a few other people on your plan, the cost per line will be significantly lower.
Click to expand...

Single line, I would do that if it were an option though.
 
#9
Reo said:
If you don't mind buying a Google Nexus phone, I'd look into getting an invite to their project Fi service. Research how it works to see if it would work for you but it sounds pretty decent lately. $20/month for unlimited talk and text, $10/GB of data. If you go over on data, you're only billed for the exact amount you used at the $10/GB rate (use half a GB, pay $5) and if you go under your stated 1GB, you get a credit for the unused amount on your next bill, again at the $10/GB rate.

You can get last year's Nexus 6 for around $250-$300 on Amazon, or used for cheaper on Swappa. If I weren't locked into an AT&T contract (and my wife didn't love her iPhone) I'd get us both on Fi in a heartbeat.
Click to expand...

Definitely an option, sounds a lot like Republic Wireless but with different phone options.
 
#11
PortlandBass77 said:
So I am going to need to switch carriers this summer (I'm using Credo Mobile currently) and I would like some recommendations from fellow TBers. My top options right now are Boost Mobile, Metro PCS, or Republic Wireless. I travel a lot and receive/send a lot of texts and calls so I have some (hopefully realistic?) requirements:

Budget: up to $35 per month
Must have unlimited text/calls
At least 500 mb data, though preferably 1 gb
Roaming coverage (for at least text and calls) must be included as I travel a lot. Credo uses the Sprint network where there is only roaming in places like Vermont and Montana, and I assume other networks are the same way.
Preferably offer no contract plans but this is not a deal breaker
Click to expand...
I switched from AT&T to Metro PCS. I'm pretty happy and I'm paying $35 a month.
Straight Talk was my second choice.
 
#13
straight talk wireless is probably the best kept secret out there....

my daughter uses it and for 45.00 a month she gets unlimited everything including data (though after 5GB the throttle her back to 2g speeds) and they piggy back all 4 of the big carriers networks...coverage is like 99.6 percent of America
 
#14
While it doesn't meet your requirements, I paid $30 for my Android phone, and $10 per month for Tracfone service. I bought the phone on Amazon, rather than directly from Tracfone. I transferred my phone number from the Verizon service that I was previously paying $15/month for.

It's a plan where phone, text, and data are all limited (you can pay more for additional time when you need it), but I've never run out, and my carry-over balance is huge.
 
#15
PortlandBass77 said:
So I am going to need to switch carriers this summer (I'm using Credo Mobile currently) and I would like some recommendations from fellow TBers. My top options right now are Boost Mobile, Metro PCS, or Republic Wireless. I travel a lot and receive/send a lot of texts and calls so I have some (hopefully realistic?) requirements:

Budget: up to $35 per month
Must have unlimited text/calls
At least 500 mb data, though preferably 1 gb
Roaming coverage (for at least text and calls) must be included as I travel a lot. Credo uses the Sprint network where there is only roaming in places like Vermont and Montana, and I assume other networks are the same way.
Preferably offer no contract plans but this is not a deal breaker
Click to expand...

Virgin Mobile is a good choice. $35/month, 1GB data, unlimited talk/text, and streaming of some music services doesn't cut into your data plan. They don't offer payment plans on phones, so you have to buy one outright (iPhones are $400-$600, Samsung Galaxy S5 $500) but they have phone options to fit most budgets. Virgin also uses Sprint's network. Rarely have an issue with them, though if their is an issue it's usually because Sprint is down.
 
#17
I'm using Sprint and hate it. The only reason I'm using it now is I have a group plan with 3 other family members so it's cheap.

The quality of sound is usually so bad that I have a hard time having coherent conversations with others and coverage is absolutely awful. I live near Chicago and there are huge zones around here (including where I work) where I have zero bars and have to engage roaming in order to make a call.

There are other issues but you get the idea. Sprint sucks.
 
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#20
Consumer Cellular hands down. #1 rated by Consumer Reports and AARP for several years. They use ATT AND T-Mobile networks, so they have better coverage than anyone, NO CONTRACTS, great plans that you can change at any time up or down as needed. They are saving me 50% on my bill compared to ATT. You just choose how much talk and data you need and order them separately, If you get close they send you a text and you can upgrade as needed and then downgrade again later. $10 to add another line to your plan.

The only caveat is that you must have an ATT-compatible GSM phone - either locked or unlocked.
 
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