Here’s how the ‘unlimited’ plans from Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile compare
Everything old is new again, and unlimited data plans are back in vogue.
After months of tweaks and updates, the unlimited plans from all four of the major mobile carriers in the US now seem to be in a stable place.
But, per usual, all of those plans still come with a significant slate of caveats.
So to help you sort through the fine print, here’s a quick rundown of how this revived set of unlimited plans match up.
The big caveat: No “unlimited” plan is really unlimited.
Wireless carriers use the word “unlimited” in a misleading way.
No “unlimited” plan here allows you to use an endless amount of LTE data across the board with no penalties. Instead, each carrier warns that it may slow your speeds if you use a certain amount of data in a month and live in an area of congestion.
Each plan also limits what you can do with that data when it comes to things like mobile hotspots, international usage, and the like.
And the situation only gets worse when you look at the restrictions imposed on unlimited plans from mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) like Boost Mobile and Cricket Wireless, or on the prepaid “unlimited” plans from the major carriers themselves.
Also, none of the carriers’ advertised rates includes device subsidies. If you buy a phone from a carrier and pay for it in monthly installments, that fee will be added to the cost of your plans.
Still, the “unlimited” plans still have value. At least with the major carrier plans, you do truly get unlimited talk and text, and the amount of data you can use without risk is fairly generous. And being slowed in areas of congestion is not the same as being outright throttled; even after passing a carrier’s warning point, you can still get LTE speeds.
The other caveat: Not all networks are created equal.
A good “unlimited” plan isn’t as worthwhile if it comes with shoddy internet. Sadly, a big chunk of the country still suffers from mediocre mobile coverage.
It’s hard to give exact metrics on how the carriers’ current networks compare, but a recent study from the mobile analytics firm OpenSignal found that Verizon and T-Mobile are neck and neck in terms of fastest speeds, but Verizon’s LTE network is slightly more available.
In general, Verizon is consistently near the top, T-Mobile is seen as improving, AT&T is either in second or third, and Sprint typically brings up the rear.
If you opt for a prepaid carrier, you usually have to deal with slower speeds. Cricket Wireless has an unlimited plan for $65 a month, for example, but its parent, AT&T, caps Cricket download speeds at a lower-than-average 8 Mbps.
Meanwhile, the prepaid “unlimited” plans from carriers like Verizon and T-Mobile block things like HD video streaming and the ability to use your phone as a mobile hotspot. As a result, we’ve omitted all of these prepaid plans from this comparison.
Verizon
How much does it cost?
$80 a month for one line. $140 a month for two lines. $160 a month for three lines. $180 a month for four lines. The cost per line then gradually decreases until you hit $300 a month for 10 lines.
For plans with multiple lines, you can share that data across smartphones and tablets.
None of this includes taxes and regulatory fees. Those vary by region, so your bill will be a bit higher than what’s advertised.
You also need to set your service to automatically pay your bill each month. Otherwise, a single line costs $5 more a month, and users with up to 10 lines will pay $10 more a month.
How much LTE data do you actually get?
Verizon says your line may be temporarily slowed in areas of congestion if you use more than 22 GB of LTE data in a month.
Can you stream HD video?
Yes. And Verizon says it doesn’t “manipulate the data” it sends over video in any way.
How about LTE mobile-hotspot data?
Yes. You get 10 GB of LTE mobile-hotspot data per line each month. Verizon says mobile-hotspot speeds will be reduced to slower 3G speeds once you exceed that amount.
Any other details worth knowing?
Verizon still offers less-expensive, non-unlimited plans on its website. Those range from $35 a month for 2 GB of LTE data to $70 a month for 8 GB of LTE data.
T-Mobile
How much does it cost?
$70 a month for one line. T-Mobile is currently offering a deal that provides two lines for $100 a month; normally, however, two lines costs $120 a month. For three lines, its $140 a month. And $160 a month for four lines.
Those rates do include additional taxes and fees, so what you see is what you pay.
You need to enroll in auto-pay billing to get these prices, though; otherwise, you’ll pay $5 more a month per line.
T-Mobile has an opt-in feature called “Kickback” that’s also worth noting. If any line on your plan uses 2 GB of data or less in a month, the carrier says it’ll give up to $10 in credit back to you on your next bill.
How much LTE data do you actually get?
T-Mobile says your line may be temporarily slowed in areas of congestion if you use more than 30 GB of LTE data in a month.
Can you stream HD video?
No. Video streaming with the One plan is capped at a standard-definition, or 480p, resolution.
If you want HD video, you need to pay $5 more a month per line for an upgraded plan called T-Mobile One Plus. Then, you can stream an unlimited amount.
T-Mobile (cont’d)
How about LTE mobile-hotspot data?
No. You can still use your phone as a hotspot, but your connection will be capped at slower 3G speeds.
Again, if you want LTE mobile-hotspot data, you have to pay $5 more a month per line for T-Mobile One Plus. That gives you 10 GB of LTE mobile-hotspot data; once that’s used up, you’re kicked back to 3G speeds.
If you want unlimited LTE mobile-hotspot data, you can pay $25 more a month per line for another upgraded plan called T-Mobile One Plus International.
Any other details worth knowing?
T-Mobile sells other, more affordable plans, but you have to call the carrier to activate them.
The One Plus and One Plus International add-ons have other benefits. The One Plus plan gives you unlimited Wi-Fi through Gogo on flights from “US-based airlines,” while the One Plus International plan gives you unlimited international calling to various countries.
You can add a tablet to your plan for another $20 a month, and a wearable for an extra $5 a month.
Sprint
How much does it cost?
Sprint is running deep discounts on its unlimited plan until June 30, 2018, so we’ll break this into two.
