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Rise of the
Independent
Prepaids
With
the
proposed acquisition of America Movil's prepaids by Verizon
Wireless,
wireless customers have a new list of independent prepaid carriers from
which to choose. These are the largest prepaids not
controlled (or will be controlled) by
one of major wireless companies, listed alphabetically.
About Our Reviews: These
reviews are mostly created by data from the wireless carriers
themselves. We
include a certain amount of opinion from our wireless experts to
further distinguish among prepaid services, for which we receive no
compensation. We also have an affiliate relationship with some of these
carriers, and if you make a purchase we
may receive a commission.
BOOST
MOBILE
■ Our Rating:
(4 Out of 4 Stars)
■ Operated by Dish Wireless
■ Network: T-Mobile (and Sprint), then Dish's own 5G network.
■ Our Rating:
(4 Out of 4 Stars)
■ Operated by Dish Wireless
■ Network: T-Mobile (and Sprint), then Dish's own 5G network.
Boost
gives you a unique choice of plans and good nationwide coverage.
Boost phones use the combined Sprint and
T-Mobile networks. Customers will transition to the
additional coverage of the new T-Mobile network, but will eventually
operate on Dish's own 5G network, if
any. Their Unlimited plan is a great alternative to those
from the
other carriers at a good price, including automatic price reductions
the longer you remain a Boost customer. Boost Mobile was sold to Dish
Wireless as part of the T-Mobile acquisition of Sprint. Boost has risen
to a 4-star prepaid with the addition of of US and North American
roaming partners.
CONSUMER
CELLULAR
■ Our Rating:
(4 Out of 4 Stars)
■ Independently Operated
■ Network: AT&T and others.
■ Our Rating:
(4 Out of 4 Stars)
■ Independently Operated
■ Network: AT&T and others.
Consumer
Cellular provides easy-to-use
phones, no-contract plans and free or low-cost handsets. Coverage
includes the AT&T network and some roaming partners. Plan
prices are reasonable and are available for Talk, Text and Data. You
can bring your own AT&T or Unlocked GSM phone. Customer Service
is better than average. AARP and AAA members get additional
discounts.
GOOGLE FI
■Our Rating:
(3 Out of 4 Stars)
■ Independently Operated
■ Network: T-Mobile, Sprint, US Cellular and foreign carriers.
■Our Rating:
(3 Out of 4 Stars)
■ Independently Operated
■ Network: T-Mobile, Sprint, US Cellular and foreign carriers.
Project
Fi offers a new approach to
wireless
service. Your phone will
determine the best connection to make a call or access the Internet.
Their plan involves a $20 monthly fee and another charge for broadband
access. You are then credited each month for unused data usage. In
addition to Unlimited Calls and Text as well as low-cost international
calls, you have access in over 120 foreign countries. The service works
with only a limited number of phone models. Establishing a Google Fi
account also automatically replaces your Google Voice
account.
■ Google Fi Coverage Maps
■ Google Fi Coverage Maps
REPUBLIC WIRELESS
■ Our Rating:
(2 Out of 4 Stars)
■ Independently Operated
■ Network: Wi-Fi and Sprint.
■ Our Rating:
(2 Out of 4 Stars)
■ Independently Operated
■ Network: Wi-Fi and Sprint.
Republic
satisfies the needs of those users who want to make Calls
& Texts and use Data at a much lower price by only using Wi-Fi
for most connections. All actions occur through available Wi-Fi
networks but Roaming is also available on the Sprint network. You get
Unlimited Talk, Text, Data and 3G Roaming with below average rates!
Republic offers a few phones with capabilities
defined by the phone model. If most of your connections cannot be made
through Wi-Fi, your charges may change. Since calls are
delivered primarily through Wi-Fi your phone can make calls in over 60
countries.
■ Online Deals for Republic Wireless
■ Online Deals for Republic Wireless
Tello
has risen among the prepaid carriers as a low-price leader. Their
plans start as low as $5 and plans with data can be less than $10.
While they encourage you to bring your own phone, there is a
limit of the type of phones that are compatible. They now use the
entire T-Mobile network including their 5G Coverage with a compatible
phone. They offer Pay As You Go rates and calls to Canada
and Mexico are included.
■ Check for Tello's Current Promotions
■ Check for Tello's Current Promotions
Don't See
the Prepaid You Want? We have more Reviews and
Ratings:
- PREPAID
FROM THE MAJOR CARRIERS:
The top 3 carriers offer Prepaid under their own name as well as a few others.
- SMALLER
PREPAIDS
There are dozens of other small, prepaid services worthy of consideration, some specialize in specific types of calls, features and customers. We list them with brief descriptions and reference Links on our Smaller Prepaids list.
- - Our
Ratings: We rate each
service based on
Coverage, Price, Roaming, Customer Support and Features, 1 to 4 stars,
with 4 stars rated the best..
