T-Mobile is making a move that's likely to upset some of its most loyal subscribers. While T-Mobile has its justifications for making this move, long-standing customers may feel as though they're being stabbed in the back by being forced off grandfathered plans to new, slightly more expensive ones.

According to The Mobile Report, customers on some Simple Choice and ONE plans will be migrated to newer, more modern plans with price increases of around $4.

Magenta plans could be affected as well, though it's not clear at this point whether that'll be the case. T-Mobile didn't give a full rundown of the plans, but it did say some affected users are on plans that stretch back 10 to 15 years.

The report also claims that new prices are being created specifically for these customers, though the details of the new plans aren't fully clear as of this writing. Apparently, T-Mobile for Business customers could also be affected by the changes.

The exact plans weren't revealed, but The Mobile Report speculated that plans not covered by the new price lock.

Of course, as is usually the case with these kinds of changes, T-Mobile will almost certainly try to spin the move as a good thing, as the carrier does offer some new benefits and perks on these newer plans that aren't on older plans.

But these customers could have switched to a new plan on their own, and they chose not to, so they could keep the price down. I have to assume many users won't see the change as a positive.

In fact, T-Mobile sent out a memo to employees, obtained by CNET, that said: "for our frontline teams ... while the immediate future will bring increased customer contact volume, we are confident this plan simplification will make your job easier over time."

"A rate plan is a snapshot of the capacity and capability of your network in that moment in time," Samson said, citing the limited network capacity when the old plans were active. "Fifteen years ago, you checked the weather, and maybe your stock report, and that was about it. Today we're streaming 4K movies."

You'll know if you're impacted if you get the news via text or through the T-Life app starting today. The reports say you'll have about two weeks from the official reveal to decide what you want to do, whether it be dealing with the new plan or moving to a different carrier, perhaps even one of the best MVNO options, which are cheaper.

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I recently put Verizon Wireless to the test for 30 days to see what the hype is all about with the nation’s largest cell phone provider. What it proved to me was how much of a substantial difference 5G Ultra Wideband makes, but these fiber-optic-esque speeds come at a premium cost.

That’s probably why I’ve found Verizon MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) attractive alternatives for those who still crave an all-you-can-eat data menu, but without being left with a hefty bill at the end. Rather than directly competing with the $70+ per line costs for Verizon’s plans, these MVNOs still tap into Verizon's network to provide cell phone coverage, but at a fraction of the cost.

Interestingly, Verizon actually owns a few of its biggest MVNOs directly — like Visible and Straight Talk — but it also leases tower space to dozens of third-party brands you might not know about. That’s why I’ll break down all the Verizon MVNOs out there, along with who they’re for, so you can choose the service that’s right for you.

Verizon MVNOs: Verizon owned MVNOs

Did you know that Verizon owns and operates many MVNOs under different brands? These are the providers that fall under the Verizon Value portfolio of prepaid brands, which includes carriers like Straight Talk, Visible, TracFone, and more. Here's a quick list of these Verizon-owned MVNOs:

• Verizon Prepaid
• Visible
• Straight Talk Wireless
• Total Wireless
• TracFone
• Walmart Family Mobile
• Simple Mobile
• SafeLink Wireless

Verizon MVNOs: Third-party operators

In addition to Verizon-owned MVNOs, you also have independent third-party MVNOs that basically lease Verizon’s tower space and subsequently offer ultra-affordable rates. They might not use Verizon's towers exclusively for everything, as some of them also use towers from carriers like T-Mobile and AT&T.

But the downside to these third-party operators is that they’re often the first to face data deprioritization. Meaning that when the network experiences heavy congestion during peak times, their speeds are the first to drop.

On the flip side, third-party MVNOs aren't always impacted when Verizon experiences a network outage. Because these independent providers manage their own virtual networks — and often lease tower space from multiple major networks — they can seamlessly route your service to alternative towers while Verizon's primary system is down.

• U.S. Mobile
• Red Pocket Mobile
• Xfinity Mobile
• Spectrum Mobile
• Twigby
• MobileX
• Ting Mobile
• Credo Mobile

The best Verizon MVNOs

As you can see, there are several Verizon MVNOs to choose from. We’ve tested a handful of them, but you’ll want to look at each provider separately to see what financially makes sense, whether service is available in your area, and if they support your current phone.

Here are our picks for the best Verizon MVNOs.

Why choose an MVNO over Verizon?

Frankly, the primary reason to choose an MVNO is price. Verizon’s top-tiered plans are loaded with extra costs to help subsidize phone upgrades, maintain its massive customer service networks, and provide super-fast 5G Ultra Wideband.

The latter is what truly makes Verizon special because none of these MVNOs can match the almost lightning-fast download and upload speeds I got with 5G Ultra Wideband. In fact, I recorded an average of 893 Mbps down in New York City, which explains why its service costs so much.

If you’re not as concerned about synthetic speeds, I know it’s worthwhile to check out a Verizon MVNO. Although it’s worth knowing that some of these MVNOs offer 5G Ultra Wideband on their higher-tiered plans.

I’ve been on Visible for about the last few years now, and the cost savings are unbelievable. I pay a fraction of what I used to with Verizon and still have the same coverage, but with speeds that are slower. I’m perfectly fine with this because I’m still able to watch videos while on the go without huge buffering.

The Tradeoffs

Before making the switch, you need to consider some of the trade-offs that come with a Verizon MVNO. The biggest hurdle pertains to new device discounts, which are how Verizon offers its signature free phone promotions. While some Verizon MVNOs do sell hardware, you won’t find nearly the same generous subsidies or trade-in values with them.

Secondly, there’s data throttling, which slows your speeds during peak hours when there’s heavy network traffic. Unless you sign up with a Verizon MVNO that specifically includes premium data, you’re at the mercy of Verizon's network prioritization. I’ve seen this happen countless times with my Visible service at concerts, where the data slows to a crawl due to the sheer amount of congestion.

Finally, there’s customer support. If you run into issues, you usually can’t walk into a physical store to meet face-to-face with a representative. Instead, everything is handled online or over the phone — which I can attest can be incredibly annoying when phone activations go wrong or take too long.

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For the last seven years, I’ve been bouncing between a handful of different MVNOs. I finally settled on Visible because it offers one of the best cheap cell phone plans around, but I recently decided to switch back to a carrier that I haven’t used in over a decade — Verizon.

Part of the reason I ditched the carrier years ago was how expensive it ended up being, mainly due to data overage fees that pushed my monthly bill past $100 for a single line. Obviously, Verizon's plans have changed since then, with truly unlimited data now starting as low as $55 per month.

That’s why I switched back for 30 days to see exactly what advantages its premium unlimited service offers. Here’s what I found.

Verizon Wireless review: What you'll pay

The biggest reason I’ve shied away from returning to one of the major carriers, including Big Red, is how expensive they’ve become. Sure, you’ll still pay close to $100 a month for premium unlimited service, but Verizon throws in additional goodies that you just don't get from most MVNOs.

Currently, Verizon Wireless offers three distinct unlimited postpaid plans: Unlimited Ultimate ($95/month), Unlimited Plus ($80/month), and Unlimited Welcome ($65/month). If you enroll in paper-free billing and AutoPay, you’ll get a $10 monthly discount on each of those lines, bringing the entry-level cost down to $65 per month.

For a long time, I held onto the misconception that any unlimited plan from Verizon would cost $100 a month at the very least. While its $75 starting rate is still noticeably higher than the $35 monthly fee I’ve been paying for Visible, the upgrade comes with distinct network advantages.

What exactly separates these three tiers? For starters, every option gives you unlimited talk, text, and data. The real differences lie in the amount of "premium data" you get, the hotspot allocations, and the network speeds highlighted on Verizon's Broadband Facts labels.

While they all technically offer unlimited data, access to the absolute fastest 5G Ultra Wideband speeds is reserved for the top two tiers, while the starter plan can be a smidge slower during times of network congestion.

Verizon Wireless review: How Verizon’s prices compare

Verizon Wireless remains the largest wireless provider in the U.S., and it commands premium prices for access to its sprawling, reliable network. Making a direct comparison to rivals AT&T and T-Mobile can be tricky, however, because their entry-level unlimited tiers vary significantly in terms of value.

For example, AT&T's Value 2.0 plan costs $50/month after discounts and offers unlimited data that can be temporarily slowed after 5GB of usage, alongside 3GB of mobile hotspot data. Meanwhile, T-Mobile’s $50/month Essentials Saver plan packages a whopping 50GB of premium data before any network management kicks in. If you want even lower rates, MVNOs like Visible and Mint Mobile offer great alternative plans that start as low as $25 a month.

On the higher end of the spectrum, Verizon’s Unlimited Ultimate plan actually comes in slightly below its AT&T and T-Mobile equivalents — which you can see detailed above.

Ultimately, Verizon Wireless’ biggest strength is its widespread support for 5G Ultra Wideband with Enhanced Video Calling & Streaming, meaning you get the fastest possible data speeds alongside maximum video streaming resolutions. While Mint Mobile and Visible offer cheaper top-of-the-line tiers, neither can match the raw network performance and uncapped speeds of Verizon’s native 5G Ultra Wideband footprint.

Verizon Wireless review: Performance

To properly evaluate the performance of Verizon’s Unlimited Ultimate plan, I wanted to see what kind of data speeds it delivered across three distinct locations. For my testing, I chose my home location, New York City, and a more remote area in northern New Jersey.

With service activated on my Motorola Razr Fold, I ran Ookla's Speedtest app three times at each spot and averaged the results (which you can see in the chart above). Testing indoors at home, my device consistently bounced between standard 5G and 5G Ultra Wideband, yielding an average of 69 Mbps down and 12.6 Mbps up. While those aren’t mind-blowing numbers, they still easily outshined the 6.33 Mbps down and 2.29 Mbps up I was getting with Visible's basic unlimited plan on my iPhone 17 Pro.

Moving to my second location — an outdoor setting in New York City — I was absolutely blown away by Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network. The phone averaged an obscene 893 Mbps down and 77.5 Mbps up. Those numbers rival the fiber speeds I get at home when wired directly into my router, making it incredibly impressive to see that kind of throughput over a wireless connection.

Finally, for my rural environment test, the network delivered a modest average of 29.5 Mbps down and 1.45 Mbps up. Again, it's nothing to write home about, but at least the download speeds stayed safely out of the single digits.

Ultimately, these real-world tests highlight just how much of a difference 5G Ultra Wideband makes for everyday tasks, whether you're downloading a 1GB file from Google Drive or streaming media. On Ultra Wideband, video streaming quality jumped instantly to its maximum resolution on YouTube and Netflix, whereas at home, videos buffered noticeably longer before playing.

Verizon Wireless review: Verdict

Switching back to Verizon proves to me that premium carrier networks still hold a massive performance advantage over budget MVNOs, but that luxury comes at a cost. If you live or work in a major hub like New York City where the infrastructure is highly developed, you can constantly tap into insane 5G Ultra Wideband speeds.

I personally appreciate that kind of throughput because time is money, mainly because being able to upload and download huge batches of photos and videos on the go makes me significantly more productive for work. It’s a massive time-saver that only happens when you have access to the fastest network infrastructure possible.

However, if you spend most of your time outside of Ultra Wideband coverage areas — where speeds drop closer to standard MVNO performance — sticking with a cheaper alternative like Visible or Mint Mobile remains the smarter financial move.

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It feels like prices are constantly rising, while we seem to get less and less for our money. It's one of the reasons we launched the Tom's Guide Savings Squad and why we want to draw attention to Mint Mobile's latest announcement. The carrier has confirmed it will be raising data allowances for all of its plans without charging customers a penny more in the process.

Previously, Mint offered four separate data plans and we rank the provider as the overall best cell phone plan you can choose. 5GB was the cheapest, followed by 15GB, 20GB, and then jumping all the way up to Unlimited. The allowances for three of those plans have increased, with Mint now offering 6GB, 17GB and 23GB plans.

Obviously, you can't increase unlimited data, but Mint has increased the amount of high-speed hotspot data available to customers on an Unlimited plan. That means Unlimited customers now get 20GB of tethering, instead of the previous 10GB.

So, how much are these plans going to set you back? It depends on how many months you sign up for. So here's a table to illustrate everything:

Those plans also come with upfront payments, ranging from $45 to $90 for a 3-month plan, $120 to $210 for a 6-month plan, or $180 to $360 for a 12-month plan. Gotta say, though, those 6-month plans don't look particularly enticing and seem like much worse value than the alternatives for new customers. So bear that in mind if you decide to sign up with Mint.

Mint offers a bunch of extra benefits as standard, too. This includes high-speed 5G data powered by T-Mobile's network, free mobile hotspot use, plus free calls to Mexico, Canada, and the U.K. That's on top of unlimited calls and texts that you'd get anywhere else. According to Mint, typical download speeds range from 70Mbps to 357 Mbps. Though the available speeds will obviously vary depending on where you are and what the coverage is like.

This change doesn't seem to be a limited-time thing, and the way Mint is marketing these changes suggests it'll be a permanent increase in data. In other words, if you're not already a Mint Mobile customer, there's no need to rush off and sign up while you can; the boosted data allowance should still be there whenever it's time to leave your current carrier.

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I’m not a T-Mobile customer at the moment, but the Un-carrier’s June “Member Month” celebration is giving me a reason to make the switch because of all the epic offers behind it.

Customers can get gas discounts, a free DashPass by DoorDash subscription, free alcoholic drinks on Delta, hotel travel perks, and much more — all to celebrate 10 years of T-Mobile Tuesdays. The carrier is officially declaring June as "Member Month," featuring weekly drops consisting of high-value rewards and offers that run throughout the month.

“T-Mobile Tuesdays helped redefine what customers should expect from wireless — real value beyond connectivity,” said Allan Samson, Chief Marketing Officer, T-Mobile. "Member Month is our biggest celebration of that commitment yet.”

Each week will bring something different, but the only way to get them is to be a T-Mobile customer. This also applies to Metro by T-Mobile, T-Mobile Home Internet, and its small business customers. Whether you're looking for everyday relief on your grocery budget or gearing up for summer travel, here is a complete breakdown of what T-Mobile is giving away.

Week of June 2

If you grew up in the '80s, you’re going to love what’s in store for the first week starting today, June 2. That’s because the lineup includes discounted movie tickets to see He-Man battle it out with Skeletor in Masters of the Universe, along with food and drink promotions at 7-Eleven, Pizza Hut, and more.

• Member Month swag with magenta picnic blankets for T-Mobile customers.
• Soccer-inspired trio dip bowls for Metro by T-Mobile customers.
• $5 movie ticket for Masters of the Universe with Atom Tickets.
• Free Slurpee drink, coffee, or Big Gulp at 7-Eleven.
• $1 8-piece wings from Pizza Hut.
• $5 off any full-size entrée at QDOBA.
• Sweepstakes for a $100,000 grand prize.

Week of June 9

Are you feeling the pain at the pump? Well, T-Mobile’s “Member Month” offer for week two includes discounted gasoline at select locations that should ease some of the burden of costly gas prices. You won’t go hungry on the road, either, because there are more food discounts and freebies available throughout the week.

• $2/gallon rates for gas fill-ups to drivers in Los Angeles, Houston and Tulsa/Chicago. What’s even better is that this deal isn’t for T-Mobile members either because everyone can fuel up, while supplies last though.
• Additional Shell gas discounts: For this week, T-Mobile is bumping its weekly fuel discount up to 50 cents off per gallon (up to 20 gallons) at participating Shell stations.
• Free goodies at 7-Eleven.
• Three free PanCoins redeemable for a short stack at IHOP.
• Sweepstakes: Chance to win an Austin City Limits Music Festival flyaway trip.

Week of June 16

This week’s offers are the weakest of the bunch in my opinion, but customers in New York City will benefit the most with a night to remember thanks to a free concert with rapper T-Pain. That's on top of the free in-flight premium alcoholic drinks for customers flying on Delta.

• T-Pain concert in New York City.
• Free in-flight premium alcoholic drink for customers flying on Delta.
• Free in-flight Wi-Fi with Delta.
• $9 three-day parking via The Parking Spot
• Free three months of Super Duolingo
• 20 cents off at Shell stations.
• Sweepstakes: Chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime getaway for four anywhere Delta flies.

Week of June 23

T-Mobile is offering its biggest travel and vacation savings during the fourth week of June, featuring major deals on hotel bookings and car rentals. Members can also unlock exclusive partner perks with Hilton, Hertz, and Dollar, plus enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip to the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix.

• Expanded travel perks: 40% off hotels and rental cars
• Up to $2,500 in T-Mobile Cruise credits
• Exclusive partner perks with Hilton, Hertz and Dollar
• Free Wi-Fi on Royal Caribbean cruises booked through T-Mobile Travel
• Three free months of MGM+
• Free Popeyes chicken sandwich (with $5 minimum spend)
• Sweepstakes: Chance to win a Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix trip with flights and a four-night stay

Week of June 30

To wrap up “Member Month,” T-Mobile is introducing T-Mobile Dining Rewards, where members can get up to 10% cash back at thousands of restaurants alongside a free one-year subscription to DashPass by DoorDash. Users will also want to keep a close eye on the T-Life app on Tuesday, June 30, for an exclusive, limited-edition streetwear drop.

• T-Mobile Dining Rewards: Earn cash back at thousands of restaurants nationwide. $5 off for new members with an extra $5 bonus for booking reservations through Dining Rewards, plus earn 5% cash back every day and 10% cash back every Tuesday.
• Free DashPass by DoorDash .
• Limited-edition collab: T-Life app will roll out limited-edition streetwear drop on Tuesday, June 30.
• Sweepstakes: Chance to win a $10,000 grand prize or Amazon gift cards.

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When was the last time you looked at your phone bill? I know for me, it was probably the time I upgraded — to the iPhone 14 Pro.

Yes, I work for a tech site, but when it comes to the gear I use every day, I don’t have a compulsion to upgrade to the latest-and-greatest, which is why my phone is three years old, and the TVs in my house are far older than that.

We’ve long been Verizon customers, and while it’s not the cheapest cell phone provider, it’s reliable and covers our area well. Plus, we also use Verizon FIOS for internet service, so I get a bit of a discount by bundling.

Anyway, back when my wife and I upgraded to the iPhone 14 Pro, we also switched our plans to Verizon’s 5G Play More. That gave us unlimited data, as well as a Disney/Hulu/ESPN subscription for a total of $79 per month per line (before all the fees, of course).

Just as I did when we decided to cancel our Amazon Prime subscription, I took a look at just how we were using our phones, and realized that we could get by with much less.

Verizon’s 5G Play More plan has been phased out; the company now offers three unlimited plans: Unlimited Welcome ($55/month), Unlimited Plus ($70/month), and Unlimited Ultimate ($80/month).

The Ultimate tier includes such things as 5G Ultra Wide Band (UWB) service, unlimited international data, and unlimited hotspot use; the Plus plan has 5G UWB and 30GB of hotspot use, while the Welcome plan only offers Verizon’s slower 5G service.

Here’s a breakdown of what we’re currently paying, plus how much it would cost if we switched to a new plan.

On the surface, it looks like I could just swap my current plan for the Ultimate tier, but due to Verizon’s new policies, I would end up paying even more, because I would have to add the Disney/Hulu/ESPN+ subscription for an extra $10/month.

But do I need what the Unlimited or even the Plus plan offers?

It’s been a year since I traveled out of the country (and I don’t envision going abroad any time soon), I’ve never used my phone as a hotspot, and I spend most of my days within Wi-Fi range. If we were to travel, Verizon offers Travelpass, which costs $12 per day, as well as an International Monthly Plan for $100.

I will be curious to see how much of a performance impact there will be going from 5G UWB to 5G, but I only really use data when driving using navigation or streaming music, neither of which are huge data hogs. And if it becomes a problem, we can always go up a tier, and we’d still be saving a few hundred bucks.

Have you changed up your phone bill recently? Let me know in the comments.

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The 2026 World Cup kicks off in just over two weeks, and for the first time, the tournament will be split across three separate countries: Canada, Mexico and the United States. That means, no matter where soccer fans are from, they may end up crossing multiple international borders to attend all their games

If you've got experience with international travel, you'll know all about the pains of trying to use your existing data plan in a different country. Data roaming can be prohibitively expensive if you're not careful, and it pays to have a plan in place so you can stay connected without hopping between different public Wi-Fi networks. The good news is that multiple U.S. carriers have anticipated this, and have launched travel plans specifically for the World Cup

So whether you're traveling to North America for the tournament, or a U.S. resident crossing over into Canada and Mexico, here's what you need to know about staying connected throughout the World Cup.

AT&T

AT&T has launched a new short-term eSIM package for travellers visiting North America for the World Cup. This system is powered by "eSIM by AT&T" and gives travellers the flexibility to pay for connectivity when they need it.

This means you can buy data passes valid for one, seven, 15 or 30 days, complete with unlimited data and 5GB of hotspot access. The single-day pass is only valid in the U.S., and costs $4 a day. The other three options do offer coverage for Canada and Mexico, but you will have to pay a premium for it. Here's the rundown of the prices, inclusive of tax and other fees.

These plans only include data, and don't include voice or text messaging. So if you need to stay in touch with others, be it family back home or other members of your group, you'll need to use IP-based services like WhatsApp.

Existing AT&T customers can take advantage of the carrier's "International Day Pass," which lets you use your existing plan as if you were still in the U.S. This is available in 210 locations around the world, including Canada and Mexico. This costs $12 a day, and you're automatically charged for 24-hour access whenever you use data on your phone outside the U.S.

T-Mobile

International travellers visiting the World Cup can sign up for T-Mobile's US Pass eSIM, which 50GB of high-speed 5G data within the U.S., and 5GB of high-speed data in Canada and Mexico. Once you use up those allowances, your connection will be downgraded to 3G, which means noticeably lower speeds. Hotspot data is also included, but the amount you get id dependent on which pass you purchase.

