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Man we need one of these for Republicans

Some pre-steps:

In order to take full advantage, you will probably want a phone with 5G and ESIM capability, so maybe consider buying a new unlocked phone first if you don't have that. There are even different types of 5G, for example some phones don't have mmWave receivers (TBF, mmWave support is limited anyway, especially indoors).

I would recommend checking mobile network coverage of the 3 major carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) in the area you care about. This is the best graphical site I am aware of for doing that. I believe it pulls from the national FCC website which is also useful.

Ironically, if you have the ability to do wifi calling/messaging at home, then it may be more important to have good mobile coverage elsewhere.

Anyway, that will give you a first guess at signal strength and coverage for the area(s) you care about. If it is poor for one of the carriers then you can eliminate MVNOs that exclusively use that carrier. Failing that, the internet broadly claims that T-Mobile's network has the best 5G coverage in cities, Verizon is supposed to have best rural coverage (4G, but sometimes high network congestion), AT&T is somewhere in between the two. YMMV.

If you want cheap plans then you will typically go with a MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) that piggybacks on top of 1 (or more) of the 3 major carriers to provide support to you. Most MVNOs are tied to 1 network. The exceptions I am aware of are US Mobile, Red Pocket, and (maybe) Boost -- switching networks under them is possible which is nice if your current one sucks, but is still generally one at a time unless you want to shell out $$$.

On to the recommendations:

-- If you are ok with T-Mobile network and only looking for most competitive intro rates, Mint Mobile's $15/month unlimited is hard to beat. Downside is you need to pay at least 3 months out.

-- I ended up going with US Mobile because I like the AT&T network and I can get what I want for $20/month indefinitely including fees or taxes. I have read about their support on the AT&T network degrading after 1 month. I tried to avoid this by starting out immediately on ass tier (skipping 30-day unlimited free trial period), so they won't feel the need to degrade anything after 1 month haha. So far so good.

-- Tello (which runs on T-Mobile) also looked like a nice option in terms of month-to-month, non-introductory, great rate coverage. Their mobile app also has better reviews than US Mobile's. A family member uses and likes them.

Note that most MVNO's mobile data traffic is generally deprioritzed by one level from the major carriers, so in a congested environment your response times may be slower. The only exceptions I am aware of for this are Google Fi; and US Mobile on Verizon premium plan (soon to go away) or on AT&T network (if you pay more for it). So far, deprioritization has not affected me. Again, YMMV.

Other things you may want to consider: international calls, international roaming, mobile hotspot support, etc. etc.

Good2gomobile $60 a year for ATT coverage.

best phoneplans by Stetson Doggett

Visible is 19 a month!!

I’ve done a bit of research recently and a few options really stood out for cheap plans this year:

EliteTechMarketplace - it’s not a carrier itself, but more of a comparison site that ranks and reviews the best budget-friendly carriers with proper ratings. Super handy if you want to see all the top options in one place before deciding.

Lyca Mobile – every plan includes international calling, high-speed 5G data, and no contracts or hidden fees.

Visible – runs on Verizon’s network with unlimited everything (talk, text, data). No hidden fees, plus they sometimes have promos like a free phone with select plans.

SnapFon – more of a niche option, but worth checking out if you want something simple and affordable.

All of these are prepaid/MVNO style, so you save money compared to the big carriers without locking into a contract.

lol it’s $5 on T-Mobile (Go5G Next/Experience Beyond) and Unlimited

The only thing the three-headed monopoly understands is financial pain. Punish them with port outs and disconnects. Postpaid wireless in the US has turned into extortionate "rent to own" plans for cell phones. Starve the beast.

It's Verizon.. I expect nothing less than to be hostile against customers.. then whine to shareholders that they do not understand why their churn has been so bad recently.

This isn't surprising. This is Verizon cashing in on people who don't know any better. Basically the opposite of anyone who would browse this subreddit. They bank on name recognition and laziness. The type of person who goes "well Verizon was the best in 2003 so they must still be the best, and if they say that's how much it costs, then that must be how much it costs" and doesn't shop around. This is a large percentage of the US population. Greater than 50%, at least. Bigger than you think.

Note that this is generally the same person who goes "wow, I got a free iPhone with absolutely no catch! Sure, my monthly bill is $113.58 for 10GB/mo of high speed data for a single line, but that's a steal!"

Total wireless does have pretty cheap tablet plans if you have a voice line with them. Customer service is still something to be desired.

VZ themselves sell their Home Internet service.

I use a Verizon hotspot plan at a very rural second home that has only a 4G signal. We used to average 20 Mbps download (before VZW upgraded the tower) and that was fine for Zoom and similar calls and streaming. An important factor is how busy the tower is. Before the upgrade, our download speeds could easily drop below 10 Mbps during busy times of day and when lots of school kids were at home. And latency would shoot up. That makes streaming sketchy and can even interfere with Zoom if the latency gets too high. The data caps are an issue, but it sounds like you have that planned for. If possible, try to run some speed tests at the location between about 5 pm and 11 pm to see how the Verizon system is performing during busy times.

Are you looking for a hotspot or 5G Home Internet option?

The 5G Home Internet options would be the best and safest way to get home Internet, but you need to be in an area that has slots open for it.

Straight Talk and Total Wireless has 5G Home Internet, which is a variation of Verizon 5G Home Internet.

I love how some people go to the end of the earth trying to make cellular their primary WAN instead of just getting Starlink and enjoying life. If you're WFH I would always have dual ISPs anyway so there's no risk to losing that privilege. 