Before June 30, 2018: $50 a month for one line. $80 a month for two lines. $100 a month for three lines. $120 a month for four lines. You can add a fifth line for no additional charge. Lines six through 10 each add $20 a month more to your bill.
Note that all of these prices are for new customers only.
After June 30, 2018: $60 a month for one line. $100 a month for two lines. $130 for three lines. $160 for four lines. These are also the prices you’ll get if you’re a current Sprint customer that’s switching from another plan.
None of those charges includes taxes or regulatory fees. Those vary by region, so your bill will be a bit higher than what’s advertised.
You also need to enroll in auto-pay to get these rates; otherwise, each line costs another $5 a month.
How much LTE data do you actually get?
Sprint says your line may be temporarily slowed in areas of congestion if you use more than 23 GB of LTE data in a month.
Can you stream HD video?
Yes. Sprint says you can stream video up to a 1080p resolution, which is plenty sharp.
If you signed up for Sprint’s unlimited plan prior to February 17, however, your video streams are capped at a non-HD, 480p resolution. You’ll have to switch over to the since-updated unlimited plan to get the HD upgrade.
Sprint (cont’d)
How about LTE mobile-hotspot data?
Yes. You get 10 GB of LTE mobile-hotspot data per line each month. If you use more than that, however, Sprint says your mobile-hotspot speeds will capped at 2G speeds, which are nigh-unusable.
Also, if you signed up to Sprint’s unlimited plan prior to these recent changes, your data allotment is lower, and you’ll have to upgrade to get the same amount as newer customers.
Any other details worth knowing?
Sprint throttles your speeds for gaming and streaming music over a mobile connection. For the former, you’re maxed at 8 Mbps; for the latter, you’re maxed at 1.5 Mbps. Those speeds should be fine for most users.
Sprint offers more affordable plans, but, like most of its peers, pushes customers to choose an unlimited one.
AT&T
How much does it cost?
AT&T markets two “unlimited” plans — Unlimited Plus and Unlimited Choice. Only the former, though, is anywhere close to being worthy of the name.
Unlimited Plus: $90 a month for one line. $145 a month for two lines. $165 a month for three lines. $185 a month for four lines. Then another $20 a month per line for lines five through ten.
Unlimited Choice: $60 a month for one line. $115 a month for two lines. $135 a month for three lines. $155 a month for four lines. Lines five through ten cost $20 a month per line.
None of these prices include taxes or regulatory fees. Those vary by region, so your bill will be a bit higher than what’s advertised.
You also need to enroll in auto-pay to get these rates. Otherwise, you’ll pay $5 a month more for a single line or $10 a month more for up to 10 lines.
How much LTE data do you actually get?
AT&T says your line may be temporarily slowed in areas of congestion if you use more than 22 GB of LTE data in a month.
With the Unlimited Choice plan, though, everything you do is capped at 3 Mbps. That’s far too slow to be considered true LTE, and should make the plan a non-starter compared to everything else here.
Can you stream HD video?
Yes, with the Unlimited Plus plan. AT&T keeps you at a 480p resolution by default, but it doesn’t restrict you to that. You can get a better picture by turning off its Stream Saver option on your account page.
With the Unlimited Choice plan, video streams are capped at 1.5 Mbps, which AT&T says is “about 480p.” Again, that’s not really unlimited.
AT&T (cont’d)
How about LTE mobile-hotspot data?
Yes, with the Unlimited Plus plan. With that, you get 10 GB of LTE mobile-hotspot data per line each month. AT&T says mobile-hotspot speeds will be reduced to slower 3G speeds (128 Kbps) once you exceed that amount.
The Unlimited Choice plan does not include mobile-hotspot data.
Any other details worth knowing?
AT&T includes a couple fantastic perks with the Unlimited Plus plan (although they do raise questions of fair competition). One is a free subscription to HBO, either through its own DirecTV, U-Verse, or DirecTV Now services, or through the HBO Go app. AT&T says it applies a credit for this within two billing cycles.
Just know that if you don’t want DirecTV, taking advantage of the offer can be a bit tricky. You have to first set up a special free DirecTV Now account, which you then use to log into HBO Go.
The other perk is a $25 a month discount on service from DirecTV or DirecTV Now. That would drop the price of the entry-level DirecTV Now service from $35 monthly to $10 a month. AT&T says it will apply the credit within three billing cycles.
You can add a tablet to the AT&T’s unlimited plans for $20 a month, and a wearable for $10 a month.
AT&T does still offer other plans, but, like most of its peers, requires you to call to sign up for them.
So which should I buy?
As always, it depends.
Given T-Mobile’s strong and improving network and its relatively affordable starting price, the company’s One Plus plan now seems to be the best value in a vacuum. The base One plan would be tops, but its lack of HD video and LTE hotspot data are serious downgrades.
Still, it’s close.
Verizon covers the widest swath of the nation, and its network is either as fast or faster than its rivals, depending on whom you ask. T-Mobile One Plus undercuts it in areas where T-Mobile’s network is strong, but Verizon’s plan isn’t wildly pricier if you need the extra stability.
If you just want the cheapest unlimited plan, there’s Sprint, but its network has lagged the competition for years. If you’re in an area where coverage isn’t awful, though, its worth considering.
AT&T’s Unlimited Plus plan is the priciest to start, and AT&T’s network generally lags behind that of Verizon. Still, it’s not too far off, and the plan has all the same big features as the others. And if you’re tempted by free HBO or the discount on DirecTV, the extra cost may be worth it.
Read more stories on Business Insider, Malaysian edition of the world’s fastest-growing business and technology news website.
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