Here are the prices for the different US Pass eSIMs, which do not include taxes or fees. However, each pass does include unlimited calls and text messages across North America.

Existing T-Mobile customers may be able to get international coverage as part of their existing package, but the level of that coverage depends on which sort of plan you're actually signed up for. For the most part, you get an allowance of high-speed data, after which you get unlimited data throttled to either 256kps or 128kbps speeds. Here are the allowances for Canada and Mexico with unlimited calls and texts:

• 30GB: Better Value, Experience Beyond, Go5G Next plans. Throttled to 256kbps thereafter
• 15GB: Experience More, Go5G Plus plans. Throttled to 256kbps thereafter
• 10GB: Go5G plans. Throttled to 128kbps thereafter
• 5GB: Max, Plus plans. Throttled to 256kbps thereafter
• 5GB: Magenta, One plans. Throttled to 128kbps thereafter

All other plans are charged at $0.01 per megabyte of data, $0.25 a minute for calls, and free unlimited texts. Those of you who have T-Mobile's T-Satellite connectivity will also be able to use that in Canada, if you ever find yourself without cell service.

Verizon

Verizon is the official Telecommunication Services Sponsor for the 2026 World Cup, and even offered free game tickets to its customers. Despite this, the carrier hasn't announced any specific World Cup-branded deals for customers travelling to games. Though it does offer various plans and perks for existing customers who are partaking in international travel.

The good news is that roaming in Mexico and Canada is actually included with all Unlimited plans — but it's not quite the same as using your phone at home. 5G and 4G data have a 2GB daily cap, and after you use it up, you'll be restricted to 3G data speeds. There are no restrictions on how much 3G data you can use, so you won't ever be cut off, but you will have to deal with much slower download speeds as a result.

If you don't have an Unlimited plan, you can pay for a Verizon TravelPass instead. Once added to your plan, these passes will offer unlimited calls, texting and data when you leave the U.S. TravelPass costs $6 a day in Canada and Mexico, which is half the price it would cost if you went elsewhere. If you choose to stick with Pay as You Go roaming, then you'll be charged $2.05 for every megabyte of data you use. A megabyte is not a lot of data, and at those prices, a single gigabyte will end up costing you over $2,000. Obviously, you do not want that to happen.

Verizon does not offer any shorter-term plans, which means you can't just sign up for a few days and temporarily enjoy the carrier's roaming plans. However, its subsidiary Visible is a totally different story.

Visible

The Visible eSIM travel pass is powered by Verizon's Ultra Wideband 5G network, and is designed to offer travellers unlimited data within the United States. The plan also includes 500 minutes of calls from the U.S. to 85 different countries and unlimited texting to over 200 countries. Don't expect ay hotspot data, though.

Sadly, this generous data allowance does not extend to Canada, Mexico, Alaska, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands. Visible only offers 2GB of high-speed data in those regions, after which you'll be relegated to 3G speeds — though you do get unlimited calls and text messages.

The prices are easily some of the best around, thanks to Visible offering a $10 discount on each plan with the code FIFA10. This means you can expect to pay the following for each of the four passes, inclusive of taxes and fees.

Existing Visible customers from the U.S. can take advantage of the carrier's Global Pass if they plan on travelling to Canada or Mexico for the World Cup. This pass includes 2GB of high-speed data per day, with coverage downgraded to 3G thereafter, as well as unlimited calls and texts.

Coverage in Canada and Mexico is $5 a day if you have a standard Visible plan, but anyone with a Visible+ or Visible+ Pro plan has roaming already included at no extra charge.

Ultra Mobile

Ultra Mobile, which is owned by T-Mobile, has just launched some new international plans designed for all travellers — including those heading to Mexico and Canada for the World Cup. However, they do not appear to be suitable for international travellers, or anyone who isn't already an Ultra Mobile customer.

There are two different kinds of international "Go Roam" passes on offer at Ultra Mobile right now.

The Go Roam Mexico Data Pass offers 5GB of high-speed data over a period of 30 days. This plan is included with all Unlimited plans, but can be added to any other Ultra plan for $5. The Go Roam World Pass is available for either 5 or 15 days, and covers 200 other countries around the world — including Canada.

A 5-day pass is $5, bundled with 1GB of high-speed data, 100 minutes and 100 outgoing texts. The 15-day pass is $10, which offers 5GB of high-speed data, 300 minutes and 300 texts.

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• AT&T just announced a new 'Build-A-Plan' that starts at $15 a month: here's what you actually get

Today AT&T announced a new customizable wireless plan that lets you choose the right features for you starting at $15 per month. The new "Build-a-Plan" is month-to-month and kicks off on Wednesday, May 27.

This new plan offering looks to put more control in subscribers' hands. According to AT&T's announcement, it's meant to give you more choice and control while offering lower prices compared to T-Mobile and Verizon.

One way it does this is by letting you customize your plan from month to month, rather than being locked into a single contract for a specified period.

"By giving our customers the freedom to tailor their wireless service month to month, we are giving them an affordable way to connect to America’s largest wireless network and still control their budget," said Jenifer Robertson, AT&T's executive vice president and general manager of AT&T Consumer.

How 'Build-A-Plan' works

Build-A-Plan starts at $15 a month, which includes unlimited talk, text and 1GB of data.

From there, you can add data from one of four tiers: 5GB, 15GB, Unlimited Data with SD video streaming, or Unlimited Data with HD streaming. The increased data selections replace the 1GB from the $15 base plan.

For those who need Hotspots, you can add 5GB, 25GB or 50GB data options.

At its most expensive, you could pay $70 a month for unlimited data with HD streaming, 50GB of hotspot data, and unlimited text and talk.

Personally, I rarely, if ever, need Hotspot data, so I would probably choose the 15GB data plan, which only costs $25 per month all in. For a major carrier, that's a great deal and even beats some of the best cheap cell phone plans, including offerings from Mint Mobile — our top pick.

As mentioned, though, if you know you'll need hotspot data or more data, like when you go on vacation, you can bump up or reduce your plan month to month as needed.

AT&T doesn't specify, but it appears you'll need to bring your own phone to the plan. The announcement and website also don't specify how current AT&T subscribers can switch to this plan.

An AT&T spokesperson told Tom's Guide that the plan is bring your device, which must be eSIM capable. Additionally, initially, the plan is meant for new customers but we were told that as the company gains insights it will refine the experience and exapand the plan to more customers.

Build-A-Plan officially goes live starting May 27, and you'll be able to sign up at att.com/plans/build-plan/.

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After winning a waiver from the FCC, Verizon has been quick to update its unlock policies, making it harder for customers to leave with their devices for a rival carrier. The changes don't affect just people who use Verizon, but also several MVNOs that piggyback on Verizon's network.

Compared to AT&T and T-Mobile, the policies are largely the same, especially when it comes to prepaid devices. AT&T appears to still respect the 60-day window that was waived for Verizon.

Here's how the big three compare.

How we got here

In January, the Federal Communications Commission agreed to waive a 60-day phone unlock requirement that had been imposed on Verizon since 2008, when it acquired licenses to use the 700 MHz spectrum. It was reupped in 2021 when Verizon bought TracFone.

Verizon has argued that the shorter unlock window contributed to "device fraud" and increased phone prices. The FCC agreed.

“Today, criminal networks are specifically targeting Verizon handsets due to the company’s unique unlocking policies,” the FCC’s filing said.

As Ars Technica reported in January, the company almost immediately introduced a new unlocking policy for TracFone and other prepaid brands that enforced a 365-day lock period. That affects brands like StraightTalk, Total Wireless and Walmart Family Mobile.

Verizon associated MVNOs

If you're unfamiliar, an MVNO is a mobile virtual network operator. Simply, these are carriers that utilize a larger carrier's network to offer services.

Verizon partners with more than a dozen MVNOs that use its networks. Some of them are partially or wholly owned by Verizon like Visible and TracPhone. The largest and most visible one is Xfinity Mobile, which offers cell service for customers who also get internet from Comcast.

Verizon's key MVNOs are:

• Xfinity Mobile
• Twigby
• Ting
• Spectrum Mobile
• Page Plus
• Pix Wireless
• Credo Mobile
• Lively
• Net10
• Reach Mobile
• Red Pocket
• Straight Talk
• Total Wireless
• TracFone

Verizon struggling

Reportedly, Verizon is struggling to retain customers. The most recent earnings call reported a 32.6% decline in operating income and a cancellation rate of 0.95% among postpaid phone customers, a much higher rate than in previous quarters.

CEO Dan Schulman blamed it on price increases "without corresponding value," friction in billing, onboarding and customer service, and a shift to MVNO carriers.

A Market Force Information survey from 2025 found that Verizon customers, on average, spend $157 a month on their phone bills, the highest among the big three. Customer satisfaction was quite low as well.

Between price hikes, several major outages in the last six months, and now this harsher unlock policy, Verizon is doing itself no favors.

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The scores are in for the U.S.A.'s Big 3 mobile carriers in Ookla RootMetrics's State of the Mobile Union Report for the second half of 2025. And it's clear that Verizon comes out on top this time.

Reports like this can be a good way to judge which of the best phones carriers is going to be the best for where you live. And given that RootMetrics' findings are based on 3 million tests conducted from July to December 2025 across the country, and in 125 major urban areas, it's safe to say it's pretty thorough.

The big winner is Verizon, which won five of RootMetrics' eight headline awards outright, and tied for another two. Its haul of trophies includes wins for overall performance and reliability, plus it scored best for general 5G performance, while also improving its download speeds in metro regions.

AT&T tied for three awards, putting it in second place. It came second on a state-by-state basis too, and managed to improve both its metro test results, managing to meet gold standard of 100 Mbps download speeds in the 125 metro test regions for the first time.

T-Mobile shares just one award - U.S. Network Speed - with AT&T, earning it the bronze medal. That said, the UnCarrier still managed to have the highest 5G availability nationally, while also improving on a state and metro level too. City-dwelling T-Mo users do especially well, as it's the only carrier of the three tested to manage 100 Mbps download speeds in every metro tested, with all but one of those also hitting the 200 Mbps mark.

In the 1H 2025 report by RootMetrics, AT&T earned four outright wins and tied Verizon for data performance and text performance. And Verizon won for network responsiveness and video performance.

Good to know — especially if you're in the market for a new phone

While anyone subscribed to Verizon is probably feeling a little smug right now, none of the big three did disasterously badly in this set of testing, so don't feel like you need to immediately escape your contract to sign up to Verizon if you're not already a member. However, it's perhaps worth keeping in mind as phone releases for 2026 start to get into gear.

The big one to keep in mind is the Samsung Galaxy S26, which is should be revealed by the end of February and go on sale in March. But the crystal ball suggests we may see the Google Pixel 10a, and perhaps an iPhone 17e, shortly after that. If you're planning to upgrade, it could be worth investigating if buying any of these phones with a Verizon contract is the best option for you, or maybe T-Mobile if you live in one of the city regions where the network fared particularly well.

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You could be stuck with Verizon on your prepaid phones longer than you want after the Federal Communications Commission agreed to waive the carrier's 60-day phone unlock requirement.

It means Verizon no longer has to unlock smartphones 60 days after activation, as reported by Ars Technica. Instead, Verizon will have to abide by carrier-friendly voluntary guidelines set by the CTIA wireless trade group. The CTIA suggests carriers unlock prepaid phones one year after activation, while postpaid plans can be unlocked after the contract ends or after an early termination fee.

The change comes after Verizon petitioned the FCC in October 2025, at the time asking the FCC and the Trump administration to allow the carrier to lock phones for up to six months. Verizon argued that the 60-day requirement "benefits bad actors and fraudsters."

FCC rejects shorter unlocking periods

In the decision, the FCC said the Verizon waiver will remain until the agency “decides on an appropriate industry-wide approach for the unlocking of handsets.”

Additionally, the FCC rejected the 6-month locking period, saying that the CTIA policies are “an adequate threshold of ensuring Verizon consumers have competitive options and that granting this waiver will not impede those competitive options. We thus decline to limit today’s waiver to a period of 180 days.”

Unlike AT&T and T-Mobile, Verizon has had this requirement since 2008, when the company purchased 700 MHz licenses and again in 2021 when it bought TracFone. The FCC required Verizon to unlock phones faster as a condition of approving the mergers.

“Today, criminal networks are specifically targeting Verizon handsets due to the company’s unique unlocking policies,” the FCC’s filing says.

60 Days likely won't become the norm

In 2024, the Biden Administration version of the FCC proposed a rule to make automatic 60 Day unlocking an industry standard.

"When you buy a phone, you should have the freedom to decide when to change service to the carrier you want and not have the device you own stuck by practices that prevent you from making that choice," former FCC chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said at the time.

Of course, T-Mobile and AT&T quickly responded, claiming that the rule was more harmful to consumers than carriers. "A handset unlocking mandate would also leave providers little choice but to limit their handset offers to lower cost and offer lesser performing handsets," T-Mobile's response read.

Opposition and "fraud"

Verizon's initial filing was opposed by a number of consumer groups like Public Knowledge, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, iFixit and Consumer Reports.

“It facilitates the resale and reuse of mobile devices, reduces e-waste, and enables low-cost carriers and MVNOs to compete on a more level playing field," a counter filing reads. "The opposite, which Verizon seeks through its waiver request, merely serves as a way to keep customers locked in one provider.”

The FCC under President Trump has been more amenable to corporations, though it couched the waiver decision in terms of concern over fraud. The agency claimed that 60 days is insufficient to deter bad actors.

“The FCC’s action will end bad actors’ ability to exploit the FCC’s unlocking rules to profit from easier access to expensive, heavily subsidized devices in the US that they traffic and sell to other parts of the world,” Verizon said in a statement seen by Ars Technica.

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You can't turn on your TV these days without clapping eyes on an actor touting the merits of one of the Big Three U.S. phone carriers. And in each one, the actor looks right into the camera to tell you the wireless carrier they're representing has the best network.

The latest instance features Luke Wilson strolling around a wind-swept prairie and declaring AT&T to be the phone network to beat. This ad echoes a T-Mobile spot that debuted a few months earlier, in which Billy Bob Thornton strolls around a different wind-swept prairie while singing the praises of the Uncarrier.

Meanwhile, Verizon offers neither wind-swept prairies nor late '90s leading men in its ads, but it does include the claim that its network happens to be the best.

Three ads for three phone carriers all claiming to offer the fastest, most reliable wireless service — so which one is correct? The answer depends on whose data you're using.

Comparing the phone network ads and their claims

Let's start with the T-Mobile ad, since it was the one that triggered this latest round of "My network is better than yours" back and forth. T-Mobile rolled out the spot in June around the same time it was previewing its soon-to-launch satellite connectivity, and the ad featured Billy Bob Thornton proclaiming that the Uncarrier had overtaken Verizon in the network performance rankings.

"Now the best mobile network in the U.S. is T-Mobile," Thornton says in the ad. "Some fancy experts finished a network test, and T-Mobile sort of opened a can of whoop-up."

The fancy experts in question are from Ookla, a mobile testing firm, which had just released its Speedtest Awards for the first half of 2025. In that testing period, T-Mobile posted the best Speedtest Connectivity score, which measures speed, video streaming and web browsing performance. T-Mobile scored 79.95 in that metric, compared to 75.49 for Verizon and 72.47 for AT&T.

If you thought AT&T was going to take that lying down, you were badly mistaken. The carrier dispatched Luke Wilson to tell its side of the story in an ad that's airing regularly during this month's World Series coverage.

"AT&T is America's first network and it's still the best," Wilson assures us. "That's not me talking, that's the scoreboard."

Or rather, that's the word from Rootmetrics and its testing report covering the first half of 2025. In that report, AT&T gets the nod for best overall network performance, while also winning top honors for network reliability, network speed and call performance. AT&T and Verizon were joint winners in Rootmetrics' data performance and text performance categories.

T-Mobile didn't exactly come up empty in the Rootmetrics report. It's cited for having the best 5G availability, meaning you're most likely to get a 5G signal in more locations. Rootmetrics also called out T-Mobile's "stellar speeds in major cities."

As for Verizon, its current ads are more focused on a promotion that lets AT&T and T-Mobile customers bring in their bill to see if Big Red can offer them a better deal. But the carrier does include a nod to its own network performance in those commercials.

"Better deal, best 5G network," the ad notes, with the fine print in the commercial pointing to the same Rootmetrics report cited by AT&T. And that report does recognize Verizon for offering the best 5G experience along with the fastest and most reliable 5G performance.

And the winner is ... everybody?

Normally, when you have three different companies claiming the same thing, you'd have to assume that two of them are incorrect. But in this instance, AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon can all point to third-party reports that back up their claims.

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Verizon has begun distributing $100 million to customers from its class-action settlement over undisclosed fees. The payments started rolling out in mid-2025 via direct deposit, Zelle transfers, and physical checks. Individual amounts vary from $5 to $100, with higher payments going to customers who paid these disputed charges for longer periods.

At issue were "Administrative Charges" and "Telco Recovery Charges" that Verizon added to postpaid wireless bills between January 2016 and November 2023 without adequate disclosure. Though Verizon didn't admit wrongdoing, they agreed to settle rather than face continued litigation expenses.

For customers who submitted claims before the April 15, 2024 deadline, there are several ways to check payment status and understand what comes next.

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Two data breaches that resulted in a class action lawsuit against AT&T are coming to a resolution, with the phone carrier agreeing to pay $177 million. AT&T agreed to pay the sum to avoid a trial.

The settlement was preliminarily approved by a Texas judge in August. Under the terms of the deal, affected customers may be able to claim up to $7,500. A settlement website from Kroll, the risk and financial advisory firm acting as the settlement administrator, is now available.

How we got here

The class action lawsuit was filed against the telecom giant over two different breaches from 2019 and 2024. The 2019 breach was not reported by AT&T until 2024, when data from that breach was being sold on the dark web.

That breach involved the personal data of more than 73 million former and current AT&T customers. Sensitive data included Social Security numbers, legal names, and birth dates. AT&T was forced to reset passcodes for millions of its customers.

The second breach hit in 2024 with hackers getting into data stored in AT&T's cloud-based data warehouse, Snowflake. Reportedly, that breach affected 109 million AT&T customers.

The stolen data mostly surrounded call information like mobile and landline numbers, calls and texts sent over AT&T's network, aggregate call duration and some cell site identification numbers. This data could be enough to figure out the identities of AT&T customers.

Separate lawsuits were filed over both data breaches before being consolidated into a single class action lawsuit.

"Parties have settled the actions in their entirety without any admission of liability or wrongdoing," the settlement website says.

How to know if you have a claim

The agreed-upon settlement is being split into two tiers: AT&T 1 Settlement Class and AT&T 2 Settlement Class.

The first tier covers the 2019 breach and is eligible for $149 million of the payout. The second tier covers the 2024 breach and is eligible for the remaining $28 million.

The Kroll Settlement Administration should send you an email if you qualify for the settlement. So keep an eye on your mailbox, including the spam folder.

If you believe you qualify but haven't received communication, you can reach out.

You can call (833) 890-4930 or send an inquiry letter to:

AT&T Data Incident Settlement
c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC
P.O. Box 5324
New York, NY 10150-5324

How to file a claim

A claim can be filed on the Kroll website or through the mail using the address above. You'll need to have a Class Member ID to file a claim, which should be provided by Kroll once it reaches out to you via email or otherwise.

If you don't want to submit online, you can print out the claim form and mail it.

These are the forms you'll need:

• 2019 AT&T data breach
• 2024 AT&T data breach
• Claim for those affected by both breaches

The claim must be submitted or postmarked by December 18, 2025.

What the settlement could pay

For those affected by the 2019 data breach you have to prove documented financial loss because of the breach. If so, you're eligible for up to $5,000. If you were affected by the 2024 breach you can qualify for up to $2,500.

Technically, you may qualify for both, but you might need to provide Kroll with proof for each incident.

If you can't prove that the breach directly led to financial loss but you still qualify, you'll receive a pro rata share of the remaining money. This will depend on how many people make claims.

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Vodafone UK is recovering after a major outage struck the network at 3:30pm on Monday, October 13, spiking quickly on outage monitoring site DownDetector.

The initial flood of reports began to taper off after roughly two hours, but even five hours after the initial issue, thousands of people were still having issues. To make matters worse, Vodafone's own website as well as its network status checker were also unresponsive for large parts of Monday afternoon.

Vodafone offered the following statement following the outage: “On Monday afternoon, for a short time, the Vodafone network had an issue affecting broadband, 4G and 5G services.

"This was triggered by a non-malicious software issue with one of our vendor partners which has now been resolved, and the network has fully recovered. We apologise for any inconvenience this caused our customers.”

Vodafone outage — how it played out

• Vodafone's network started to experience problems just after 2.30, according to DownDetector
• Providers that use Vodafone's network, including Voxi and Lebara, also experienced outages
• Vodafone confirmed it is aware of "a major issue" and is "working to resolve this as soon as possible"
• Other broadband providers, like Virgin Media, Sky and BT also saw a spike in outage reports but these are likely as a by-product of Vodafone's problems — possibly because users are tethering off these other providers.
• After more than three hours, issues seem to have been resolved for some. But many users are still reporting problems.
• Five hours in, complaints were still dripping through, but Vodafone issued a statement to say the outage had been fixed.
• The next morning (October 14), Vodafone issued a new statement blaming the fault on a "non-malicious software issue with one of our vendor partners".

LIVE: Latest updates

Network and web page both seem to be MIA

Having held a quick poll of TG UK’s staffers, we have one confirmed report of a Voxi customer (one of Vodafone’s sub-brands) being unable to access mobile data. Add that to the pile visible on Down Detector’s Vodafone page.