Visible. It's Verizon network, apparently there's a $19/month promo right now. It is really really unlimited data, and my kid used the hotspot for virtual school. If you find the 5mbs isn't enough, the $35/month is 10mbs

It was treating me well. Especially since I got the BYEBYETMO Promo $15/mo for 5 yrs Visible Base.

I am getting a few referrals here and there and I am actually losing promotion discounts due to the $5 minimum plan payment each month. $15/mo then I'll get $20 off. and ended up paying $5 and the excess just disappears.

Lately, I am in need of better service mainly the hotspot since I got a chromebook to work on now. The extra speed and priority data that the Visible + gave is godsend.

As usual I am paying the same due to the fact that the BYEBYETMO is apparently $10 off on every plan for 5 years. So, my Visible + plan is $25/mo that'll turn into $5 since I have a referral discount.

One thing that I also have liked with visible is that it is somewhat on standby mode when not using the UltraWideband. I significantly save battery on my phone due to the fact that it changes back to low band 5g/LTE when the phone is off or idle. The moment I use it for hotspot or pretty much anything else that uses internet, it immediately connects to 5g UW.

I'm pretty new to Visible but base plan seems to be working well for me. The speeds aren't fast but I'm not gaming or using it heavily. It's fast enough to watch YouTube, web browse and use all my apps. Personally I don't feel the need to pay $10 more per month so far.

Basic was working fine for me. I recently upgraded to Plus for access to priority data if I go somewhere congested. The higher hotspot speed and higher video streaming resolution were also nice feature upgrades.

The plan just works if you follow the directions and just do as you’re told in the app, you’ll have no problem. Definitely nice to save that bit of money by keeping your current plan.

I'm on Month 2 of service. I have been completely satisfied. Came from Verizon and I can say service has been exactly the same at about 1/2 the price.

I also have the plan on my watch and it works without issue.

This stuff is go Greek to me. I’m struggling to figure out what I should do. I have three lines now (oh and a watch line). I’m paying close to $300.00 a month. We need to upgrade at least one line. When I called Verizon for pricing it was so convoluted and speaking to someone from another country with a thick accent was torture. I just said I’m done and hung up 🤨

Go on plus w/ autopay. You'll pay 10 more a month but it has unlimited talk, text, Data, and a 30gig Hotspot. Data isn't deprioritized either and it gets good trade values for phones.

Don't do welcome.

What are the differences between Visible and Verizon? Data speed, coverage, etc.?

If you dont have a device promotion and okay with prepaid, Visible Wireless is a great alternative to Verizon.

3 tiers of plans. They run on Verizon's networks. You can pay annually/ monthly so you can just set and forget.

When you say work doesn’t have trusted wifi, you mean there’s WiFi but you do t trust it because it belongs to your employer? Maybe connect via VPN for privacy.

Visible or US Mobile. If you want native international roaming, Visible is better. If you don’t travel internationally or get a local eSIM, US Mobile is also good and has excellent customer service. On US Mobile, Verizon is called Warp.

Infimobile Verizon is $99/year plus tax for 10GB a month, or $112.50/year plus tax for 15GB a month if you buy the pSIM on Amazon and use a 25% off coupon.

Total Wireless $25/mo. Prioritized unlimited data on Verizon. Has 15gb hotspot, but you didn't need that.

How much data do you need/use monthly?

An annual plan from US Mobile or Visible could be a better value, while letting you stay on the Verizon network. It really depends on the features you need and your average monthly data consumption.

US Mobile has Unlimited Flex plan for $210/yr (taxes and fees included) with 10Gb data a month. You can choose which network you want and switch up to twice free then $2 each additional time.

If you have spectrum I believe they have promo for 1st year of cellular for free after that it’s $30 a month.

USmobile has annual flex plan for $210 a year - unlimited talk, text and 10gb data. They allow you to pick your carrier (Att, T-Mobile or Verizon) https://www.usmobile.com

I would get the visible annual plan. Its well worth the extra $50 a year

Spectrum Mobile plans are on a month-to-month basis; they don't offer annual phone plans. Spectrum Mobile would cost you $30 a month per line on their unlimited plan. If you're eligible for the promotion, you can get one line free for a year when bundled with Spectrum internet. As others have mentioned, Visible and US Mobile are good alternatives too.

This is a copy of the OP's original post in case they decide to delete their post/account so that others searching can find it later:

I have been on the Red Pocket CDMAV annual plan the last few years. It costs $220.00 per year and comes with unlimited talk, text, and 8GB data. Visual voice mail is an extra $1 per month, but I don't get it due to the monthly payment hassle. 8GB per month has been fine, but more would be good if not much more expensive.

My time to renew is coming up and I am wondering if I should switch to another Verizon annual prepaid service. Would the Visible $275 per year plan be better? I could also switch to Spectrum, but can't seem to find their annual plan costs.

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on the unlimited welcome. I pay $20 after autopay discount and loyalty discount. After tax, based on your area, it could be -$25 per line per month. Connection is great and I have not had any performance issues

Since you do not use hotspot or need the extra streaming services. You can downgrade to the Unlimited Welcome which for the 3 lines which should be >$14 savings each month per line I believe (with the increased auto pay included) & instead of buying used phones... you should be able to take advantage and get 3 free or significantly discounted brand new devices.

You can go with r/Visible which is owned by Verizon.

$25-45 per line per month (includes taxes and fees) depending on what network experience and features you want.

You can always get a Verizon credit card if you don’t want them to have your bank account information. For them to give you back the $10 per line discount