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Alternative Mobile Carriers: Are They Worth It?

PSafe Newsroom — Mon, 03 Apr 2017 18:00:04 +0000

There are a few mobile carriers in the U.S. that dominate the market. These include AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint. These providers often require long-term contracts and have higher fees. A basic cell phone plan with many of these companies will usually be more expensive than a plan with an alternative mobile carrier. So, what is an alternative mobile carrier, and why is it a good option to consider?

An alternative mobile carrier offers a low-cost, no-frills option for basic cell phone service. Alternative carriers create a contract with one of the major mobile carriers to buy network space in bulk in order to resell it to customers as a discounted rate. For both carriers and customers, it is a win-win situation: the major carriers are able to sell unused network space, the alternative carrier can profit from selling low-cost plans, and the customer gets a cheaper monthly plan.

The Pros to Using an Alternative Mobile Carrier

A plan with an alternative carrier will be much cheaper than a plan from AT&T or Verizon. You’ll often have a short-term contract that details how much the plan will cost (sometimes as little as $10-$15), how long the deal is valid for, and what the plan includes.

Two well-known alternative mobile carriers are Cricket Wireless (owned by AT&T) and Boost Mobile (owned by Sprint). These carriers offer cheaper plans while still allowing AT&T and Sprint to retain customers in their network. Google’s Project Fi is another alternative carrier option. In order to use Project Fi, you must have a Google-approved phone, however. If you do, you can then access their service for as little as $10-$20 per month. Project Fi works with many major mobile carriers in order to give you the best possible phone service.

The Cons to Using an Alternative Mobile Carrier

The service that you’ll receive from an alternative carrier will not be as good as the service from one of the major host carriers. If there is a natural disaster or emergency, or even during normal use, the major carriers will prioritize their customers’ service quality over the alternative carrier’s customers. Unlike the major carriers, the alternative carriers are not responsible for service availability or quality.

Most alternative mobile carriers don’t sell phones, and they may only work with select phone models. Still, an alternative carrier might encourage you to buy a phone upfront, which will ultimately save you money over a typical two-year period. If you’re not picky about what type of phone you have, or if you just want a basic phone plan service, then using an alternative mobile carrier would be a good option for you.

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Everything You Need to Know About Your Cellular Network

PSafe Newsroom — Tue, 11 Oct 2016 12:31:13 +0000

As technology and cell phones improve, so do cellular networks. The “G” in 3G, 4G, and 5G stands for “generation.” This informs you of the particular cellular network “version” that you have. 4G has largely replaced 3G networks, and 5G will replace 4G once it becomes available. While it might seem like there’s little meaning behind the different networks, they differ greatly in capacity and speed.

3G Networks
This generation offered drastically more than its predecessors. It was able to handle a lot more data at once, and at the faster speed of about 2 mbps (megabits per second). This included the ability to browse web pages, watch videos, hear higher-quality audio, and use a variety of more complicated applications. 3G networks are still available and in use, especially if you have an older phone model that can’t support the latest network generation. You may even notice that your newer phone model will connect to a 3G network while in a more remote area. If you’re used to the speed of 4G, this can be a fairly miserable step back in time.

4G and 4G LTE
The fastest cellular network currently available is 4G LTE, which is a more advanced version of 4G. LTE is short for “Long Term Evolution.” It offers an increased capacity and more speed than 3G and 4G networks, and can reach a download rate of about 40 mbps and an upload rate of about 15 mbps, depending on your phone carrier. In other words: your web pages will load faster, and you’ll be able to upload photos and videos to Facebook faster than ever. Perhaps even faster than on your current Wi-Fi network, which is pretty incredible.

5G is the Future
If 4G LTE is often faster than your home Wi-Fi network, imagine what 5G will include. A 5G network may eventually serve as a replacement for your home Wi-Fi network. Either way, it will definitely make your home “smarter,” considering all of the devices and appliances that need a wireless connection. Unfortunately, true 5G won’t be available until around 2018 at the earliest, or else by around 2020. But it will be worth the wait for an even faster network that can truly juggle each person’s multitude of devices at once. Not to mention its Ultra HD and 3D video capabilities, and the rumor that you’ll be able to download an HD movie in seconds. The future certainly looks impressive.

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Which Mobile Carrier Gives You the Best Deal for Data Usage?

PSafe Newsroom — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 21:43:10 +0000

Most people use their phone to get online at least as much as they use it to make calls. What people want to know when choosing a carrier is how much data they’ll get, how much it will cost, and how reliable the network is. Here are some of the best data usage deals around right now. Unless otherwise mentioned, all of these plans include unlimited talk and text.

Sprint
At Sprint, you’ll get unlimited high-speed data for $60 per month. Sprint also offers tiered data plans starting at $15 per month for 1GB. Be aware that you need to have pretty good credit to qualify for these plans.

Boost Mobile
Boost, which is owned by Sprint and uses Sprint’s network, works on a prepaid basis and doesn’t require credit checks. For unlimited data with Boost, you’ll pay $50 month. Other plans start at $35 per month for 2GB.

T-Mobile
T-Mobile’s unlimited plan costs $75 per month. If unlimited talk time isn’t that appealing to you, T-Mobile has a $30 per month plan that gives you unlimited texts and data usage with 100 minutes of talk time. Like Sprint, T-Mobile requires that you submit to a credit check.

MetroPCS
MetroPCS is owned by T-Mobile and uses its network. There is no credit check and unlimited plans costs $60 per month, with other plans starting at $30 for 1GB of usage per month. Be aware, though, that priority is given to T-Mobile customers when necessary. This means that MetroPCS users may experience slow data during peak times.

AT&T Wireless
AT&T data plans start at $30 for 1GB and go all the way up to $450 for 100GB. AT&T’s unlimited plan starts at $100 per month. A cool feature of the AT&T plan is that you won’t be charged extra if you go over your monthly usage allowance. You’ll just receive your data at a slower speed until the next billing cycle begins.

Cricket
Cricket is a subsidiary of AT&T and has an unlimited plan for $70 per month. Cricket offers prepaid plans and devices and does not require a credit check. One thing you can’t get through this carrier, though, is the option to turn your device into a mobile hotspot.

Verizon
Verizon prepaid data costs $45 month for 2GB, or $60 for 5GB. If you sign up for auto pay, the carrier will add an additional 1GB to your plan. They do not offer an unlimited data plan.

Thinking about how, where, and when you use your device will help you find the best deal for you. A cheaper plan isn’t necessarily a bargain if it doesn’t give you the features you want.

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