Concerningly, I can’t access Vodafone UK’s website either. Hopefully this is due to a sudden increase in traffic flooding the servers, as if it’s down due to the same issue that is afflicting the network, this could be a big problem.

Three and easy

Vodafone recently completed a merger with Three, another mainstay of the UK’s carrier market. But whatever integration has happened since then doesn’t seem to apply to all their infrastructure, as Three users are not reporting outages in nearly the same quantities. There's still been a spike, but the raw numbers are nowhere near close to Vodafone's.

All Three users on TG’s staff are still connecting to the internet, which is a good sign that the problem is localised. Not that this is much comfort for Vodafone’s own customers.

Bad news for Lebara and Talkmobile users too

Similar to the issue with Voxi, Lebara and Talkmobile users are also impacted by Vodafone's outage as it piggybacks off of the same network as an MVNO.

Lebara's identity as a carrier is all about calls abroad to keep in contact with distant family members, while Talkmobile focuses on well-priced SIM-only contracts. But it seems nobody's going to be enjoying their international calls or competitively priced SIMs for the forseeable, as the Down Detector report graphs above show.

The word from Vodafone HQ

In a statement given to our friends at TechRadar , a Vodafone spokesperson says of the outage:

"We are aware of a major issue on our network currently affecting broadband, 4G and 5G services. We appreciate our customers' patience while we work to resolve this as soon as possible.”

We've asked for a statement too, in case Vodafone has anything more to say since the last update. But this is the best we have for now.

Vodafone: ex-X user (or ex-Twitter user, if you prefer)

Normally in times like this, a company's social media is the ideal place to look for information about what's happened and when the outage may be over. But sadly Vodafone doesn't seem to be that chatty online.

Vodafone seems to have abandoned its X profile since March this year, other than a single post in July about a problem with its customer service. The carrier is similarly quiet on Bluesky, and nothing has appeared on Instagram, Threads or Facebook yet either.

Stable - but not yet fixed

Returning to the Vodafone Down Detector page, we can see that complaints of levelled off - having sat at around 30,000 complaints for the past hour or so.

Without further confirmation from Vodafone about a timeline for fixing whatever problem has happened, this drop off isn't really good news. But hopefully it means that the vast majority of impacted users are now aware of the problem, and can now take steps to connect to the internet via other means.

Some good news?

While the Vodafone site itself has been down, I've been refreshing the Talkmobile status page (who use Vodafone's network) to see if I can find answers. And while it's been dead for the past hour or so, it's suddenly sprung back to life, saying that, at least in the area surrounding TG's London office, connectivity's OK for both 4G and 5G.

Whether this applies to Vodafone and other carriers' customers, users in other areas, or is even accurate in the first place, is not clear. But it's encouraging to see all the same.

Are you entitled to compensation?

According to Sabrina Hoque, a telecoms expert at Uswitch, customers may be entitled to compensation as a result of an outage like this one.

“If your broadband connection goes down for more than two days, you could be entitled to compensation of £9.76 for each calendar day that the service is not repaired," she told Tom's Guide in a statement. “Ofcom advises that compensation for mobile signal outages is ‘dependent on the circumstances.’ But in extreme cases where repairs take much longer, you may be entitled to an additional refund or account credit."

Although this outage has been going for over two hours now, it's pretty unlikely Vodafone won't have it fixed by Thursday.

Reports continue to decline

Some positive news is that, according to DownDetector at least, reports of issues are falling quickly. At time of writing, it's down to under 10,000 reports and I'm hearing anecdotal evidence that some people have their broadband and mobile signal back up and running.

No such luck for the Vodafone network status checker, though. That's still failing to load. So we're not out of the woods yet...

Vodafone says the network is "recovering"

According to an updated statement provided to the BBC, Vodafone says the issue is resolved and the network is "recovering".

"This afternoon the Vodafone network had an issue affecting broadband, 4G and 5G services," a company spokesperson said.

"2G voice calls and SMS messaging were unaffected and the network is now recovering.

"We apologise for any inconvenience this caused our customers."

Reports falling fast and Vodafone's website is back

The latest reports on DownDetector are continuing to fall precipitously and it looks like Vodafone's own website — which was knocked offline for most of the outage — is now back up and running.

It looks like, for most of us, the outage could be coming to an end.

Just keep in touch!

I'm crossing my fingers that the worst of this outage is behind us. But it doesn't remove the fact that Vodafone's been a little to quiet about this whole thing.

As handy as it is for a company to talk to the press (so we can then pass the news on to you), the expectation these days is that consumers can be directly addressed via social media when there's a problem. And Vodafone hasn't done so. Something to think about next time, guys!

Vodafone's partner brands recover

After peaking 1,017, 2,251 and 2,395 hourly reports respectively, Talkmobile, Lebara and Voxi users seem to be doing alright again, according to the latest Down Detector figures.

This does not mean there are zero issues remaining with these networks. But it's another encouraging sign.

A further update from Vodafone

Here's the latest we have from a Vodafone spokesperson:

“This afternoon, for a short time, the Vodafone network had an issue affecting broadband, 4G and 5G services. 2G voice calls and SMS messaging were unaffected and the network is now recovering. We apologise for any inconvenience this caused our customers.”

Five hours in...

As the day draws to a close, here's how things look on Down Detector for Vodafone, roughly five hours after all the trouble began.

The complaints from users still haven't completely disappeared, not dropping significantly since about 6pm UK time. Hopefully anyone still facing trouble will find themselves reconnected soon enough.

Cause of the outage revealed

The following day on from the major Vodafone outage and it looks like all has been resolved for both the mobile and broadband networks. Vodafone has provided an updated statement, explaining that the cause of the issue was a non-malicious software issue from one of its partners.

Here's the full statement, from a company spokesperson:

“On Monday afternoon, for a short time, the Vodafone network had an issue affecting broadband, 4G and 5G services. This was triggered by a non-malicious software issue with one of our vendor partners which has now been resolved, and the network has fully recovered. We apologise for any inconvenience this caused our customers.”

The death knell for 4G networks may be ringing soon as T-Mobile is reportedly going to phase out 4G coverage starting in 2026, making LTE-only devices obsolete.

According to a leaked document discovered by The Mobile Report, the network carrier is set to transition away from 4G next year, which will include ending support for 5G non-standalone (5G NSA) devices as well.

The older 2G and 3G networks started shutting down in 2022, with T-Mobile only just ending its 2G network in February of this year. Doing away with the older networks opened up frequencies for 4G and 5G migration, improving the reach of the newer networks.

Per the document, T-Mobile has already started dismantling its 4G network with plans to use those frequencies for 5G over the next two years to support 5G Standalone (5G SA). Currently, 5G SA is the main version of 5G and doesn't rely on 4G infrastructure.

The document notes that LTE will exist on T-Mobile networks until 2035 to support legacy devices, likely IoT products and industrial applications, but performance will be significantly degraded.

How does this affect your device?

The first 5G phones started showing up in 2019, and most handsets available today are built for 5G. If you've bought a new phone in the last three to four years, the disappearance of 4G shouldn't affect your device at all since it's likely already 5G-capable.

During the 2G/3G transition, T-Mobile offered compatible devices, so it could do something similar for people on 4G or 5G NSA phones. What the dismantling of 4G should do is speed up 5G, giving the network access to more channels and frequencies.

Currently, T-Mobile's network has 600 MHz n71 (low-band 5G) and 2500 MHz (mid-band 5G) frequencies. The older 4G network uses 2, 4/66, 12, and some 71 frequencies; removing 4G opens those up to new 5G bands.

One example of an older device (which I still have) is the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, which supports 5G NSA and requires an LTE and 5G signal to work, but does not support 5G SA.

Additionally, many 'dumb' phones like flip phones only support LTE. T-Mobile currently sells a TCL flip that cannot connect to 5G.

A stepping stone to 6G

The retirement of 4G on T-Mobile's network should be mostly completed in 2028, just in time for the arrival of 6G. Qualcomm has already promised that it will have 6G devices ready by 2028. Though the standard isn't expected to take effect until 2030.

Apple has reportedly been working on 6G since at least 2021. And a study from October of 2024 found that 6G is 9000 times faster than 5G, capable of sending 1TB of data per second over the network.

It's expected that 6G will most likely be built on top of existing 5G infrastructure. That said, reportedly, T-Mobile didn't use legacy 4G infrastructure to bring 5G to its customers starting in 2020. This means that it will be easier for T-Mobile to switch off 4G in favor of 5G.

As for AT&T and Verizon, those companies did use legacy 4G infrastructure so it may take them longer to transition the network.

T-Mobile's response

Tom's Guide reached out to T-Mobile for comment on its plans for LTE and the veracity of the document. A spokesperson did not comment on the document itself but implied that an LTE phase out is not coming in the near future.

"Someday far in the future – years and years from now – we’ll likely consolidate older technologies like LTE to make room for the latest and greatest, including 5G and beyond," Anushka Bishen, senior communications manager for T-Mobile, said. "For now, the T-Mobile network...has more than enough capacity to handle the heavy data demands of the modern wireless user."

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The FIFA World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the world, and while the first games won't kick off until next year, Verizon is already getting ready to hype up the tournament. How, you might ask? By giving customers free tickets to the games, as part of what it's calling Verizon Ultimate Access.

The 2026 World Cup will take place all across Canada, Mexico and the United States, with Verizon being one of the key sponsors. So North American soccer fans will be able to experience the action on their home turf — and perhaps even without the pain of trying to purchase the tickets for themselves.

Naturally, the carrier has signed on soccer legend David Beckham to help promote all this free stuff.

Thousands of free tickets will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis in the My Verizon app via the Verizon Access rewards program. The first ticket drop starts this Thursday (October 2) at 9.00 a.m. ET / 6 a.m. PT.

New tickets will be dropped hourly, with the final one taking place at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT. Following this, Verizon will have daily ticket drops at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT from October 3 to 13. All those games are scheduled for June 13-16, and will take place in locations across the U.S.

November will also see the launch of new sweepstakes, giving customers the chance to win hundreds of "Golden Tickets" that come with pitchside access. Plus, there will be additional giveaways at various points leading up to the tournament, which officially starts in Mexico City on June 11.

Various all-star players will also be on the road with Verizon in the run-up to the World Cup, offering meet-and-greets and surprise events along the way. Those players include Tim Howard, Alyssa and Giselle Thompson, Chucky Lozano and Sergio (Kun) Agüero.

So long as you're a Verizon customer, you can sign up for Verizon Access and be in with the chance to get those tickets for yourself. Membership also makes you eligible for all the other giveaways that happen throughout the year.

If you're not a member of Version Access, joining up is simple. Either head to the My Verizon website, then click Account > More > myAccess. Alternatively, from the My Verizon app, head to the Me tab > myAccess. Then be sure to keep an eye on the myAccess area for the next big giveaway.

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Qualcomm is gearing up to reveal its next set of products at its Snapdragon Summit 2025, with rumors about its Snapdragon X2 chip heating up. But in a kickoff to the event today (September 23), the company brought up another next-gen technology — 6G connectivity

During the Vision Keynote presentation at its annual event, CEO Cristiano Amon revealed that Qualcomm will be ready to have the first set of devices with 6G connectivity "as early as 2028."

That's pre-commercial devices, by the way, which means test devices that will be able to show off 6G's capabilities, so don't start budgeting for your 6G phone now. Still, it's an important milestone as industry leaders like Qualcomm turn their attention to the upcoming 6G wireless standard.

This would be the next step over 5G connectivity, which is now commonly seen in the best phones today. In the U.S., 5G launched commercially in 2019.

"We have been very busy working on the next generation of connectivity...which is 6G. Designed to be the connection between the cloud and Edge devices," Amon said.

"The difference between 5G and 6G, besides increasing the speeds, increasing broadband, increasing the amount of data, it's also a network that has intelligence to have perception and sensor data," Amon added. "We're going to have completely new use cases for this network of intelligence — connecting the edge and the cloud.

"We have been working on this for a while, and it's sooner than you think. We are ready to have pre-commercial devices with 6G as early as 2028. We're going to have context-aware intelligence at scale."

Looking ahead at the future of devices, Amon noted that 6G would play a key role in the evolution of AI technology, with AI models becoming hybrid. This includes a combination of cloud and edge devices (like user interfaces, sensors, etc). According to Qualcomm, 6G will make this happen.

While Apple has already talked about working on 6G as far back as 2021, we're now seeing how 6G will be implemented and when it will start to arrive. While Amon states the next-gen connectivity will be seen in "pre-commercial" devices first, we're sure to see companies adopt 6G not long after — potentially before the end of this decade.

That's still a while away, but seeing as how we could buy the first 5G phones six years ago, it's now time for the next level of connectivity in 6G. We're sure to see faster network speeds with higher amounts of data, but it's also set to help bring more out of AI in devices.

Again, it's still early days, and we won't know the full extent of 6G until it arrives. But according to Qualcomm, we'll start to see what it can achieve as soon as 2028. We're on the ground at Snapdragon Summit 2025, so stay tuned for even more updates from Qualcomm (fingers crossed for next-gen chips).

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As the person responsible for evaluating the best phone carriers at Tom's Guide, I find that there's a lot to like about Visible, the Verizon-owned wireless service that offers lower-cost coverage on its parent company's network. But if there's a knock against Visible, it's the carrier's lack of family plans offering discounted rates when you add more lines.

That's about to change later this month, as Visible announced a new Inner Circle program that allows groups of people to save money on their monthly cell phone bills. Best of all, the people included in your Inner Circle plan don't even need to be family members — anyone can link together their Visible data plans and reap the benefits of lower rates.

Starting August 21, customers can pool together up to seven lines at Visible on a single account, with Visible offering discounts on its two premium plans for accounts with two or more people. With Visible Inner Circle, you can save $5 on the cost of either a Visible Plus or Visible Plus Pro plan, two unlimited data offerings that normally cost $35 and $45 a month, respectively.

The standard Visible unlimited data plan keeps its $25/month cost, even on Inner Circle plans.

The potential to lower the price of the Visible Plus plan via Visible's new family plan offering seems especially intriguing, since I consider Visible Plus to be the best unlimited data plan you can get right now. The regular $35 rate is already pretty low for unlimited data — it's a fraction of what you'd pay for comparable plans at AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon — and Visible stopped putting a cap on the amount of high-speed data you can enjoy with Visible Plus. Even modest savings of $5/month through Visible Inner Circle make a great plan already more appealing.

Visible says that Inner Circle members can mix and match different plans. In this scenario, I could have three other people in an Inner Circle group, with one of us subscribed to the standard plan, while two others pay for Visible Plus and the fourth signs up for Visible Plus Pro. The first person would pay $25/month, the Visible Plus subscribers would pay $30 each for their service, and the Visible Plus Pro subscriber would pay $40.

Besides the discounted rates, the other noteworthy thing about Visible Inner Circle is the ability to add anyone — not just family members — to your family plan. That means anyone from roommates to distant relatives can pool their wireless plans together. Even though the accounts are connected, billing can be assigned separately, with each member of your Inner Circle responsible for their own plan.

It all sounds very similar to the old Visible Party Pay program the carrier offered half a dozen years ago, where accounts could be grouped together for significant discounts. Visible dropped its Party Pay program as it expanded to offer more plan options, so it's good to see a similar program return, even if the per-line discounts are more modest this time around.

The ability to create family plans that aren't necessarily restricted to family members will make the new Visible offer appealing to some customers when it debuts next week. That said, the best family cell phone plans I've found offer more significant discounts the more lines you add. For example, a four-line plan at Total Wireless — another Verizon-owned carrier — reduces the per-line cost of unlimited data to $27.50, totaling $110 per month.

Still, in this day and age, flexibility counts for a lot, and Visible's soon-to-launch Inner Circle program certainly offers that to a wider audience than just immediate family members.

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If you’ve ever upgraded from one cell phone to another, you have likely had to swap your SIM card: the tiny chip that pops into a storage slot in your device to connect you to your carrier’s cellular network. Increasingly, though, phone manufacturers and carriers are skipping physical SIM cards altogether in favor of a digital alternative.

eSIM — or embedded SIM — is a digital SIM card that is built into your device and can be activated virtually, no manual switch required. Most flagship smartphones in 2025 support eSIMs.

Here's what you need to know about eSIMs, and how they can be a real help when you travel overseas.

How does an eSIM work?

Unlike a traditional SIM card, which must be removed and swapped out from an old device to a new one or replaced if you want to change numbers or service providers, an eSIM is programmed remotely to give you instant access to your carrier network upon activation.

You can download your eSIM over Wi-Fi instead of heading into a carrier store or waiting for a physical chip to arrive in the mail. With an eSIM, you no longer need to worry about different SIM card sizes or the process of locating and opening the card slot.

eSIM technology also allows you to seamlessly switch between multiple numbers — such as a personal and business line — on the same phone as long as your device supports this feature.

Why you should choose an eSIM for your next trip

Since eSIMs can be purchased and activated remotely, they’re a convenient way to stay connected on your next trip. If your existing carrier plan isn’t particularly travel-friendly, you can get an eSIM with more affordable international options, such as unlimited data for the countries or regions you’re visiting.

Some providers also offer eSIMs with local phone numbers in the event you need one for calls, texts, or other services. You typically don’t need to commit to a long-term contract with travel eSIMs, as you can purchase plans for as little as a few days (though you can get extended coverage if you’re a frequent flyer).

With an eSIM, you can continue using your current phone as normal without interrupting your existing carrier plan, and you don’t need to obtain and keep track of multiple SIM cards as you cross borders. In fact, you can purchase and install an eSIM before departure so it is ready to go when you arrive at your destination.

If your device supports dual SIMs, you can toggle between them in your phone’s settings. Note that your device will need to be unlocked to use an eSIM from another carrier, so be sure to check before buying an eSIM.

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If you’re traveling abroad this summer, you’re probably considering the best way to stay connected while overseas. Fortunately, an eSIM makes it easy to transition seamlessly from one country to the next — no device or SIM card switching required.

An eSIM is a digital SIM card that links your phone to a carrier’s cellular network, allowing you to make calls, send texts, and use cellular data. eSIMs are purchased, installed, and activated remotely, so you can add a different plan to your existing eSIM-compatible device without visiting a carrier store or purchasing a physical SIM card.

Three reasons why you need an eSIM

Limited coverage

Some carriers have limited (if any) coverage for areas outside your home country — and if you don’t plan ahead, you may pay a premium for international roaming, leading to an unpleasant surprise on your next bill. While you may be able to add a travel pass to your existing contract in advance, an eSIM is an easy alternative for accessing an affordable, travel-friendly data plan.

It's customizable to your itinerary

With an eSIM provider, you can customize your plan for your itinerary, including country-specific plans or those covering larger regions. If you’re traveling around the European Union, for example, you don’t need to change SIM cards each time you cross a border. You can choose contract lengths ranging from a few days to a month or longer, with options for extended or global coverage if you frequently travel overseas.

It saves you time at the airport

Another major advantage of an eSIM for international travel is that you can install it in advance so you’re covered the minute you arrive. If you rely on a physical SIM card, you have to find a vendor locally, leaving you disconnected for a period of time. Plus, you’ll have to keep track of the chip if you want to use it in the future. Physical SIM cards are at risk of being lost or stolen. (Note that some smartphones actually lack SIM card slots altogether, so you’d need to purchase a second device to use a traditional card.)

Bottom line

Because eSIM-compatible devices typically allow you to have multiple SIMs active at once, you can use your eSIM for affordable data while still receiving calls and texts to your main number while abroad. When you return home, you can easily switch back to your primary SIM and network with a simple update to your phone’s settings.

eSIMs have made it a lot easier to travel, and for a variety of reasons. Just be sure to research which carrier makes the most sense for you when you travel abroad.

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Verizon customers aren't having the best week. First, we heard the carrier was planning to increase fees, and now it appears that Verizon is raising fees and removing discounts from some plans, leaving customers forced to spend extra money.

This is likely to upset some people and potentially lead them to switch to one of the other top phone carriers, such as T-Mobile, AT&T, or any of the popular MVNOs, which can be significantly more affordable.

The gigantic mobile carrier is pulling loyalty discounts from customer accounts on September 1, at least that's what emails posted on Reddit claim.

"We are writing to let you know that a discount on your account will soon end. This discount will be removed no sooner than September 1, 2025. It is important to us to be upfront and transparent when changes are made to your account," reads the alleged email.

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When I travel abroad, I want to be able to use my smartphone to manage my itinerary, navigate between destinations, and stay connected to those back home. That means I need a data plan that works where I am and that won’t break the bank. An eSIM, or embedded SIM, allows me to connect to local cellular networks at an affordable price.

An eSIM is a digital SIM card already built into your phone — instead of installing a physical chip into a card slot, you simply purchase an eSIM and activate it remotely via a Wi-Fi connection (or cell network, depending on your device).

Why an eSIM is essential for my summer travels

While I can connect to Wi-Fi while traveling, I need to be able to connect to data while out and about without worrying about expensive roaming charges or pay-per-use rates. An eSIM allows me to purchase a data plan for the specific country or region I am traveling to for the duration of my trip at a relatively affordable price.

In addition to cost-effective data options, travel eSIMs have some advantages over purchasing a physical SIM card for a local network. When relying on removable SIM cards in the past, I have had to locate a vendor, leaving a gap between arrival and getting connected to a data network. With an eSIM, you can get everything set up in advance so your plan is active the minute you land. I also had to keep my primary SIM secure for the duration of the trip — SIM chips are tiny and easily lost.

Even if I wanted to use a physical SIM card, I’d have to purchase a second device in order to do so. My iPhone 15 Pro is eSIM only, meaning it lacks a SIM tray. It’s far more convenient to use my own device with both a travel eSIM for affordable data and my primary SIM for receiving calls and texts from home than it is to buy and carry two separate phones.

Apple has largely discontinued the use of traditional SIMs in its iPhone lineup (at least for US users), while Android devices typically have dual capabilities with both a physical SIM and an eSIM. Note that your device will need to be carrier unlocked in order to use an eSIM from a different provider.

If you are traveling abroad, an eSIM is the simplest and often most cost-effective option for connecting to cellular data with your existing device. A travel eSIM allows you to do everything from use maps to stream video as soon as you arrive at your destination.

Verizon, one of the best phone carriers, may have introduced a three-year price lock in April, but prices can still go up on your phone bill. The company confirmed to Tom's Guide that it's "making some adjustments" that will raise various fees starting in September.

In a statement, a Verizon spokesperson said that the "vast majority" of customers would see an increase of "less than 30 cents" to their monthly bill.

"To continue delivering the best customer experience on America's best 5G network and industry-leading services and tools that save our customers’ time and money, we're making some adjustments," the statement reads.

A recent Reddit thread (spotted by PhoneArena) revealed a number of fees that would see increases; Verizon spokesperson's confirmed those increases. The affected fees include the Administrative and Telco Recovery Charge which is used by Verizon to pay for "direct and indirect" costs like property taxes, and was already raised by the carrier last December.

According to the Reddit post, the recovery charge will increase by 28 cents to $3.78 per voice line. Data-only plans are taking a massive leap from $1.60 to $3.97 per line.

The Verizon Regulatory Charge is also rising 3 cents from $0.19 to $0.21 per line. This charge is an assessment that the carrier uses to to cover "various government charges."

"These adjustments are in line with market rates and allow us to continue to provide top-tier products and services," the spokesperson said.

While Verizon's three-year price lock keeps your main plan at a friendlier price for longer, it doesn't specifically lock fees and taxes. The guaranteed price lock is only available to customers on a newer myPlan subscription.

Lastly, the post indicates that Verizon is also raising the price of its device activation fee from $35 to $40, which can already be seen on the Verizon website. Tablet plans are also rising by an additional $5 a month.

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Today, August 1, Nintendo announced price increases for the "original Nintendo Switch family of systems...and select accessories" effective August 3. The gaming giant blamed the changes on "market conditions."

Though not specified, it is highly likely that the increases are in response to the tariffs enacted by the Trump administration on August 1. Those new taxes included 20% tariffs on Vietnam and on 30% on China, two countries that produce a lot of Nintendo's hardware.

In 2019, during the first Trump administration, Nintendo moved most of its hardware production out of China to Vietnam to avoid tariffs introduced then, as reported by the New York Times. However, between tariff introductions earlier this year and the current ones, Nintendo has not been able to escape the impact.

Nintendo's announcement did not confirm what the new pricing would be but Nintendo stock tracker Wario64 pointed out that Target's website briefly showed higher prices.

The original Switch bumped up by $40 to $339.99. The Switch OLED version went up by $50 to $399.99, while the Switch Lite was priced at $229.99, a $30 hike. Currently, Target shows the original pricing.

The announcement says the Nintendo Switch 2, and Switch and Switch 2 games would "remain unchanged." However, the announcement does not that "price adjustments may be necessary in the future."

Additionally, it also indicates that some Switch 2 accessories — including Amiibos and the random Alarmo clock — will see "adjustments."

We've also seen that the Joy Con 2 controllers are getting a $5 increase making them $99.99.

If you were considering picking up either an original Nintendo Switch or the new Nintendo Switch 2, not might be the time before the tariffs raise prices even higher.

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Both EE and Vodafone went down down in the UK — two phone network outages in one day! The number of reports on both Down Detector pages for both EE and Vodafone have been skyrocketing. BT has confirmed that there are issues, and EE has told users on X/Twitter that it's investigating.

For several hours, customers were reporting that they couldn't make or receive calls.

EE and BT did acknowledge the problems on coverage status pages as well as in responses to users on X.

After peaks around 2 p.m. on Down Detector, the outage detecting site, reports took a steep dive but never truly went away.

None of the three companies have released an official statement about the outage or its cause beyond saying that they are working on resolving it.

As of this writing, there are still tiny amounts of reports filtering in but they are far less than they were in the afternoon.

We're covering these outages to get to the bottom of what's happened, who's affected and how long they will take to get fixed.

EE and Vodafone outages — live updates

Tale of the tape (so far)

So here's what has gone down so far:

• EE and Vodafone users started reporting outages at 7am BST
• This started to spike at 11:05am
• Currently, EE stands at over 760 outage reports and Vodafone at over 730

Both seem to be concentrated in Manchester and London being the two worst-hit areas.

What is affected?

Looking at the % splits on what people are reporting, an overwhelming majority are point to mobile connectivity problems — specifically the ability to make or receive calls.

Vodafone's customer support has acknowledged a similar issue. "Due to some technical issues some customers will be experiencing issues making or receiving calls," the rep said on X.

Who is impacted?

Looks like the outages for EE and Vodafone are pretty spread out in main city areas of network congestion!

Oddly, in our own testing, Tom's Guide writers don't seem to be having call issues... We'll investigate this further.

The outage reports continue to spike

We're now nearing 1,000 outage reports for both Vodafone and EE.

EE is yet to acknowledge this issue, and Vodafone has confirmed that "technical issues" are stopping calls from going through.

The plot thickens

So we're doing our own tests, and as you can see, EE's not experiencing any issues. Our Computing Editor Darragh Murphy successfully made a call to me entirely on his cellular network.

If you are seeing any issues, please reach out to us!

What do users have to say?

While Vodafone users are just busy asking if Vodafone is down, EE users are providing a little more detail.

First off, we're receiving reports that users have tried to call, but the helpline has acknowledged that the service is down for calls and texts.

People are also reporting that they can't use mobile data.

Outage reports continue to rise on EE

Reports of outages are getting higher on EE, now topping over 1,300 reports with no sign of slowing down.

EE has yet to notify users of the issue, although it appears not all users are affected (Darragh here, and I could make a call using EE's cellular network). We'll keep you posted.

Service status on EE states "good network"

After checking the service status page on EE, it states the mobile network is good in my area, which is around the centre of London. So it appears the outages could be more widespread and possibly may not be due to network coverage.

However, Downdetector shows many of the outage reports are based in London, along with Manchester, Birmingham and more. If you're affected by issues, let us know!

What's the issue?

The problem with EE appears to be around calls between networks, a source has told Tom's Guide. This looks to be the same technical issues with Vodafone, with problems with making and receiving calls.

While calls within the EE network appear to be fine, it's calls to other networks that are the issue. Be aware that if you're making calls to users on another network, you may experience problems.

Vodafone outage reports are rising

Users are experiencing more problems with Vodafone, as Downdetector now shows over 1,100 outage reports. As mentioned, it appears to be due to interconnected calls between networks.

We've tried testing calls through EE, and it appears to be able to connect to other users. The issue may not be affecting everyone, but if it is, Vodafone states it will working on a fix as soon as possible.

EE is investigating the issue now

EE has reached out to several users on X, with people stating they can't call anyone. EE has responded by stating this is shared with the team and is "looking into it now."

Hopefully, this means the problem with phone calls will soon be resolved, but outage reports continue to rise according to Downdetector.

Don't forget Voxi and BT

Outages like this don't just impact the named carriers — it impacts any Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) using their networks too. And for Vodafone and EE, that means Voxi and BT respectively.

You can see users of these two carriers are also have troubles according to the big spike on Downdetector. Hopefully these networks' problems are linked to the same cause, and will be fixed at the same time as their parent networks.

Yep, we're impacted too

Conveniently, we have EE and Vodafone users on staff here at TG UK. So we got them to call each other. Neither call went through.

They failed in slightly different ways, though. When calling from Vodafone to EE, we got a "call failed" error. But when we called from EE to Vodafone, we instead got an instant "call ended". Perhaps that's significant, but either way, the outage is clearly still ongoing.

Meanwhile, at the other big networks...

We can also see spikes in user complaints on Downdetector for Three and O2, the other major carriers in the U.K. However, it's hard to know if they're actually getting caught up in the issues too, or users are just struggling to get through to the two carriers we know are impacted.

Three's spike is almost as large as Vodafone's, going by the graph. But while the rate of complaints about O2 has risen sharply in the past couple hours, it's still a smaller total than the others.

Trouble at TG Towers

Having checked the EE app for any official confirmation of the problems, we found EE has marked Bayswater (the rough area of London where TG's office is located) as an impacted area.

The discussion page linked doesn't give any additional information about the current outage. If that changes, we will let you know.

Past the worst of it?

Over the past few minutes, it appears that complaints to Downdetector have been decreasing. Vodafone's graph has plateaued, while EE and BT are trending downwards, dropping from and 2,610 and 1,296 reports at peak to 2,034 and 669 respectively at the moment.

We're crossing fingers that this means an end to the outage is in sight. At worst, it means that we've hit a critical threshold of users noticing they're having issues, and people are now aware something's wrong and can work around it.

Confirmation from BT

At the top of BT's Service Status page, there's now a prominent yellow banner warning of an "Ongoing issue with calls across our network."

The message continues to say that "We're working urgently to fix the problem and will provide further updates as soon as possible. We're sorry for any inconvenience caused."

Trending downwards — except for one

EE, Vodafone and BT are getting fewer and fewer complaints according to Downdetector. While it's still high for O2, things are heading downwards there too.

Except things are happening differently at Three. While there was a dip not too long ago, complaints remain high. Hopefully this isn't a separate issue, but it's something to keen an eye on.

Three facing its own issues?

Going to EE's website, we can see it's reporting problems in the area of TG's London office, like we saw with BT earlier.

The message lacks detail, but it's good to see Three acknowledging the issue.

What are the chances of a refund?

Wondering if today's outages might net you some money back on your bill? Uswitch's mobiles expert Ernest Doku has some insight.

“Ofcom advises that compensation for mobile signal outages is ‘dependent on the circumstances’, however in extreme cases where repairs take much longer you may be entitled to an additional refund or account credit.

“If your landline stops working, you will be entitled to compensation if it has not been fixed within two days, but make sure to report the issue to your provider as soon as it happens. You will receive an initial £9.98 if the service is not fixed two full working days after you report it, and then £9.98 for each full day it is still not fixed after that."

Where we're at

Here's the state of play just ahead of 6 p.m. BST, starting with EE:

And here's BT:

Finally, here's Vodafone:

Your Too Long, Didn't Look summary: EE and BT seem to be trending downward in terms of outage reports after a big spike earlier in the day. Reports of outages at Vodafone remain high, however.

What the status pages are saying

We took a look at the official status pages for BT, EE and Vodafone to see what the companies are saying about the outage.

It's a mixed bag.

BT's status page currently has a message that reads, "We're working urgently to fix the problem and will provide further updates as soon as possible. We’re sorry for any inconvenience caused."

The EE coverage map, shows service is good everywhere it offers mobile data. We checked several postal codes and all of them were listed as having excellent coverage.

On Down Detector, EE is declining but is still sitting above 1,300 reports.

Vodafone, meanwhile, won't even load for us. We tried entering different postal codes on the company's network status checker page, but the map has been stuck spinning the entire time.

As far as we're aware, Vodafone has not acknowledged today's issues outside of asking people to DM customer service on social media.

Still down - no updates

Despite an earlier steady decline, things have stablized for all three telecoms with multiple reports coming in on Down Detector.

We're still seeing responses from customer service accounts saying the companies are looking into the issue.

We have yet to see any new updates from any firm about the outage.

Trending toward over

Over on Down Detector all three services have finally gone under 500 reports with BT at 300, as of this writing.

EE still has the most at 467 while Vodafone is the lowest sitting at 210.

We'll wait a tad longer but it seems like things are starting to return to order after several hours of problems.

It just won't go away

This outage is hanging around even as gets later into the evening.

We're still not seeing any updates from any of BT, EE, or Vodafone.

However, we are seeing some comments saying that people are able to receive calls from non-BT, EE or Vodafone numbers which isn't encouraging for calling between those companies.

Three network customers across the UK faced a major mobile outage. Issues began in the early hours of Wednesday, June 25 and lasted well into the evening. Many users report being unable to make voice calls.

According to Down Detector, problems started around 7:45 a.m. BST, and the disruption also impacted mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) that rely on Three’s infrastructure — including Smarty and iD Mobile.

The incident shares some similarities with a serious outage earlier this year, during which even emergency calls were briefly disrupted. While we’ve confirmed that 999 calls became functional, standard voice calls and WiFi calling were still experiencing widespread issues.

The outage lasted over 12 hours with readers telling Tom's Guide that despite assurances from Three they could not access data, standard voice calls or WiFi calling.

Three UK released an apology statement on X around 10 p.m.

"Following an issue earlier today, Voice and SMS services are now returning to near-normal levels. Data services continue to work normally and we are monitoring the network closely. We understand how disruptive this has been for our customers and sincerely apologise for today’s inconvenience."

Despite the statement, it took a couple more hours for most customers to get service. Multiple readers reached out to Tom's Guide saying that they still had no service at the time.

Recommended reboots of their mobile phones helped some, but others just had to wait. As of this writing, it's still not clear if service has been completely restored for everyone.

We tracked the situation live — here’s what we know, with real-time updates as the outage lasted.

The story so far

• Reports of problems started at 7:45 a.m. BST
• The network first acknowledged the problem at around 9:35 a.m.
• Three has said it's "working hard to fix" the voice call problems, while promising that data services are "working normally"
• Three-related MVNOs like ID Mobile and Smarty are also affected
• The outage lasted until approximately 10 p.m. BST
• Three apologised for problems at that time
• No reason for the outage has been supplied
• There's was never a timeline on when normal services might resume

Here's everything that's happened so far

It's not been a great morning for Three or its customers, and it doesn't look like the outage will be ending particularly quickly. So here's a recap of what's happened so far:

• Reports of problems started at 7:45 a.m. BST
• The network first acknowledged the problem at around 9:35 a.m.
• Three has said it's "working hard to fix" the voice call problems, while promising that data services are "working normally"
• Three-related MVNOs like ID Mobile and Smarty are also affected
• Three doesn't have an estimate on when normal service will resume — but has confirmed 999 calls are working correctly
• Reports are still high, hovering almost 5,500 at the time of writing

Three's official statements are vague and non-committal at the moment, emphasizing that the company is sorry about the ongoing outage.

Hopefully it doesn't last quite as long as the January outage, which saw the network down for over 14 hours.

Three's latest statement

Three has shared a new statement on the ongoing outage over on X, which reads:

"We're continuing to work on an issue affecting voice services which started earlier today. A small number of text messages are also being affected by the issue. Data services are working normally, so calls can be placed via third-party messaging apps.

We know how frustrating this is, and we're so sorry for any inconvenience caused."

Sadly there's still no timeline on when the problem might be fixed. But we'll keep you updated on all the newest developments as they happen.

Three's coverage checker is down too

In case you were wondering what Three's mobile coverage was like in your area, there is a tool that usually lets you have a gander at the local signal levels. I say usually, because Three is not letting anyone use it right now.

The company's Coverage and Network Status checker page is inaccessible, with a pop-up informing people about the ongoing network issues — and directing them back to the Three homepage.

Which areas are worst hit by the outage?

According to Down Detector's outage map, most of the reported problems with Three are centered around the big cities. Which is no surprise considering that's where most of the people live, but it's interesting to see that not all cities are apparently created equal.

The main hotspots seem to be obvious places like Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham, Cardiff and London. Earlier in the day we also saw faint hotspots in areas like Leeds and Aberdeen.

However, in a surprise twist, Plymouth, Hull and Nottingham also seem to be hit pretty hard by the problems.

What's happening at the other networks?

If you've been looking at the Down Detector home page today, you'll have seen that the other major U.K. networks are also positioned right at the top — below Three and its related MVNOs.

But while the number of reported issues seems to be out of the ordinary, they don't seem to be nearly as bad as the problems happening at Three.

At the time of writing O2 peaked at 120 reported problems at 12.30 p.m., with an extra spike of 107 reports at 3.47 p.m. Meanwhile EE seems to have had a poor time of it on the reports front, with various spikes throughout the day — peaking at 217 at 2.17 p.m. and 4.17 p.m.

Vodafone, which recently merged with Three topped out at 187 reports at 1147 a.m., and is currently sitting at 83 reports. All of which is pretty small relative to Three's 5,544.

What are your rights?

Are you entitled to compensation? It's a tricky situation, so let's turn to Ofcom's mobile faults guide. I'm cobbling this together based on both Ofcom's advice and Three's terms and conditions.

First thing that is recommended is to raise this through the company's formal complaints procedure. While users are indeed getting responses from Three UK via their social media channels, a quick glance at the company's "how to complain" page does not list it as a method of starting the process. Submit a complaint through any of these methods and request a copy of your complaint.

If the problem is still unresolved after eight weeks, a complaint can be made to the Alternative Dispute Resolution scheme (Three UK is part of the Communication & Internet Services Adjudication Scheme).

If you are unhappy with the multi-hour and the response from Three, you can fill out Ofcom's short monitoring form. These aren't investigated individually, but if enough of you do the same, it'll bring about an investigation.

Staying steady

We're currently 9 hours into the Three outage, and so far things are staying pretty steady. There was an spike of problems reported this morning at around 9.00 a.m., which fell over the next couple of hours and settled in somewhere around 5,000.

Since then the numbers have bounced around a bit, dipping between 4,900 and 5,800. At the time of writing the reports have dipped down to 4,969, but we don't see that slipping down much further anytime soon. Not until Three confirms the outage is over and done with.

Why is restoring service taking so long?

If you look at some of the replies on social media, Three customers are getting rather shirty about why the outage is still ongoing.

You have to remember that a national phone network is a big and complicated beast. The task of solving an issue like this means actually finding it, which is no small task, and figuring out how it can be fixed. Odds are a problem this severe wasn't because someone unplugged the wrong thing.

So the fix could be pretty complex, and will then need to be tested to make sure it's working correctly — and all of this takes time.

As frustrating as it may be, rushing through a fix on the network has a good chance of making things worse. That's the absolute last thing anyone wants to happen.

ID Mobile and Smarty are "aware" and "working hard" to fix the issue

Smarty and ID Mobile are subsidiary networks of Three UK, so as the main one goes down, of course these two have dropped as well.

Both of these networks have made comments to update users on what is happening.

ID Mobile posted on its service status page: "Please bear with us, our technical teams are working hard with our network partner Three UK to fix this issue and full service will be restored as soon as possible."

Smarty said it was "aware of an issue affecting voice services" and was working to fix it.

999 calls should be working on Three UK networks

Earlier in the day emergency services calls via 999 did not appear to be working.

Some testing done by members of the Tom's Guide staff confirmed that 999 calls seemed to be affected by the outage as well.

This happened back in January, during that major Three outage, and means that something must be seriously wrong. Calls to 999 are of the utmost importance, for obvious reasons, and networks typically share their infrastructure to make sure people can call for help regardless of who their network provider is.

We tested this again 1:09pm and could not connect. Now at 1:57pm in London, we can confirm that a 999 call connected. So whatever Three is doing at least emergency services connectivity has been restored.

Latest Three statement - more of the same

Three has shared a new statement on the ongoing outage over on X, which reads:

"Latest update: We’re continuing to investigate an issue affecting voice services on our network. Data services remain unaffected, so customers can make calls using third-party messaging apps. A small number of text messages are also impacted.

We understand how frustrating this is and are so sorry if you've been impacted."

Unfortunately, this message is largely the same as the one sent more than two hours prior.

There is still no timeline on when the problem will be resolved. But we'll keep you updated on all the newest developments as they happen.

Mixed results from customers

Looking across social media and the comments on Down Detector reveals a mixed bag when it comes to connectivity for Three customers.

Under the latest Three statement on X, we're seeing some people claiming that their service has been restored.

Others are quite upset and saying they cannot make phone calls.

"ive not been able to recieve calls all day or make any, still can't. Never known it be for this long," one person tweeted.

Over on Down Detector, we're seeing people from Buckinghamshire to West Yorkshire and Newcastle saying that they have now have service..

However, other comments are reporting no service in Sedgefield and Stoke on Trent.

Reports are down, with Down Detector going under 3,000 for the first time all day, after a high of nearly 10,000 toward the beginning.

Where we stand after nearly 12 hours of outage

The massive Three outage began nearly 12 hours ago at around 7:45 a.m. BST.

Now, it appears the outage is finally resolving. Reports on Down Detector have swung under 1,500 reports for the first time all day.

Comments reflect that drop with people saying they've been able to ring out. Though, most comments are demanding compensation.

Three has not updated its X account, and the network status page still points you to its homepage. So, it's not totally over, but most people should be getting back on.

We'll keep an eye on the issue for a little bit longer and update as things change or if Three provides any more information.

Don't breath easy now that service is restored

As a reminder, you may be entitled to compensation.

It is not entirely clear what is available, but we did cobble it together earlier from Ofcom's mobile faults guide and Three's terms and conditions.

First check out the company's "how to complain" page as a method of starting the process. Submit a complaint through any of these methods and request a copy of your complaint.

If the problem is still unresolved after eight weeks, a complaint can be made to the Alternative Dispute Resolution scheme (Three UK is part of the Communication & Internet Services Adjudication Scheme).

If you are unhappy with the over 12 hour outage and the response from Three, you can fill out Ofcom's short monitoring form. These aren't investigated individually, but if enough of you do the same, it'll bring about an investigation.

Not totally over

Reviewing Down Detector and comments, the Three outage is not totally over.

Currently, DD is hovering around 900 reports. With at least one comment saying their service was down in Gateshead.

Three has not made any statements since that last one that said the company was still working on it.

No changes

Unfortunately, things remain as they were and have been for the last little bit.

We have no updates from Three and tracking is hovering around 900 reports and has done for the last hour or so.

We're still monitoring the situation and will update if anything changes.

Are you still having issues with Three service?

As we've written, the outage is down significantly in reports and comments, despite Three's current silence on the matter.

However, that doesn't mean it's over for everyone.

Are you still having problems getting service? Let us know by emailing scott.younker@futurenet.com.

Three claims service is "near-normal"

We've just seen an update from Three on its X account. The carrier claims that its issues have been resolved.

"Following an issue earlier today, Voice and SMS services are now returning to near-normal levels. Data services continue to work normally and we're monitoring the network closely. We understand how disruptive this has been and sincerely apologise for today’s inconvenience."

If replies to that post are anything to go by, a number of customers don't agree and are reporting that they still don't have the ability to make calls.

Several readers reached out to Tom's Guide saying that they still don't have service and haven't done since at least 7 or 8 this morning.

Have you tried rebooting?

Often when it comes to outages, especially ones connected to your mobile, one of the strategies to restore your service is to restart your phone which can prompt your device to reconnect to the network.

With Three claiming that service is basically back to normal, most people should be able to make calls again.

However, if your mobile isn't connecting and you haven't tried a reboot, now is the time to do so.

Readers respond

With Three essentially declaring the outage over, we received some emails from readers facing different sides of the connectivity coin.

Some have reached out to say that their phones with one from Essex saying their phone and a few friends are able to make calls.

Others from Glasgow and surrounding areas as well as Ringwood in Hampshire saying they still can't make calls.

A couple wrote in to say that despite rebooting their devices there was still no connection.

Comments under the Three UK statement on X are similar mixed bag.

Calling it

The Three UK outage appears to have largely petered out.

There have been no updates from Three since the last post saying that service was "near-normal."

Over on Down Detector, reports have settled down around 100. Not nothing but largely done.

We've received a few emails from people saying that their service had returned.

It's close to 1 a.m. BST, hopefully anyone still left in the lurch can sleep through it and service will fully return in the morning.

Is Three still down for you?

Morning everyone! While the Down detector graph is looking much more encouraging, some people are still talking about not getting calls or text service.

This is something Three has acknowledged in its comment from last night, and we are getting reports of outages still happening in Luton and Buckinghamshire.

In the meantime, let's get you update on everything that happened:

• At around 8am yesterday, Three UK suffered a massive outage (similar to the one we saw earlier this year).
• Other related MVNOs (ID Mobile and Smarty) also went down too.
• Testing throughout the day showed that while data remained largely operational, calls and texts were not transmitting — including emergency services calls.
• As of 1:57pm, emergency service calls were back.
• Finally, at around 10pm, the outage subsided and Three apologised.
• But with no timeline on full resuming of service and these small disruptions still ongoing, we recommend you look back in our live blog at what your rights are with Ofcom if you're still affected.

Starting next month, it should be easier than ever to stay connected on T-Mobile's wireless network, as the carrier has just announced plans to launch its satellite-to-mobile service starting July 23.

T-Satellite launches initially with support for text messaging, with plans to offer data connectivity over satellite in October.

The T-Satellite service is the result of a collaboration between T-Mobile and Starlink that was first announced three years ago.

As detailed by T-Mobile president Mike Katz during a press event today (June 23), the T-Satellite service will be included with T-Mobile's $100/month Experience Beyond plan as well as older Go5G Next plans. Other T-Mobile plans will offer T-Satellite connectivity as a $10/month add-on.

T-Satellite: How it works

T-Satellite relies on a network of 650-plus satellites. Katz says that phones will automatically connect to the satellite-based network when there's no cellular connection, so users won't have to go through a connection process whenever they're out of range.

According to T-Mobile, satellite connectivity will work with around 75% of the devices used by the carrier's current customer base. That covers nearly any that's been made in the last four years, Katz says.

Both Android and iOS devices will have text message support at launch, and Android users will also enjoy support for MMS messaging. MMS support for iPhones will follow.

Starting October 1, T-Satellite will expand to data-based connectivity, with satellite-enabled apps from AccuWeather, AllTrails, Apple, Google, WhatsApp and X that coverage weather, mapping and messaging, among other crucial tasks for when you're in remote areas.

T-Mobile is also offering developer tools to help app makers ready their own software for T-Satellite's data service.

The initial launch of T-Satellite includes support for 911 texting by T-Mobile customers, but in October, T-Mobile says it will expand emergency texting to any mobile customer of any carrier who uses a compatible phone.

New T-Mobile promotions

T-Mobile announced the T-Satellite launch as part of an event to mark an award from third-party testing firm Ookla that names T-Mobile the best phone network in the U.S. It's quite a turnaround for the carrier which found itself ranked last in network performance surveys a dozen years ago.

"We not only dream about going from worst to best, we actually do it," said chief operating officer Srini Gopalan. "We're a good two years ahead of Verizon and At&T and i believe that lead is going to grow."

T-Mobile also made two other announcements today aimed at expanding its customer base.

Perks offered by the company to subscribers will now included a free DashPass membership from DoorDash. DashPash normally costs $10/month and eliminates delivery fees while reducing service fees among other benefits. CEO Mike Sievert said the benefit will come to T-Mobile's "most popular plans," including the current Experience Beyond and Experience More options.

In a move targeting Verizon customers looking to switch carriers, a new T-Mobile promotion called Easy Upgrade offers to pay off the balance customers owe to Verizon for their current phone.

Those switchers will then receive a flagship phone — Sievert specifically mentioned devices like the iPhone 16, Galaxy S25 and Pixel 9 — from T-Mobile.

More from Tom's Guide

• Best phone carriers
• More people are ditching Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile according to new data — here's where they're going
• Best phones

President Trump not only wants to sell you your next phone but provide the mobile wireless service for that device.

Technically, the phone is being developed by the Trump Organization, the business run by the president's children that's launched a number of side hustles related to his presidency.

Indeed, the T1 Phone from the Trump Organization appears to be exactly that, with its announcement date of today (June 16) timed to mark the 10th anniversary of Donald Trump announcing his first run for the presidency.

The gold-toned T1 Phone is supposed to ship in August for $499, and the Trump Organization says it will be built in the U.S. That's in keeping with a stated goal of the president, who wants to return more manufacturing jobs to the U.S., especially tech devices.

Just last month, President Trump threatened to slap a 25% tariff on Apple unless it moved iPhone manufacturing to the U.S. — a tricky demand since the U.S. lacks the kind of manufacturing facilities and equipment to build phones at the scale Apple needs.

Even before the phone arrives, the Trump Organization plans to launch its own wireless service called Trump Mobile. The carrier's lone plan, the 47 Plan, features unlimited data for $47.45/month — prices that coincide with Trump's two terms in office.

Trump Mobile is what's known as a mobile virtual network operator, or MVNO, in that it will rely on other carriers' towers for cellular service. In a statement announcing the launch of Trump Mobile, the Trump Organization says it offering "5G service through all three major cellular carriers," which would mean AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.

Should you consider either the T1 Phone or getting your wireless service from Trump Mobile? Here's what we know so far about the phone and how Trump Mobile's advertised plan compares to other wireless options.

The T1 Phone: What we know so far

The Trump Organization has posed a few specs for the T1 Phone, though some key details are missing. The phone will feature a 6.8-inch screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. A 5,000 mAh battery that supports 20W charging speeds supplies the power. There's no indication the phone will offer wireless charging.

Images of the phone depict a triple-camera array, though the listed specs suggest a less-than-robust setup. While the main camera uses a 50MP sensor, those other rear cameras are apparently a 2MP depth sensor and 2MP macro lens.

While it's not uncommon for sub-$500 phones to lack a dedicated telephoto lens — the Nothing Phone 3a and Nothing Phone 3a Pro are two exceptions — many devices in the T1 Phone's price range do feature an ultrawide lens. The Pixel 9a, our current pick for the best cheap phone under $500, has a dual-lens setup with an ultrawide camera joining the main shooter.

The T1 Phone promises 12GB of memory and 256GB of storage. Information about the system-on-chip that will power the phone isn't listed.

In terms of design, the back of the phone looks to feature a giant T1 logo on top of a smaller logo of the American flag.

While the phone isn't supposed to arrive until August, the Trump Organization is taking pre-orders now, though you'll have to put up a deposit $100 — around one-fifth of the total cost to secure your order.

Considering this is the Trump Organization's first stab at making a phone, I'd be inclined to hold on to my money until there was a shipping product, especially since you're able to bring your current phone to the Trump Mobile service if you decide to make that MVNO your wireless carrier.

For what it's worth, a reporter for 404 Media tried placing a pre-order for the T1 Phone. According to his account, the website failed and his credit card was charged $64.70.

The Trump Mobile 47 Plan: What you get

So should you turn to Trump Mobile for your wireless coverage? If you do, you'll have just one plan — the $47.45/month 47 Plan, which promises unlimited data with 5G coverage. However, only 20GB of that unlimited data is guaranteed to be high-speed data.

In terms of perks, the Trump Organization says the 47 Plan includes free international calling to 100 countries, with families of military service members receiving free calls to overseas bases. Other perks include device protection, 24/7 roadside assistance and teleheath services.

How the Trump Mobile 47 Plan compares

In an interview with Fox Business, Eric Trump — both the president's son and the executive vice president of the Trump Organization — touted the low cost of the 47 Plan. "It's going to be cheaper, 47 bucks a month," he said. "You're going to have more internet. More international dialing for free, hundreds of countries. International dialing for free. It is the biggest bang for the buck."

A $47.45/month unlimited plan certainly undercuts what the big carriers charge for unlimited data. T-Mobile's Essentials Saver plan costs $50/month after an autopay discount, and AT&T has a $51/month Value Plus plan. At Verizon, the Unlimited Welcome plan starts at $65/month, but the carrier's prepaid options include a $50/month unlimited plan.

Those unlimited plans from the major carriers are pretty bare-bones in terms of perks, though, and certainly lack the extras Trump Mobile's 47 Plan promises.

The 47 Plan compares less favorably to unlimited data offerings from fellow MVNO outfits.

Visible currently offers my pick for the best unlimited data plan with its $35/month Visible Plus plan, which delivers fast Ultra Wideband 5G from Verizon's network. What's more, that plan features 50GB of high-speed data, dwarfing the 20GB in the Trump Mobile plan. A current promotion at Visible running through the end of June cuts the Visible Plus rate to $30/month for the next three years when you sign up with a 'SAVE5' promo code.

If you don't mind paying for a year of cellular service in advance, Mint Mobile also offers a low monthly rate on unlimited data. A year's worth of service normally costs $30/month or an upfront payment of $360, though currently Mint is discounting that with $20/month or $240. Mint gets its wireless coverage from T-Mobile, which also owns Mint. It's also notable that Mint has no cap on high-speed data.

Boost Mobile is building out its own network, with supplemental coverage from AT&T and T-Mobile to extend its reach nationwide. That carrier has a $25/month unlimited plan with a 30GB on high-speed data. Boost also says it will lock in that rate for as long as you're a customer, meaning no price hikes.

In other words, Trump Mobile may be touting the low cost of its cell phone plan. But multiple carriers beat it on price.

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If you're looking for one of the best cheap cell phone plans under $40, Google's wireless phone service just introduced a compelling new option. Starting today (April 22), Google now features an Unlimited Essentials plan that costs $35 a month for a single line of unlimited data along with talk and text.

The new plan was revealed to mark 10 years of Google Fi Wireless, and it joins two other unlimited data options that also saw tweaks from Google.

For $35/month, Google's Unlimited Essentials plan gives you access to 30GB of high-speed data each month. Go through that allotment, and your speeds will slow to 256 kbps for the rest of your billing cycle. You can also expect full connectivity on your wireless plan for select smartwatches, which likely refers to Google's own Pixel Watches.

Other than that, Essentials offers very few perks, as the name of the plan might imply. There's no included hotspot data, and you can't use your data when you travel to other countries as you can with the renamed Unlimited Premium plan, which makes that Google Fi offering one of the best international phone plans out there.

Speaking of Google's other plans, the Simply Unlimited plan has been has been rebranded as Unlimited Standard. It still costs $50 a month for one line, but now you get 50GB of high-speed data instead of 35GB.

Unlimited Standard now comes with 25GB of high-speed hotspot tethering, a big leap from the previous 5GB. It doesn't have full international data, but you can use your data when traveling in Mexico and Canada.

Unlimited Premium, formerly known as Unlimited Plus, gets some boosts as well, with a new 100GB high-speed data cap. This plan will retain its $65 monthly costs for one line. However, the plan no longer offers unlimited high-speed hotspot tethering which is now capped at 50GB. The premium tier does have international data in 200-plus countries.

Lastly, Google Fi now lets you connect a laptop or tablet using data-only eSIMs meaning you can connect newer Android tablets and iPads without needing a physical SIM card.

Google Fi also lets iPhones and Android devices access international 5G in more than 92 countries on the Premium plans. Finally, Google says it's adding the ability to listen to voicemails from your phone app rather than the Fi app "in the coming weeks."

Google Fi Unlimited Essentials vs similar plans

Google Fi's new Unlimited Essentials would seem to compare well to some of the low-cost options included in our best unlimited data plan picks. Low-cost phone carriers like Mint Mobile, Visible, and Boost Mobile all offer unlimited data plans for less than $40 per month and now Google Fi has joined their ranks.

Boost has the cheapest plan of the bunch, and it comes with a guarantee that your rate won't change for as long as you remain a customer with Boost. But the plan also comes with the fewest perks, and like Google Fi's Unlimited Essentials, there's a pretty low cap on high-speed data.

Mint eliminated its data cap, and like Google Fi, uses T-Mobile's cellular network for its coverage. But to get Mint's best rate of $30/month, you need to pay for a full year of service up front. That's a one-time expense of $360, while Google lets you pay on a month-to-month basis. (It's worth noting a current promotion at Mint lowers that payment to $240 — or $20/month — if you pay for a year in advance.)

Visible just tweaked its plans as well, lowering the cost of Visible Plus to $35/month. The Verizon-owned carrier has an even cheaper $25/month plan with fewer perks, though your speeds can be slowed at any time with that option.

Google Fi's Unlimited Premium plan will likely remain the most attractive option at the carrier, especially if you do a lot of traveling. But the launch of Unlimited Essentials gives you another choice if a low monthly rate is your biggest priority.

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Three mobile network in the UK experienced widespread disruption for most of Thursday, January 23, leaving many customers unable to make voice calls. This was first flagged at 1:05 p.m. GMT on Downdetector, and it extended to Smarty and ID Mobile, which are both running on the same network infrastructure.

At 11 p.m. GMT last night, that spike on Downdetector dropped dramatically, and as of 8:09 a.m. GMT this morning (Friday, January 24), Three UK has confirmed that the outage is over.

During the outage, the company reassured customers that data services and emergency 999 calls remain operational, while apologizing for the inconvenience and promising swift corrective measures.

However, that emergency calls bit is not what we and many, many customers found when trying to call 999. In our own testing (posted on TikTok), we saw that attempting to call them just didn't work — leaving a calling screen with no ringing tone indicating the call being connected.

Here’s all the latest updates on what is happening, with all signs that regular service had resumed just before midnight.

Three UK outage in brief

• Reports of an outage first began around 1 p.m. GMT
• Customers have said they can't make 999 calls (and we confirmed this may be the case through testing too), though Three says the majority of calls are being connected
• Three has acknowledged "an ongoing issue affecting a small percentage of voice services" and says it's working on a fix
• Outage reports at Downdetector fell dramatically after 11 p.m. GMT
• Three confirmed in a statement that service has been restored, and we've tested and confirmed it to be back too

Live updates

Three UK are investigating

Currently, Three UK have acknowledged there is an outage and are "working hard to fix this as soon as possible." No additional details are known on the cause of it, but we'll update this when we know more.

The outage is very much on-going, as you can see the peak continuing. The most reported locations span across the entirety of the UK:

• Manchester
• Liverpool
• Leeds
• Glasgow
• Nottingham
• Hackney
• London
• Birmingham
• Islington

Three's status checker is up again

One of the more humorous points of this whole outage was that Three's network status checker was down too.

Good news though! It's live again and Three is also sharing a little more detail on some of the wider impact too. "This issue is impacting some of our self-service options."

Tested: 999 calls are not possible

We've reached out to Three for comment, and this is the company's response:

“We are aware of an issue affecting a small percentage of voice services and are working hard to fix it. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused. Data services and 999 calls are unaffected, please bear with us.”

However, we tested this ourselves and can confirm that 999 calls are not being connected. We press the "call" button and there isn't a ringing tone or anything. Stand by for video proof

Video proof: 999 calls are not possible on Three UK network

For context, we tested this call from our office in Paddington, London.

Please note — this was a quick test we did to check the accuracy of claims being made on X by Three UK customers. It is not recommended to ring 999 unnecessarily!

Are EE, O2 and Vodafone customers affected too?

We already know that Three UK, ID Mobile and Smarty (two subsidiaries that operate on Three's network) are down. But we're seeing growing reports for EE, O2 and Vodafone disruptions as well — according to DownDetector.

I'm starting to suspect this might be bigger than we first thought...

Signs of optimism

In good news, the outage report graph is starting to decline gradually over time on DownDetector.

While I won't say we're out of the woods yet, it is a sign to be optimistic that maybe the disruption is on its way to being resolved.

Uswitch expert: Three's outage "incredibly frustrating"

Uswitch mobiles expert Simrat Sharma has weighed in with more thoughts and some good advice too!

"Three’s reported outages will be incredibly frustrating for customers... As SMARTY and iD Mobile also use Three’s network, it’s likely customers on these networks may be experiencing issues with their service too," she commented.

On top of this, Sharma also provided some advice for customers affected.

“Ofcom advises that compensation for mobile signal outages is ‘dependent on the circumstances’, however in extreme cases where repairs take much longer you may be entitled to an additional refund or account credit.

We'll keep an eye on how long this outage lasts, and keep you posted on whether there is a claim to Ofcom here!

Phone calls still not working, but text messages working now?

We're seeing some movement in terms of what is and isn't available. Heather Hoy just posted a comment underneath Three UK's outage page on DownDetector with the following:

"I cannot make phone calls, but I am getting text messages. I was alerted by text earlier to a new voicemail too at 14.19pm this afternoon, and when I called Three voicemail, there was only silence. No automated voice, nothing. There were also no notifications for a new call before the text from Three arrived either, so I suspect that nobody is able to call me either."

We're also seeing some additional info that WiFi calling isn't working as well.

Three's Status Checker is down again

Remember when I said the Coverage and status checker was back? Well, I may have spoken too soon. This is down again.

Current status: uptick in outages

Looking on DownDetector, the picture ain't pretty. There's signs of an uptick beginning in network disruptions again, which we're seeing impact both traditional phone calls and WiFi calling.

On top of this, we're seeing some posts from frustrated users that paint more of this picture on what happened and when it started.

Turns out it may not have started at just 1:05pm GMT as indicated. It could have started earlier from midday.

Probably most frustrating to users now is the lack of communication — especially given that the live support service doesn't seem to be responding. People are being told to respond within business hours, even though it's still within said business hours, looking at this screenshot.

Regulator weighs in

In its report on the Three UK outage, the BBC has spoken to regulator Ofcom and gotten a statement:

"We are aware that Three is experiencing problems with its network. We are in contact with Three to establish the scale and cause of the problem as soon as possible."

The BBC also reports that it's not known if Three UK customers will be able to claim compensation for the outage.

Three weighs in

ThreeUK has posted an update to its X account where it's acknowledging "an ongoing issue affecting a small percentage of voice services." The company adds that data services are unaffected.

More from Three

We've heard directly from Three UK, which sent us a statement. It reiterates a lot of what the carrier has already said elsewhere, though there's additional details on 999 calls:

“We are aware of a number of reports that customers have not been able to connect to 999 calls. We are taking this very seriously and are investigating this urgently and we apologise if anyone has been unable to successfully contact emergency services. Call data from the emergency services shows that the majority of 999 calls being placed via our network are being connected via other networks.”

Where we're at now

It's after 9 p.m. in the UK, and at least the Downdetector chart shows the number of outage reports on the decline. (That could also be because people are going to bed.) At any rate, the graph still indicates that people are having issues, and we've gotten no update on whether service has been fully restored.

(If you're wondering about the timeline in the above graph, it reflects the time in the Pacific Time Zone, where this report is being filed from.)

Awkward timing

This Three outage comes about a month after the Competition and Markets Authority gave the green light to Three's merger with Vodafone. The £16.5 billion deal is expected to be completed in the first half of this year, giving the combined company a customer base of 27 million subscribers. Among the conditions of regulatory approval was agreeing to invest in network upgrades.

Three comments again

We've got another comment from a Three spokesperson:

“There is an ongoing issue affecting a small percentage of voice services and we are working hard to fix it. Data services are unaffected.

“We are aware of a number of reports that customers have not been able to connect to 999 calls. Data from the emergency services shows that normal volumes of 999 calls being placed via our network are being connected.

“We are taking these reports very seriously and are investigating this urgently and we apologise if anyone has been unable to successfully contact emergency services.

“While it is likely your call will connect correctly to 999, if you have any issues please try another network or landline. Please do not try and test 999 calls from your device as it may prevent genuine calls being answered quickly.”

Outages still being reported

It's after 11 p.m. GMT in the UK, and from the looks of things at Downdetector, some customers are still reporting problems with voice calls, though the volume isn't as heavy as it was when the problems first surfaced 10 hours ago.

Service appears to be back

Outage reports at Downdetector began to fall off dramatically after 11 p.m. GMT, and now that Thursday has made way for Friday, there's very little activity. While Three UK itself hasn't confirmed it, it appears that full service is available again, with the outage lasting around 10 hours for those affected.

Confirmed: service is back

We've tested it ourselves and received a comment from Three. Three's network seems to be back up, and the users of DownDetector agree too.

However, we're not 100% out of the woods yet, as an "additional impact" is anticipated because of Storm Éowyn.

Here is what Three has to say:

“Following an issue affecting voice calls yesterday, services have returned to normal overnight. We continue to monitor and review all services throughout today to ensure full stability. However, today we expect to see an additional impact on our service due to Storm Éowyn in some areas. We have already deployed extra engineering resources and planning for these areas, so we can bring sites that are impacted back online as soon as it is safe to do so."

Three also has something to say about making 999 calls. To those who missed it last night, the company claimed that calls to emergency services were "unaffected," but a lot of users disagreed.

Following this, we tested it ourselves and found that 999 calls were not connecting (at least from our location).

"A normal volume of 999 calls were connected yesterday and our monitoring confirms the service is working fully this morning. We continue to investigate the small number of reports that we received about 999 call failures. We apologise sincerely for the inconvenience caused by the issues on our voice network yesterday.”

What are your rights?

Are you entitled to compensation? It's a tricky situation, so let's turn to Ofcom's mobile faults guide. I'm cobbling this together based on both Ofcom's advice and Three's terms and conditions.

First thing that is recommended is to raise this through the company's formal complaints procedure. While users are indeed getting responses from Three UK via their social media channels, a quick glance at the company's "how to complain" page does not list it as a method of starting the process. Submit a complaint through any of these methods and request a copy of your complaint.

If the problem is still unresolved after eight weeks, a complaint can be made to the Alternative Dispute Resolution scheme (Three UK is part of the Communication & Internet Services Adjudication Scheme).

However, since on this occasion, the situation seems to have been (mostly) resolved, this point doesn't matter. Anyone in the path of Storm Éowyn though, keep a very close eye on your network connectivity.

If you are unhappy with the near 14-hour outage and the response from Three, you can fill out Ofcom's short monitoring form. These aren't investigated individually, but if enough of you do the same, it'll bring about an investigation.

We've reached out to Ofcom for comment.

When someone's looking to lower the cost of their monthly wireless bill, I usually recommend Visible. The low-cost carrier offers unlimited data plans that cost a fraction of what you'd pay at a bigger carrier, and that wireless service comes courtesy of Verizon's far-reaching network. Visible's an even better choice right now, as it's offering new customers a way to knock down their cell phone bill even more for the two years.

Thanks to a current promotion at Visible, when you sign up for the carrier using the 'SWITCH25' promo code, you can take $5 off the monthly price of Visible's standard unlimited data plan, bringing the cost down to $20/month. But the savings are even more substantial on the Visible Plus plan where the 'SWITCH25' code lowers cost by $15 to $30/month. And that lower rate doesn't disappear anytime soon — you pay the adjusted rate for the next 25 months.

The standard Visible plan is one of the cheapest unlimited data plans out there, even before its price cut to $20/month with Visible's promo code. But with the standard plan, your speeds can get throttled if Verizon's network is experiencing any traffic. The Visible Plus plan removes that possibility, offering 50GB of high-speed data before your speeds can be slowed. And that's just one of the perks to what we think is best unlimited data plan of all.

While both Visible plans include 5G coverage, Visible Plus can access Verizon's higher-speed Ultra Wideband 5G network. What's more you get unlimited mobile hotspot data with Visible Plus, and you're able to connect a smartwatch to your plan for free. (That's a $10/monthly charge otherwise.) If you do a lot of traveling, Visible Plus is also appealing because it gives you one day of Global Pass each month to use your data plan when overseas.

I had the chance to test out Visible's service a few years back and found it pretty reliable. As Visible is owned by Verizon (and uses Verizon's towers), speeds are pretty comparable between the two carriers. I also found customer service to be pretty responsive, though it's solely available through the service's website or via a mobile app. If you're the sort who prefers that your support come from a phone call, you may want to look for another wireless provider.

Visible has gained traction in recent years by offering unlimited data at some of the lowest rates around, beating even other discount phone carriers. Here's how the Visible Plus plan compares to what the major carriers charge once you factor in the $15 monthly discount; I've also included rates from some other carriers who specialize in low-cost plans.

A lot of wireless providers look to lure switchers by reducing their monthly fees, but those discounts tend to be fleeting. The great thing about this Visible offer is that your discounted rate lasts well into the new year and beyond. Visible's promotion ends January 31.

If you're looking to lock in a discounted rate on your wireless service, Visible has a great deal meant to bring in new customers ready to switch carriers. But your opportunity to cash in on the savings comes to an end this week.

Right now, new customers who sign up for the Visible Plus plan at the Verizon-owned carrier can take $10 off the monthly rate for the next two years. Visible Plus normally costs $45/month, so you're saving yourself $240 through 2026 when you sign up with the 'CHAMP' promo code. Visible's promotion draws to a close Wednesday night (August 21).

We think the Visible Plus plan is the best unlimited data plan out there because it delivers a number of perks to go with that limitless data. For example, you can use your phone as a mobile hotspot, and you can make calls to 30-plus countries while texting 200-plus countries. Visible Plus includes Unlimited talk, text and 2GB of data per day when you travel in Canada or Mexico, and the carrier gives one Global Pass day per month to use when overseas.

One of the best perks of Visible Plus is that you get access to Verizon's high-speed Ultra Wideband 5G network where available. The standard Visible Plus plan includes 5G coverage, too, but only one Verizon's slower nationwide network.

If the Visible Plus plan is still too much for your budget even with a $10 discount, that 'CHAMP' promo code also cuts the price on the $25/month Visible unlimited data plan, which is one of the best cheap cell phone plans under $40. So you'll pay $20/month for the standard Visible plan over the next 24 months.

We reviewed Visible's wireless service a few years back, and found it pretty comparable to getting wireless service directly from Verizon. Visible's coverage has expanded to serve both iPhones and Android devices over the years, and you can also bring your own device in many cases.

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Google just announced a refresh of the Pixel lineup at its Made By Google event, and already it turns out you might not be able to find one of the devices at every carrier. 

A new report from CNET, claims that the network carrier AT&T will not be offering the new Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Outside of unlocked phones, the decisions appears to lock Google out of reaching the 88 million mobile subscribers the carrier reportedly has, according to a Statista report.

It's a surprising omission by AT&T considering the Pixel 9 Pro Fold might quickly become one of the best foldable phones. AT&T currently offers the original Google Pixel Fold and has done so since it launched last year. Product pages on the company's website suggest AT&T is planning to sell the rest of the Pixel lineup, including the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro and the Pixel 9 Pro XL, as well as the two new Pixel Watch 3 smartwatches.

Without a clear explanation from the company it's hard to say why AT&T is opting to forgo the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Our chief speculation is that the original Pixel Fold may not have sold well enough for AT&T to consider offering the next generation. 

Tom's Guide reached out to AT&T for more details and to ask if AT&T will honor unlocked Pixel 9 Pro Fold phones. As of this writing, AT&T has not responded.

The new version of Google's foldable phone is more integrated into the main Pixel 9 lineup now and has many of the same hardware and software features that you'll find in the Pixel 9 series. This includes the new powerful Tensor G4 chip, integrated Gemini AI, and a super thin design.  In our hands-on Pixel 9 Pro Fold review, Tom's Guide Global Editor Mark Spoonauer said, "I'm excited with everything Google has brought to the table with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. It's not only the most improved foldable, it could be the new foldable phone to beat."

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold will officially go on sale on September 4 starting at $1,799, and Verizon and T-Mobile appear ready to sell Google's new foldable phone.

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Two new studies from the mobile analystics company RootMetrics have been released with a look at how network carriers performed through the first-half of 2024.

The first study took a look at the state of 5G connectivity in the United States. T-Mobile took top spots for speed and coverage in a speed study from Ookla. Surprisingly, and for the first time in awhile, a different network carrier took the top spot in RootMetrics' 5G testing. 

Of the three major metrics that were looked at, Verizon was awarded the winner in two: speed and reliability. T-Mobile won for availability, confirming data from the previous Ookla report. AT&T was generally in third place.

It's a pretty significant shift from the 2023 report that came out earlier this year. In that study, T-Mobile was tops in availability and speed. Verizon still won for reliability in that study.

Across the board, what seemed to separate Verizon from its competitors was the company's network speed outside of major metropolitan areas. Seemingly, the big 3 carriers all have very similar performance in cities, but once you leave high-population centers it can get more spread out.

Based on the most current study and the earlier 2023 one, the difference is what data Rootmetrics used. Previous studies apparently mostly just looked at metropolitan areas or combined urban stats and rural stats. 

The newer study separated out data for rural areas and shows a marked difference between the carriers as they get away from cities.

Accordingly, Verizon also won its seventh straight "Most Reliable 5G" award from RootMetrics, which was bolstered by the new inclusion of rural scores in this year's study.

Perhaps T-Mobile will catch up as the company is showing a commitment to be available everywhere.

The second study from the firm was on the state of mobile through the first half of the year. 

For the most part its a summary of "awards" for how each carrier performed in various markets across the country. However, there are some insights that can be gleaned. 

T-Mobile continued to have the best download speed across major markets capable of hitting 100 Mbps in every market. 

In general, every company was able to improve their download speeds, though AT&T trailed the other two by quite the margin in most tests. Though the report claimed that AT&T performed better in categories like call and text performance. 

Should you consider switching carriers if the numbers speak to you? 

Perhaps. Verizon appears to have the most consistence performance across the board, while AT&T looks to be decent at everything, and T-Mobile has the coverage and speed.

None of that guarantees that you will be able to connect to the network and get those services. Tom's Guide editor Mark Spoonauer recently switched from Verizon to T-Mobile and found that his devices did not enjoy the speed and coverage that the network supposedly provides.

And they are close enough in score that you should find pretty good service everywhere, especially metropolitan areas. 

If the network isn't working, you could always check out some of the best carriers that aren't the big three. 

More from Tom's Guide

• I switched from Verizon to T-Mobile — and it's been a total disaster so far
• Best T-Mobile cell phone plans in 2024
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T-Mobile continues to blanket the country in pink speed as the "Un-carrier" was reported to have the fastest mobile network in the US. 

The report furnished by Ookla, a web testing and network diagnostics company, looked at several metrics over the first half of 2024. T-Mobile was either comfortably ahead of competitors Verizon and AT&T or blowing them out of the water. 

Ookla studied the speed of the network carriers' mobile networks, their 5G network speed, network consistency, video experiences, gaming experiences and how consumers felt about their carriers. 

In the mobile network and 5G tests, T-Mobile's network showed median download speeds of over 220 megabits per second (Mbps). Verizon and AT&T were further away at around 110 Mbps on their mobile networks. The report notes that Verizon has significantly improved since last year, with their 5G speeds hitting 191 Mbps compared to 146 in 2023.

All three companies were relatively similar in consistency, as Ookla tests found that they all exceeded 80%, meeting the threshold of 5 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload throughput. T-Mobile was the highest at 86%.

Similar stories can be read in video and gaming for the trio of network carriers. And they weren't far off in consumer sentiment, with AT&T being rated the lowest at 3.14 stars out of 5, while T-Mobile was at 3.79 stars out of 5.

It should be noted that these tests are a general outlay of the United States. On a state-by-state level, it can be a different story. For example, Illinois had the fastest median download speeds of around 160 Mbps. Meanwhile, states like South Dakota, Maine and Vermont hover around only 42 Mbps, an astounding drop-off. T-Mobile led the pack in every state except North Dakota, where Verizon is the fastest.

Should you switch to T-Mobile?

With all this talk of superior speed and consistency, should you consider switching to T-Mobile? 

Maybe.

Since acquiring Sprint and its network in 2020, T-Mobile has been integrating the yellow carrier's network into a nearly 100% pink coverage map. This isn't to say that the coverage is always good, though.

Our global editor-in-chief, Mark Spoonauer, recently switched from Verizon to T-Mobile; in his words, it's been a total disaster. 

Based out of New York, the T-Mobile network consistently had problems staying connected or getting connected for him.

"Overall, I’ve not been satisfied with T-Mobile’s network based on my experience so far. It has simply not been reliable enough for calls. Even while writing this story and talking to my wife on the way home, she cut out every few sentences or so, and I kept having to ask her to repeat herself. That's not sustainable."

Is one man's anecdotal evidence enough to say you shouldn't try it?

Not necessarily, but it is something to consider if the speed tests made your eyes go wide with network envy. 

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• Metro by T-Mobile launches Metro Flex to reward customers that stick around
• Massive AT&T data breach 109 million customers — call logs and text messages stolen by hackers
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So I’m leaving the hospital after checking on a family member, and I’m trying to call my wife at home to give her an update on what’s going on. 

At first I can’t get through at all. I try redialing three times. No dice. I thought there was something wrong with my iPhone 14 Pro Max at first. Then I finally get through to my wife, but she says I’m going in and out as I’m talking. Then I get a Call Failed message seconds later. 

I call back once more and quickly say we’ll just talk when I get home. I didn’t want to get cut off again.

Welcome to T-Mobile, where you’ll likely pay less, but you’ll really make up the difference in frustration. I recently switched from Verizon to T-Mobile and so far it’s been a very frustrating experience.

Not so hotspot 

To be fair, I’m just reporting about usage in a couple of states in specific locations, but one of them is one of the most crowded and densely populated corridors in the Northeast U.S.

Three days a week. I get on the bus, open my laptop and connect to my iPhone to use as a hotspot. This starts in Freehold, NJ, and goes all the way up to Manhattan. It’s about a 1.5-hour commute, and I travel through several towns on Route 9, then the Garden State Parkway followed by the New Jersey Turnpike.

Yes, it’s a long haul in both directions, but the time goes fast normally because I’m generally connected the whole way on Verizon. Not so with T-Mobile. During my morning commute one day this week, I got disconnected a few times and several other times, the connection was just too slow to load web pages fast enough.

At one point, I couldn’t even send and receive messages in Slack. This does not take much bandwidth. A few times, I took my iPhone out of my pocket just to see the signal strength, and it either showed one bar or that my phone was switching between 5G and 4G LTE.

Granted, Verizon wasn’t perfect during my time with the network. There were times when I had a slow connection for a few seconds while passing through a dead zone, but it always bounced back to normal quickly. More significantly, I can count on one hand how many times I’ve experienced failed calls over the last few years on Verizon. I had more of them on one day on T-Mobile.

I also experienced situations where my iPhone simply won’t make calls while on the road home from the hospital. I kept trying to call my son only for the call not to connect. So I waited a couple of minutes, and then it went through. Not exactly a confidence boost.

On the plus side, T-Mobile’s network was pretty reliable to and from Virginia Beach. I had my iPhone connected to CarPlay and used it with Waze for navigation, and I didn’t experience many hiccups. I stopped for gas halfway through and it took a little bit for Waze to reconnect.

I also listened to a bunch of episodes of SmartLess on Spotify during my drive and those played without a hitch. Only a couple times while listening to music was my iPhone a bit slow to skip to the next track on T-Mobile. Not terrible.

Bottom line 

Overall, I’ve not been satisfied with T-Mobile’s network based on my experience so far. It has simply not been reliable enough for calls. Even while writing this story and talking to my wife on the way home, she cut out every few sentences or so, and I kept having to ask her to repeat herself. That's not sustainable. 

And while I can get work done on this T-Mobile 5G connection, it’s simply not as consistent as what I’ve experienced on Verizon on the same route.

Even on the way home from my recent trip from Apple's WWDC event I noticed a very stark difference between T-Mobile and Verizon. Usually after landing at Newark I can connect to Verizon's network within 30 seconds. It took several minutes to get a signal on T-Mobile under similar circumstances.

The bottom line is that I’m willing to give T-Mobile a bit more time before I switch back. But I may be heading back to Verizon. 

Tell us what you think: Have you switched from Verizon to T-Mobile or do you use T-Mobile and want to share your experience? Please leave your feedback in the comments. 

AT&T has informed current and older customers about a major data leak, including sending emails and resetting passwords to prevent unauthorized account access.

In a recent statement, AT&T said, “AT&T has determined that AT&T data-specific fields were contained in a data set released on the dark web. While AT&T has made this determination, it is not yet known whether the data in those fields originated from AT&T or one of its vendors.

With respect to the balance of the data set, which includes personal information such as social security numbers, the source of the data is still being assessed. Based on our preliminary analysis, the data set appears to be from 2019 or earlier, impacting approximately 7.6 million current AT&T account holders and 65.4 million former account holders. Currently, AT&T does not have evidence of unauthorized access to its systems resulting in theft of the data set.”

This statement confirms that the data recently put up for sale on the Dark Web does include some legitimate customer data. However, AT&T remains adamant that the data was not pulled from its systems. The company has maintained that the leak did not come from a security fault in their systems, but it should be noted that the investigation is still ongoing.

While AT&T is adamant that its systems are not at fault, it has offered affected customers complimentary identity theft and credit monitoring services for those whose personal information has been compromised. This isn't the first time AT&T has been in the news, as they recently had a massive signal outage that affected more than 70,000 users.

If their information has been stolen, customers can take several steps, including changing their passwords and turning on two-factor authentication for their accounts. There have also been recommendations that customers freeze their credit, which prevents the major credit reporting agencies from disclosing the information required to establish new lines of credit. Finally, it is recommended not to click links from emails claiming to be from AT&T without authenticating them first.

Large data leaks are a growing problem as hacking techniques improve. The question of where this leak came from is important, as it could reveal whether there is an issue with AT&T systems that needs to be addressed. For the time being, we can only wait until the official report is finalized. 

If you want more safety while using your phone, then it might be worth checking out our Best VPN Service in 2024 and the Best Anti-virus Software of 2024 articles to make sure you have the best personal defense possible

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Most of us nowadays have a smartphone in our pocket, but keeping it connected can be expensive. The more phone lines on your plan, the more data you need, the higher that bill goes, quickly becoming unaffordable for many. 

What if it didn’t have to be that way? What if we could have free, unlimited text and talk on the smartphone of our choosing? Even better, what if we could have the power to control when to pay for unlimited data? It doesn’t have to be a “what if?” scenario. TextNow offers just that – unlimited data plans with flexible options that start at just $0.99, in addition to their free unlimited talk & text service.

With TextNow, you can take control of your phone plan and only pay for data when you need it, and stay connected – always – with free unlimited talk and text on the nation's largest 5G network.

Flexible 5G data on your terms

Anything that's fun to do on your phone requires data. We all know that. Between mobile gaming, streaming, catching up on that one coworker's Instagram stories, there's always something that requires a data connection. For that, TextNow offers three flexible unlimited data plans without any surprise overage (or hidden) fees. 

With TextNow you only pay for the data you need, when you need it thanks to three unique data passes. The Unlimited Hour Data Pass lets you pay for 60 minutes of unlimited 5G network connectivity when you require it for just 99 cents. Renew for additional data manually when it expires, or don’t — it’s up to you! It's a great option to have when you're in a pinch for access to the internet while out, or even to set time limits for your kids.

Sometimes you want a little more data, but you still don’t want to hand over your bank account to your network provider. For those days, TextNow offers an Unlimited Day Data Pass for just $4.99. 

Daily data plans can be great for managing data usage on a child’s account while they are off on a field trip or spending the day with friends. I’m a homebody, which means my Wi-Fi connection is readily available. Some days my family likes to drag me out of my cozy cocoon to “see the world”, “have quality time”, and “touch grass”. The daily pass is great when that happens, as I’m able to rely on Wi-Fi at home when it is available. With TextNow’s daily pass, I have a go-to option to pay for 5G data when I have to, that is affordable and on my terms.

Affordable data connectivity doesn’t have to come with time limits, though. TextNow’s Unlimited Data Pass also offers a no-contract monthly option that includes free roaming in Canada and Mexico for just $39.99. With no contract, you can easily cancel or renew your data coverage at any time, giving you the power to use as little or as much data as you’d like. 

Of ads and sim cards

Signing up for TextNow’s phone service is easy, and requires only downloading the TextNow app on your preferred smart device. Free calls and texting are supported by ads, but your phone won’t take a beating from popups, as TextNow’s ad support is in-app only. 

If you do want to take advantage of affordable and flexible access to the nation’s top 5G network, you will need to make a one-time purchase of a SIM card from TextNow. Once activated, you will have the option to add unlimited data whenever you want, straight from the app. 

With TextNow, you have the freedom to eschew costly phone contracts and surprise overage bills in favor of using your phone, your way. Take control of your phone service and try TextNow for free today.

When Super Bowl LVIII kicks off Sunday (February 11), it will be the culmination of a season of hard work for the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs. For Verizon, it will mark the moment the wireless carrier has been working toward for the past three years when it's been upgrading its network to handle the crush of fans and media descending upon Las Vegas.

Some 72,000 people will pack themselves into Allegiant Stadium at game time. And when they get to their seats, Verizon says, they shouldn't have any trouble uploading videos, looking up stats and enjoying fast download speeds.

"Communications is everything," said Kyle Malady, vice president and CEO of Verizon business during a pre-Super Bowl event highlighting Verizon's network-boosting efforts in and around Las Vegas. "What we're really excited about is the investment we made with the NFL in the stadium. You won't get the spinning wheel where nothing's happening."

That's the result of work that began three years ago, Verizon says, as the carrier spent that time nearly tripling the capacity of its Las Vegas network. More than 547 miles of fiber have been installed around the city, while Verizon's C-Band spectrum covers 52 million square feet of casinos on the Vegas strip. 

Inside Allegiant Stadium itself, Verizon says it's put in around 250 5G mmWave radios for coverage in seating areas, suites, the press box and concourses. The use of C-Band puts a full 160 MHz of spectrum at fans' disposal, tripling the amount of 5G bandwidth available at the game last year.

That Super Bowl was meaningful in its own right, noted Joe Russo, Verizon's president of global networks and technology. "The last Super Bowl was the first with Ultra Wideband technology where you could be in the parking lots, the stadium, and you could FaceTime or stream videos," Russo told me. "Those kinds of things would have never been possible [previously]."

That's good news for anyone out there who's scored a ticket to the Super Bowl. But why should those of us who haven't dropped several grand to attend the game care about improved connectivity at the big game?

Because, Verizon executives say, even once the Super Bowl packs up and leaves town, the network improvements stick around. All that fiber and that increased C-Band spectrum are now as much of the Vegas scene as casinos and showgirls.

"We've put up lots of assets that not only will serve this weekend, but will serve Las Vegas well into the future," Russo said.

The same should hold true for New Orleans, host of next year's Super Bowl. According to Russo, the Verizon team tasked with getting that city's network ready for Super Bowl LIX is in Las Vegas this week to observe the current team in action, just as the folks responsible for the 2023 game in Phoenix are on hand to share what they learned from their experience.

"[The Super Bowl] gives us the opportunity to show off our technology and what we do, not just for the NFL, but for first responders and public safety," Malady said.

This year's game is also noteworthy because it marks the Super Bowl debut of Coach-to-Coach Communication, a private network product developed by Verizon and used throughout the NFL season to keep coaches on the sideline in communication with other coaches up in the booth without dropped connections or network interference. Verizon plans to take the headset worn by the winning coach — whether it's Kyle Shanahan of San Francisco or Andy Reid of Kansas City — and auction it off for charity.

More from Tom's Guide

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Deciding which mobile device is the best phone for you is only the first decision you’ve got to make when getting a new handset. There’s also the matter of lining up wireless coverage, which includes trying to figure out just how much data you need in your monthly plan.

These days, wireless carriers want to steer you toward unlimited data, and it’s a tempting argument. The best unlimited data plans give you more than enough data to stream all your favorite shows and music on the go — not to mention handle all your gaming, browsing and app use. But more often than not, unlimited data is the most expensive option available at a wireless carrier — hey, there’s a reason they’re pushing you in that direction — and for some people, all that data can be overkill.

Unfortunately, there’s no definitive answer on what the best cell phone plan is — it really depends on how you use your mobile device. Some people use their phones as their primary device throughout the day, making unlimited data a more practical choice. Others may only use their phones sparingly, making them a better fit for low- or tiered-data plans. And there’s plenty of smartphone owners between those two extremes.

Add to that the differences in what kind of streaming content you consume. If you’re watching movies in HD and playing online games, you’ll undoubtedly need more data than the person who just streams some music and visits the occasional website.

If you struggle to know just how much data you should be paying for each month, consider this a guide on how to determine your data needs when you’re searching for a new data plan.

Knowing your data plan options

Depending on who your carrier of choice is — or who you might be switching to — you’re going to find a host of data usage options. The Big Three carriers — AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon — emphasize unlimited data for their postpaid plans, but if you consider their best prepaid phone plans, you’ll find tiered data geared toward people who don’t want or need unlimited data. T-Mobile, for example, lets you spend as little as $15/month for 3.5GB of data. (The disadvantage with that low-cost plan is that once you’ve used those 3.5GB, you’re out of data for the remainder of the monthly billing cycle.)

As you might expect, the more data you plan to use with one of the Big Three carriers’ plans, the more your plans will cost. Take Verizon, which has a $35/month prepaid plan offering 15GB of data. Switch over to the carrier’s postpaid unlimited plans, and you’re looking at a nearly twice that for the entry-level Unlimited Welcome plan.

Unlimited data doesn’t have to be expensive — provided you’re willing to look beyond the major carriers’ offerings. At discount providers like Mint Mobile, Visible and Tello, for instance, you can find unlimited data plans for $30 or less. And those plans all use the networks of more established carriers (T-Mobile in the case of Mint and Tello, Verizon for Visible). The catch is you won’t find as many perks, and your traffic will get deprioritized if the network your own is congested. (Mint also requires you to pay for a year of service upfront for its $30/monthly unlimited plan pricing.)

Just remember that even unlimited data plans aren’t entirely unlimited. Many carriers set limits on just how much data you can consume in a given month before your speeds are slowed, especially on lower-cost unlimited plans. Visible’s cheapest $25 unlimited plan will slow your speeds whenever there’s heavy traffic, while you get 50GB of data on Visible’s $45 unlimited plan before your speeds are slowed. Mint Mobile can start slowing things down once you hit 40GB. At the larger carriers, caps on high-speed data vary from plan to plan.

You can consult our assorted guides to cell phone plans for more information on different pricing options, including a look at the best cheap cell phone plans under $40 a month.

Determining your data usage

In addition to pinpointing how much you might have to pay, it’s helpful to figure out how much data you’re using. Fortunately, that calculation is a lot more straightforward than figuring out what different carriers charge for data.

Instead of evaluating your daily habits, you can instead head over to your phone’s settings to see how much data you’ve used over a period of time. On an iPhone, you can find that by tapping to Settings > Cellular, Cellular Data, or Mobile Data (depending on your version of iOS) and see your data usage. Android users can find their usage by tapping Settings > Network & Internet > SIMs > App Data Usage.

Armed with that data, you can then get a sense of which plans may be best based on how you currently use your devices.

Data usage by mobile activity

Maybe you’re wondering what’s taking up all that data. Or maybe you’re new to mobile hones and haven’t really developed a steady history of usage. In either case, consider how you plan to use your device and how much data that’s going to require.

Determining data usage is a decidedly more difficult task, but companies like Verizon and AT&T have tried to provide general estimates so you can get a sense of your data usage. Here’s a rundown of common tasks based on that data to give you a better sense of where all the data goes.

That info from AT&T isn’t based on specific apps, but it still provides a framework around how the apps you use will greatly affect your data consumption. For instance, if you spend most of your time in Netflix and YouTube streaming video, you’re more likely to hit a lower data cap than if you spend your time listening to music or podcasts. Indeed, just streaming a one-hour video in 4K on Netflix will cost you nearly 6GB of data, compared to an hour on Spotify, where your music streaming will account for roughly 4MB of usage.

Useful data usage calculators

Since everyone’s phone usage differs, there’s a handful of reliable data usage calculators available for you to calculate your own expected consumption. 

AT&T’s calculator offers sliders that let you see how data usage changes based on the amount of time you watch video or how many emails you send. T-Mobile and Verizon both offer sliders and filters so you can check on data usage based on time. All of the calculators keep a tally as you go, so you can see just how much data you may use.

Tips for saving data

No discussion on data usage is complete without looking into ways to conserve the data you have. After all, if you want to consume content on your device, finding ways to do that without hammering your pool of data can save you in the long run.

For one, consider using your phone’s settings to turn off the ability for certain apps that use a lot of data to work on a cellular network. You may also find some apps that come with data-saving features that you can turn on in-app.

Background refresh in apps running on your device, along with GPS tracking can also put a hit on data usage. Follow our guides on how to turn off background app refreshes on your iPhone and restrict background data on Android. 

When it’s time to download files like podcasts or videos, doing so over a Wi-Fi connection instead of cellular can keep your data count low, too. In fact, whenever you can safely  jump on a wireless network instead of using your data network, do it. You’ll use less data over time.

More from Tom's Guide

• Best phone carriers
• How to activate an eSIM on an iPhone
• What is RCS messaging — and what it means for Android and iPhone users

Your monthly wireless plan isn't necessarily meant to be a long-term committment. Sure, it's nice to find one of the best cell phone plans and hold on to it for how ever long it suits your needs. But sometimes your needs can change very quickly, and you need a wireless plan that can adapt with it.

A reader, facing just such a situation, wrote in for help tracking down a wireless plan. And while the specifics of their situation may not be applicable to you, I thought the process of identifying a suitable smartphone plan might prove helpful the next time you're looking to change up your wireless service.

Tim Fogarty writes:

I’m seeking help trying to understand what cellphone plans would suit the needs of a Brit (my son-in-law) planning to cycle across the US — from Cape Flattery in Washington to Key West in Florida — starting in late August. Some 4,500-plus miles or 7,200+ kilometers. 

The US cellphones market seems as complicated as the UK market if not more so.

As for his requirements:

• A maximum of a 3 month contract
• Unlimited data
• Unlimited voice & text
• Hotspot capacity
• International calling – at least to the UK
• Decent coverage in rural areas

Not a lot to ask for!

Clearly not. But give Tim's son-in-law credit for identifying specific needs and wants, as that makes it far easier to find the right plan.

Let's start off with the easiest requirement — no commitment beyond the three months Tim's son-in-law will be pedaling from coast to coast. For that, you're going to want to confine your search to the best prepaid phone plans, as your service runs from month to month with no long-lasting commitment. Just pay at the start of each month for the service you need and cancel when you're ready to move on.

The challenge with prepaid plans is that they're not always known for their perks. Unlimited talk, text and data won't necessarily be a problem, but finding a month-to-month arrangement that offers all that plus hotspot data plus international calling may be a bit tricky.

My first thought upon seeing the international calling requirement was to steer Tim's son-in-law toward Google Fi, the wireless service operated by Google that uses cellular networks provided by T-Mobile and US Cellular. Google Fi used to be limited to Google's own phones, plus select Samsung and Motorola models, but a few years back, Google extended service to all phones — even iPhones. 

The plan at Google Fi that best suits the needs of Tim's son-in-law is Unlimited Plus. In addition to that unlimited talk, text and data, one of the perks of this plan is free calls from the U.S. to 50 countries, one of which is the U.K. You also get unlimited hotspot tethering with Google Fi's Unlimited Plus option.

The big drawback? Unlimited Plus is pretty expensive relative to other prepaid phone plans with unlimited data — it costs $65 a month for a single line of data, and that price doesn't include taxes and fees. While it may fit the brief outlined by Tim, that's a lot to pay, especially when there are cheaper options available.

When I think less expensive options among the best unlimited data plans, my mind gravitates toward two carriers — Mint and Visible. Let's tackle both in that order.

Mint Mobile certainly meets the budget of most smartphone users. It normally charges $30 for the first three months of unlimited, talk, text and data, though after those three months are up, you'd have to pay for a year of service up front to keep that low rate. That's not a concern for Tim's son-in-law, though, since at the end of three months, he's hanging up both his bike and his temporary smartphone plan.

Even better from a budget perspective, Mint has temporarily cut the price of all its data plans to $15 for the first three months of service. That means for $45 upfront, Tim's son-in-law can cover wireless expenses for the length of his journey and get unlimited talk, text and data on T-Mobile's nationwide network. 

Mint Mobile's plans only promise free international calling to Canada and Mexico, though you can call 160 other countries for an additional fee. Checking Mint's rates by country, United Kingdom calls are listed as not costing a thing. Calls to nearby countries like Ireland, for example, cost 1 cent per minute to land lines and 2.5 cents per minute for mobile numbers. Let's assume, though, that Mint's website isn't steering us wrong, and that calls to the U.K. are free.

The problem with Mint is its hotspot data. You're limited to 10GB of hotspot data on Mint's unlimited data plan. I don't know if 10GB would cover what Tim's son-in-law hopes to use, but it's a limitation to keep in mind.

Visible has no such limitation with its Visible Plus plan, where you pay $45 a month for unlimited talk, text and data on Verizon's nationwide network. Visible's plan includes unlimited hotspot data, and the carrier won't slow your speeds unless you use more than 50GB of data in a given month. Even better, the Visible Plus plan includes 500 minutes of international calling to 30-plus countries, which includes the UK.

It's not Visible's cheapest plan, which now costs $25 per month after a recent price cut. But that lower-priced option doesn't have the perks Tim's son-in-law is looking for. So Visible Plus it is.

So unless Tim's son-in-law is very cost-conscious and doesn't anticipate needing more than 10GB of hotspot data per month, I'd steer him toward the Visible Plus plan, which clearly ticks all the boxes outlined above. And taxes and fees are included in that rate, so Tim's son-in-law can expect to pay $45 for every month he keeps the plan in place.

I realize that not many people reading this are on a three-month-long bike ride and looking for a wireless plan to cover them on that specific journey. But hopefully this exercise illustrates how to identify what you want from your wireless coverage so that you, too, can hunt down the plan that best meets those needs.

More from Tom's Guide

• Best cheap cell phone plans
• Best Visible deals
• Is Mint Mobile still worth it with T-Mobile taking over?

If you want the best prepaid phone plan that locks in the cost of your wireless service, you should probably go for Mint Mobile. Not only did Mint offer extensive, reliable coverage during testing, it also offers a lot of data for a low monthly rate, keeping you covered for a full year.

Some people may not be ready for that kind of commitment, and if that includes you, you should try Visible, which not only offers month-to-month payments but unlimited data at an unbelievably low rate.

That's the appeal of prepaid plans, where you can set up your cellular service without a credit check and get a fixed rate each month that's not subject to overage fees and other surprise payments. In most case, you've also got the flexibility to switch carriers if a better option comes along. You'll sacrifice perks with prepaid service, but you'll usually wind up paying less than you would with a post-paid plan while enjoying the same coverage and performance.

Let's dive into my best prepaid phone plan backs, including a look at who's the best fit for each plan and why you should turn to prepaid service.

Let's dive into the best prepaid phone plan picks, including a look at who's the best fit for each plan and why you should turn to prepaid service.

The best prepaid phone plans available right now

The best prepaid phone plan overall

Note: Mint's decision to increase its plans' data limits for no extra cost means what used to be the 15GB plan is now a 17GB plan. All other plans have gained extra data too, or hotspot data in the unlimited plan's case.

Who should get Mint Mobile's plan: Anyone who can swing a big upfront payment and who doesn't need a lot of hands-on customer support. Students and young adults who want to make one annual payment and not worry about monthly due dates will also appreciate Mint.

What you need to know about Mint: Mint Mobile has a good range of plans, with the carrier's 17GB option providing a nice chunk of data at a low monthly price. You pay $20/month for the first three months of service — an initial $60 upfront cost. After those three months are up, you would need to commit to a full year of service to keep your $20 rate — that means a $240 one-time payment, but that's the only bill you have to worry about for the next 12 months.

Looking at Mint Mobile's best plans, you can go cheaper if you want — a 6GB plan costs $15/month ($180 for the full year) — or ramp things up to a $30/month unlimited data plan. When I set up service with the carrier for my Mint Mobile review, I really appreciated the way you can look at the different data options and get a recommendation for a plan that fits your needs.

Mint relies on the network of parent company T-Mobile for its wireless coverage. Having used Mint's service for three months, I found that speeds generally matched what I get from a post-paid plan. I never experienced the slowdowns on T-Mobile 's network that Mint customers can be subject to in times of heavy traffic.

You can use your Mint data plan to provide hotspot data for other devices — an invaluable perk in my opinion — and you're able to make calls for free to Canada and Mexico.

Read our full Mint Mobile review.

The best prepaid unlimited data plan

Who should get Visible's plan: Anyone who needs a lot of data for less than $40/month and lives in an area with strong Verizon coverage. You'll also appreciate the high-resolution streaming if you watch lots of video on your phone.

What you need to know about Visible: At $35/month, the Visible Plus plan I'm recommending isn't your cheapest option for unlimited data — not even at Visible, which offers a $25 starter plan. What's more, Mint Mobile and AT&T both charge less if you pay for a year of service in advance, while Boost Mobile also has a lower monthly rate without that annual commitment. But I think Visible offers the best mix of price and perks with Visible Plus.

You get unlimited high-speed data with Visible Plus, and video streaming resolution can get as high as 1080p. You also get one Global Pass day per month that allows you to use your plan overseas; you can bank up to 12 of those passes to cover future trips. (The more expensive Visible Plus Pro plan offers two Global Passes.)

Wee tested out Visible's service and found that it usually matches Verizon's coverage. Although that's not surprising - Verizon owns Visible.

Read our full Visible review.

Best prepaid plan value

Who should get AT&T's plan: People who want a fixed monthly rate but aren't comfortable with less well-known carriers will find AT&T to be a more reassuring choice — especially if they can make a one-time payment to cover the full year of service.

What you need to know about AT&T: Mint Mobile isn't the only carrier to offer lower rates in exchange for a full-year commitment. Pay AT&T $240 up front, and you can get unlimited data for the next 12 months — a price that works out to $20/month. That's $10 cheaper than Mint's regular price.

AT&T's plan comes with some limitations. Unlike the unlimited plan at Mint or the Visible Plus Plan where you can use up to 50GB of high-speed data, AT&T puts a 16GB cap; after that your speeds slow down for the rest of the month. While many people won't hit that limit, it's a trade-off to be aware of when deciding which plan to use.

Testing firm Rootmetrics says AT&T had the best performing network in the first half of 2025, though, and prepaid customers should benefit from that reliability and speed — provided they don't hit that 16GB data cap.

The best tiered plan from a big carrier

Who should get Verizon's plan: Anyone who wants to benefit from Verizon's far-reaching network but doesn't want to take a chance on Visible. Seniors will appreciate the fixed cost, which is locked in for three years.

What you need to know about Verizon: The locked-in cost and dependable coverage that a Verizon prepaid plan offers makes it an appealing long-term option.

I'd steer new customers to the 15GB plan as it's Verizon's cheapest option. (There are unlimited data plans, but they start at $50/month — $15 more than you'd pay for Visible Plus, which uses the same network.) The 15GB plan costs $35/month after a $10 discount for enrolling in autopay.

You do get 5G coverage with this prepaid plan, though it's not Verizon's fastest Ultra Wideband service.

The best prepaid plan for families

Who should get Total Wireless' plan: Parents who want unlimited data, but want a plan that covers their kids, too.

What you need to know about Total Wireless: Prepaid plans don't always favor families, as you don't often see escalating discounts as you add more lines of data to your plan, the way you do with the best family cell phone plans. Total Wireless, another Verizon-owned carrier, is a welcome exception to that rule, though.

While the cost of one line of the Total 5G Unlimited plan isn't that appealing at $50/month, the per line cost drops with each person you add. You wind up paying $27.50 for each line of data — a total of $110/month.

Contrast that approach with Mint, which only offers the same discounted rate on each line of data that pays for a full year of service. Visible Inner Circle plans have modest discounts — just $5 off each month on a Visible Plus plan.

Tom's Guide's John Velasco gave it a try for a month and found coverage that matched what Verizon offers — in other words, fairly extensive coverage with 5G service included, even if speeds can be deprioritized when there's lots of traffic on Verizon's network.

Read our full Total Wireless hands-on.

Best price-lock guarantee

Who should get Boost Mobile's plan: Anyone who doesn't want a surprise on their monthly bill each month. Seniors, anyone on a fixed income, and people who pick a wireless provider and stick with it will like the low lifetime rate for unlimited data.

What you need to know about Boost Mobile: Lots of the best prepaid phone plan options are offering price-lock guarantees lately, but no one's offer is as long-lasting as what Boost proposes. With Boost's basic unlimited plan, you'll pay $25 each month for as long as you remain a customer.

The trade-offs for that low rate are a lack of perks — Boost's more expensive unlimited plans offer extra like hotspot data, global talk and text, and discounts on devices you buy through Boost. The basic Boost unlimited plan also caps high-speed data at 30GB per month.

Boost has built out its own network to compete with AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, and John Velasco has given this service a try, too. He found the speeds to be fast and reliable, and he also appreciated how simple it was to set up a Boost account. He did find the lack of extras a little limiting.

Read our full Boost Mobile hands-on.

Most flexible prepaid data plan

Who should get Tello's plan: Bargain hunters who don't mind drilling down into every detail if it means saving an extra buck or two each month.

What you need to know about Tello: Variety is the spice of life at Tello, a low-cost carrier that stands out by offering a wide range of data plan options. Tello's monthly plans start at 2GB of data and range all the way up to an unlimited data offering. We'd recommend the 10GB plan, as it's a lot of data that will still cost you less than $20 each month, even with unlimited call minutes.

But that's not all you can adjust. By default, you get unlimited talk and text, but if you don't make a lot of calls, you can lower your allotted talk time to get further discounts. Cutting down to 300 minutes of talk lowers your 10GB data plan by $1 and you can save $2 each month if you remove all your call minutes allowance.

We haven't had the chance to try out Tello's service, which relies on T-Mobile's network for its coverage. That means potential slowdowns in data speed, as T-Mobile subscribers will get priority. From ourresearch, some Tello customers have noticed the slower speeds, so expect to make that trade-off for the flexibility that Tello's range of low-cost plans offers.

Prepaid phone plans compared

Here's how our best prepaid phone plan picks compare. Prices reflect the monthly cost of one line of data. (Note that the Mint and AT&T options require a full year payment upfront.)

Total's plan may seem like the most expensive prepaid option on this list, but keep in mind that per line rates fall as you add more lines, with a family of four paying $27.50 per line. (That's $110 total for the month.) Visible's $35 Plus plan is also high compared to other unlimited options, though Visible also features a $25 unlimited plan with fewer perks.

What is a prepaid phone plan?

There are two kinds of cell phone plans — prepaid and postpaid. With a prepaid plan, you pay for data at the beginning of the month; that way, you know your precise costs for budgeting purposes. (Prepaid plans also don't require credit checks, so it's easier to get service if you've got a low credit score.)

Should you use up your allotted data for a month, many carriers will just slow down your data speeds for the rest of the billing cycle. In some cases, you'll need to top off your plan with data. That's why it's important to pick a prepaid phone plan with the right amount of data for your needs.

Many phone carriers prioritize traffic from postpaid customers, so it's possible that data rates can be slowed if you're using a prepaid plan. That's especially true when you use a mobile virtual network operator, or MVNO, such as Mint, Metro by T-Mobile or Cricket, where your phone service is piggy-backing on another carrier's network. (Mint and Metro use T-Mobile's network; Cricket relies on the network of parent company AT&T.)

Best prepaid phone plans: What you should consider

When shopping for a prepaid phone plan, price is paramount. That’s because prepaid plans don’t often come with the kind of benefits postpaid cell phone plans offer. That said, some carriers — notably, Total Wireless and Visible — do work in a few perks, so be aware of those when picking your plans.

You'll also want to pay attention to discounts and special offers. Often, larger carriers like AT&T and Verizon will adjust the size of their autopay discount, which can make a pricier plan more attractive. Some carriers, like Total Wireless, will lower the per-line cost as you add more lines, making them a good choice for families.

Besides price, one of the most important things to consider is what carrier offers the best coverage around your home and workplace. That’s true even if you look beyond the Big Three carriers for service. MVNOs use the cellular networks of AT&T, T-Mobile or Verizon for their coverage. So if Verizon’s network is particularly strong where you are, for example, MVNOs that use Verizon’s network for coverage will perform well, too. As we mentioned above, MVNOs can see their traffic slowed if a carrier’s network gets too crowded.

5G coverage is included with most MVNO service by now. In the case of Verizon, you don't always get that carrier's faster 5G coverage, as is the case with the 15GB prepaid plan.

The best prepaid phone plans and free trials

Some prepaid carriers offer free trials, in which you can test out their service on your current phone without having to switch carriers first. It's a convenient way of seeing if a prepaid carrier's coverage is strong in your area.

A free trial at Cricket, which AT&T owns and operates, runs for 14 days and lets you use up to 3GB of data.

Visible's free trial lasts 15 days. All you need is a phone compatible with eSIM and you can give it a try.

Boost Mobile offers a 30-day money back guarantee in which you get your service fees returned if you cancel within 30 days of activation.

How we pick the best prepaid phone plans

Finding the best prepaid phone plans means widening our search beyond the major carriers, though AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon all have prepaid offerings. We also research plans from smaller carriers who use the Big Three's cellular towers to provide their coverage. As smaller carriers usually offer their service at a discount, they make up a majority of the candidates that we consider for best prepaid phone plans.

When we pick the best plans, we put a premium on the monthly price, though we also pay attention to how much data comes with that plan. After all, a carrier may not charge you a lot for data, but it also may not provide enough data for your needs. We're picking plans that offer the best mix of cost and data. We also consider a wide variety of data allotments, since some people can get by very happily using just a couple gigabytes of data each month, while others need an unlimited plan.

As noted previously, prepaid plans don't offer much in the way of perks. That said, we do take note of any special add-ons included with the best prepaid plans, as those can add value to a plan above and beyond its monthly cost.

Verizon has unveiled a new customer plans program called MyPlan, an update to its mix-and-match system with an eye toward streamlining the number of family cell phone plans for unlimited data. At the same time, MyPlan — which is available this Thursday (May 18), expands the add-on options available through Verizon Wireless accounts.

MyPlan has two starting points: the Unlimited Welcome 5G data plan or the Unlimited Plus 5G Ultra Wideband data plan, with different prices per line depending on the number of lines needed for your family. From there, customers can choose from up to 9 add-ons, all priced at $10 per month. The add-ons range from Verizon service extras to services from third-party companies, such as Disney and Apple.

The monthly fee per add-on lowers the cost of the given service if it were accessed independently of the Verizon MyPlan. Depending on the add-on, the savings range from $5 to $25 each month. Verizon estimates that families of customers can save, on average, $50 to $60 per month using the MyPlan Verizon phone plan.

What’s more, the add-ons can be adjusted month-to-month. So, if you’re traveling, you can pay the $10 add-on fee for 3 TravelPass days and cancel when you get home. Or say there’s nothing in a coming month that you want to watch in the Disney Plus bundle (Disney Plus, ESPN Plus and Hulu) — you can take a break and save money. 

For those Verizon customers who have a basic Apple One plan, it could be worthwhile to move your Apple One payment to your Verizon plan. You'll save $7 per month for access to Apple TV Plus, Apple Arcade and more.

And like the existing Do More plan, Unlimited Plus customers can save 50% on one data line per month for either a connected tablet or smartwatch. Many of the best tablets and best smartwatches have cellular data support for staying connected while mobile, after all.

Here is the entire list of $10 add-ons available at the launch of MyPlan: 

• 100GB Mobile hotspot
• Disney Bundle (hulu, Disney Plus, ESPN Plus)
• Walmart+ Membership
• Apple One
• Apple Music Family
• 2TB Cloud Storage
• Smartwatch Data and Safety
• 3 TravelPass Days
• +play monthly credit

When it comes to the best phone carriers and best cell phone plans, Verizon typically ranks high. Whether this new MyPlan resonates with customers is yet to be seen, but the flexible bundling and money savings certainly sound worthwhile.  

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T-Mobile is expanding its lineup of unlimited data plans, with an eye toward tweaking its phone carrier rivals while also giving customers the chance to upgrade their phone every two years.

Announced today (April 20), the Go5G and Go5G Plus offerings cost $5 more than T-Mobile's current Magenta and Magenta Max unlimited plans. The biggest difference is that latest plans offer what T-Mobile is calling "upgrade flexibility," building in the ability to get a new phone after two years.

"The promise that we're making customers is that they can get the very best device deals every two years," said Jon Freier, president of T-Mobile's consumer division.

T-Mobile says it's responding to three-year agreements offered by AT&T and Verizon, its biggest rivals when it comes to the best phone carriers competition. Not only does that lock people into using the same device for three years, the carrier says it leaves them subject to rate hikes.

The new Go5G plans weren't the only T-Mobile announcements at the company's latest Uncarrier event today. T-Mobile also unveiled new incentives for leaving behind your current carrier, while also introducing a way to simplify returning to your old wireless provider if you end up not caring for T-Mobile's service. In addition, the company is dropping the price of its lower-cost Essentials unlimited plan as part of a limited-time promotion.

Here's a closer look at all the T-Mobile announcements from today's Uncarrier event and how the new offers compare to some of the best unlimited data plans out there.

T-Mobile's new Go5G and Go5G Plus plans

The Go5G and Go5G Plus monthly plans start at $75 and $90, respectively, for a single line of data. That's $5 more each month than the existing Magenta and Magenta Max options, which had been among the best T-Mobile plans.

A second line of data for Go5G costs $55 while additional lines cost $25 each. That means a family of four would pay $180 each month compared to $160 for four lines under the Magenta plan. Similarly, four lines of Go5G Plus costs $220 per month, which is $20 more than what Magenta Max customers would pay.

The extra money gives you the ability to upgrade your phone every two years under the Go5G plans. The plans are also subject to Price Lock, which is T-Mobile's guarantee that it won't raise rates if you keep your plan.

The Go5G plans enjoy the same benefits as Magenta and Magenta Max customers, including picking up the coast of a Netflix subscription for accounts with two or more lines. The Go5G plans also enjoy the same travel perks as their Magenta counterparts, and Go5G Plus customers get the same complimentary Apple TV Plus subscription that Magenta Max subscribers receive.

One of the noteworthy changes involves hotspot data, as Go5G customers get more of it. Specifically, Go5G accounts receive 15GB of high-speed hotspot data while Go5G Plus subscribers get 50GB. That's 10GB more than what comes with either Magenta plan.

The Go5G plans also get 5GB more high-speed data for use when traveling in Canada and Mexico — 10GB for Go5G customers and 15GB if you get Go5G Plus.

The cost of a single line Go5G Plus is comparable to what Verizon charges for its $90 Get More plan as well as AT&T's $85 Unlimited Premium Plan. Both of those plans offer extensive perks. Verizon's Get More includes the Disney Plus bundle with ESPN Plus and Hulu while also letting you accrue Travel Passes that cover using your cell phone plan overseas. AT&T's top unlimited plan lets you use your data in 19 Latin American countries. Neither of those plans includes the ability to easily upgrade phones, though, and T-Mobile also bakes the cost of taxes and fees into its rates.

To mark the launch of the Go5G plans, T-Mobile is letting Go5G Plus customers get a free 5G phone with an eligible trade-in. Phones released in the last six years are eligible for a trade-in value, with T-Mobile offering up to $800 to cover the cost of the new phone.

T-Mobile's Go5G plans go live on April 23.

T-Mobile's Easy Unlock and Go Back Guarantee

T-Mobile already offers to pay off early termination fees when you switch to its phone service from your current carrier, covering up to $650 of your costs. That's not changing under T-Mobile's Easy Unlock program, but now you'll be able to trade in your existing phone for a new device. The offer is good for up to two lines, T-Mobile's Freier said.

Easy Unlock is a limited time promotion.

If you do switch to T-Mobile and find the new service wanting, a new Go Back Guarantee takes some of the complications out of switching back. Drop T-Mobile as your carrier within 30 days of switching, and the carrier will give you $50 back for each line of data to pay off your bill — essentially waiving the cost of your first month of service should you decide to switch back.

T-Mobile Essentials pricing

T-Mobile Essentials, the carrier's least expensive unlimited data plan, is getting a temporary discount to mark all of T-Mobile's other promotions. Normally $60 a month for one line, Essentials will now cost $50.

The discounts also extend to multiple lines of T-Mobile Essentials, where a family of four would now pay $100 per month instead of the usual $120. Those prices are covered by Price Lock as well.

More from Tom's Guide

• Best family cell phone plans
• Is Mint Mobile still worth it with T-Mobile taking over?
• How to save money on your cell phone bill

Mint Mobile would like to be known for two things: those ubiquitous ads starring Ryan Reynolds that routinely pop up on the internet and streaming services, and its low monthly rates for wireless service. It's probably less interested in being known as the discount carrier that's in the process of getting snapped up by T-Mobile, particularly if that purchase puts an end to its run as one of the better values among phone carriers.

Both Mint and T-Mobile have said that's not going to happen. When the $1.35 billion acquisition was announced, the companies took great pains to stress that little was changing with Mint's wireless offerings. In fact, since Mint already used T-Mobile's network to provide its service — Mint's a mobile virtual network operator, or MVNO — the transition figured to be a lot smoother than the T-Mobile-Sprint merger from a few years back. 

"For now, it’s business as usual at Mint," reads a Mint FAQ about the T-Mobile purchase.

That's true enough, except for one big change — Mint just increased the amount of data included in each of its four plans. Rates are staying the same, but data allotments are going up by as much as 5GB for both new and existing customers. Clearly, Mint wants to drive home the point that it's as good a value as it was before T-Mobile starts running things.

Does Mint remain a good value among the carriers vying to offer the best cheap cell phone plans? To find out, we decided to compare Mint's new offerings to what its rivals are charging. That way, you can decide which is the best wireless phone service for your needs.

How Mint Mobile works

Mint's approach to cell phone service is a little bit different from other carriers, even compared to its fellow MVNOs that also use wireless towers operated by other companies to provide their service. While many MVNOs let you pay month by month, Mint sells its service in bulk. You pay for your plan in three-, six- or 12-month chunks, with your rate dropping the longer you commit to getting service from Mint.

For your first three months at Mint, you get the best discounted rate, but after that, you have to pick how long you want your service to last. To lock in your existing rate, you've got to commit to a year of coverage — and pay for that year in advance.

Let's say you opt for Mint's cheapest plan, which now provides 5GB of data plus unlimited talk and text for a $15/month. That's a $45 upfront charge covering your first three months of service. At the end of those three months, you'll need to pay for a year of service to keep that $15 monthly rate, so that's $180 due. Opt for the three-month plan, though, and the monthly rate goes up to $25.

Put another way, Mint requires a big upfront commitment to get its lowest rate. But you'll save more money over the life of your service by paying upfront.

What Mint charges

Mint's new plans went into effect on April 14. As noted above, monthly rates haven't changed, but the amount of data has. The entry-level plan went from 4GB to 5GB. Mint's other two tiered plans rose by 5GB, to 15GB ($20/month) and 20GB ($25/month). Note that the rates we're talking about here reflect your introductory three-month rate, plus what you'd pay each month if you opted for 12 months of service.

Mint continues to offer an unlimited data plan for $30/month. However, even that plan saw an increase in data allotment during April. Like every carrier, Mint's unlimited plan has a cap on just how much data you can use before your data speeds are slowed. (It's a policy meant to discourage data hogs from slowing down traffic for everyone else.) Mint's old unlimited plan slowed down your data after you used 35GB in a given month; now your speeds won't slow down until you use 40GB.

Our best Mint Mobile plans guide goes into additional detail on the carrier's new offerings.

Mint vs. Visible

Mint's closest competitor is probably Visible. Like Mint, Visible is owned by a major carrier — in Visible's case, it's Verizon — and uses that carrier's network for its service. Unlike Mint and its variety of plans, Visible has just two offerings, and both feature unlimited data.

Visible's basic plan starts at $30/month — the same as what Mint charges, though you don't have to buy in bulk to get that rate at Visible. The Visible plan also includes unlimited mobile hotspot data; Mint's unlimited plan caps hotspot data at 10GB. For $45 a month, the Visible Plus plan includes access to Verizon's faster Ultra Wideband 5G network. (The regular Visible plan only offers Verizon's slower nationwide 5G.) Visible Plus members also enjoy the ability to use their data when traveling in Mexico and Canada, with the ability to call 30-plus countries and text 200-plus countries from the U.S.

Visible Plus is clearly a better choice for people in need of international calling, and if you use hotspot data, you'll appreciate Visible's unlimited approach. But Mint doesn't make you pay up for access to faster 5G and its service is $15 cheaper per month than Visible Plus, though you will have to pay Mint upfront for your service.

Previously, Visible offered a discount when you added additional lines to a plan, though it's since dropped that approach. Mint handles family plans by offering the same discounted rate on each line of data. However, you can mix and match plans, so that one family member has the $30/month unlimited plan and another has the $15/month 5GB plan for a total of $45 (or $540 for the full year of service).

Mint vs. Xfinity Mobile

Xfinity Mobile is Comcast's mobile service, available only to customers of Xfinity Internet. (The mobile service uses Xfinity hotspots for network coverage in addition to tapping into Verizon's cellular towers.) Like Mint, Xfinity offers both tiered and unlimited data options.

Tiered plans at Xfinity start at $15/month for 1GB of data. For that same amount, Mint offers you five times the data. Xfinity's more generous 3GB plan costs $30/month, or the same amount as Mint's unlimited plan. In terms of tiered data, Mint is clearly the better value, unless you really balk at paying for your service upfront.

Xfinity's unlimited plan is more attractive, though the $45/month starting price for one line of Unlimited Intro costs more than Mint's unlimited offering. The value kicks in when you add additional lines to Xfinity, which drops the cost to $30 per line, putting that rate on par with Visible's. The Intro Unlimited plan does cap data at 20GB, though, compared to Mint's 40GB cap, and Xfinity may offer unlimited hotspot data, but it's slowed to 3G speeds.

To get faster hotspot data and a bigger cap on data usage, you've got to upgrade to Xfinity's Unlimited Plus or Unlimited Premium tiers, which start at $55 and $65 per month, respectively. Adding multiple lines drops those costs to $40 per line for Plus and $50 for Premium.

Mint vs. Tello

Tello may not be as well known as some of the other discount services we've mentioned here, but it's very competitive with Mint in terms of its range of plans and what it charges. Tello also uses T-Mobile's network, so coverage from both Tello and Mint figures to be pretty comparable.

Tello plans let you choose both the amount of data and talk time, though for our purpose, we'll assume you want unlimited talk and text. Plans start at $9/month for 500MB of data and ramp up to 1GB ($10), 2GB ($14), 5GB ($19) and 10GB ($24). Mint offers a better price on tiered data, though when it comes to unlimited data, Tello's $29 plan is $1 cheaper than Mint's best rate. Tello does slow down unlimited data speeds after you use 25GB compared to 40GB for Mint.

Hotspot data draws from your data allocation at Tello, just like it does at Mint. You can apply your talk time to calls to 60-plus countries with Tello, while free international calls are limited to Canada and Mexico with Mint.

Tello's an intriguing alternative to Mint, given its slightly lower cost and the fact that you don't have to pay for a full year of service to get the best rate. Some customers may feel more comfortable with Mint, though, now that its service is under the T-Mobile umbrella.

Mint vs. T-Mobile

Could the biggest rival to Mint in terms of value come from Mint's future owner? Certainly, that's not the case with unlimited data plans, as the cheapest unlimited option at T-Mobile — T-Mobile Essentials — starts at double the amount of Mint's plan for one line.

But T-Mobile does offer cheap tiered data plans via its T-Mobile Connect program. Here, plans start at $10/month for a 1GB plan, and the $15 and $25 options add 500MB to their data allotment every year — the $15 plan now features 3.5GB of data while the $25 plan is up to 6.5GB. An unlimited data plan option through T-Mobile Connect costs $35/month — just $5 more than Mint — but it caps data at 12GB.

One disadvantage to T-Mobile Connect is that once you hit your data cap, you're out of data until a new month of service begins. Mint merely slows your data when you've used your limit. For that reason, we'd recommend Mint over its in-house rival.

Bottom line

The arrival of new data plans at the same rates as before certainly doesn't hurt Mint Mobile's claim of offering mobile users a great value. While unlimited plans from Visible and Tello might attract some customers — particularly those who don't want to pay the full cost of Mint upfront — Mint's pending purchase by T-Mobile hasn't yet affected the discount carrier's appeal. Whether that continues once the purchase goes through is anyone's guess.

Editors' Note: An earlier version of this story reported that T-Mobile's purchase of Mint Mobil has been completed. The deal is not expected to close until later this year subject to closing conditions.

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Mint Mobile subscribers are about to get more data in their monthly cell phone plans.

The discount carrier says that it's boosting the size of its plans starting April 14, while keeping prices at the same level. The increase applies to existing customers, who will see their monthly data allotments rise, as well as to new customers who sign up for Mint's service after April 14.

Data amounts are jumping anywhere from 25% to 50%, Mint says, with the entry-level plan jumping to 5GB from 4GB. That plan still costs $15 per month when you pay upfront for a year of service, making it one of the best cheap phone plans available.

As you may know, Mint takes a "buy in bulk" approach to its pricing, offering a low introductory rate for the first three months of service. To keep that low rate, you need to then pre-pay for a full year. Mint also offers 6- and 3-month plans at slightly higher rates.

In addition to the $15 monthly plan, Mint's other tiers are increasing to 15GB and 20GB. Those plans cost $20 and $25 per month, respectively.

Mint will also tweak its unlimited data plan after April 14. You'll now be able to use 40GB of data before your speeds are slowed; previously, Mint capped its unlimited plan at 35GB. The amount of included hotspot data doubles to 10GB with this plan, which is one of the best unlimited data plans from a prepaid carrier.

Mint's data plan boost comes after it was bought by T-Mobile, which already provides the network for Mint Mobile's service. At the time, Mint said the purchase would allow it to keep rates stable, and with Mint continuing to charge the same amount for more data, that appears to be the case.

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T-Mobile has suffered yet another data breach with the mobile carrier revealing in a regulatory filing that up to 37 million of its customers may be affected.

The U.S. mobile carrier first discovered that hackers had entered its systems on January 5 of this year. In a press release, T-Mobile explained that access to its systems was shut down within 24 hours but during that time, the hackers behind the attack managed to obtain a great deal of its customers’ personal data.

However, as reported by The Wall Street Journal, the company believes that the hackers may have had access to its systems since November 25 of last year. Besides conducting its own internal investigation, T-Mobile also worked with law enforcement agencies and cybersecurity consultants to discover how they were able to access its systems.

As it turns out, “a bad actor used a single Application Programming Interface (or API) to obtain limited types of information” from customer accounts. Fortunately, T-Mobile’s systems and policies “prevented the most sensitive types of customer information from being accessed” but a concerning amount of customer data has been exposed as the result of the breach.

Customer info exposed (but not financial data)

According to T-Mobile, the hackers responsible for the company’s second major data breach may have accessed customer names, billing addresses, emails, phone numbers, birth dates and account numbers though the number of lines on their accounts and plan features could also have been accessed.

No passwords, payment information, Social Security numbers, government ID numbers or other financial account information was exposed as a result of the data breach. 

Although T-Mobile tried to downplay the breach in its statement on the matter by saying the customer information obtained is “widely available in marketing databases or directories”, it’s still a big deal and the company could face scrutiny and possibly even fines from regulators. With all this information in the hands of hackers, T-Mobile customers are more likely to fall victim to phishing attacks or even identity theft.

T-Mobile has committed to making “substantial, multi-year investments” to strengthen its cybersecurity program but it hasn’t gone as far as to offer the best identity theft protection services free of charge to affected customers, yet. However, this could change, especially if there’s a lot of backlash regarding the breach.

How to stay safe after a company you do business with suffers a data breach

Although you can install the best antivirus software on your computer to protect you from malware and other cyber attacks, there really isn’t much you can do when a company you do business with falls victim to a data breach. As login information wasn’t exposed, changing your password won’t do much good but it might be worthwhile if you aren’t using a strong, complex and unique password to secure your T-Mobile account.

If you’re extra cautious though, you may still want to consider investing in identity theft protection as many of the companies that offer these services include Dark Web scans that can look to see if your personal information is already in the hands of hackers. See our roundup of the best identity theft protection services based on our testing. 

In this case, we’ll just have to wait and see as to how T-Mobile responds. For instance, thousands of PayPal customers recently fell victim to a credential stuffing attack and the company provided them with free identity monitoring for two years even though it wasn’t at fault.

More than two years after T-Mobile closed its merger with Sprint, a potential rival is looking to join the ranks of the major phone carriers. And it's doing so by offering unlimited data for half the cost of its competitors.

Dish Wireless announced today (December 7) that it's launching an early access beta for its Boost Infinite wireless plan. Sign-ups will run through December at the Boost Infinite beta website, in advance of the full launch of the service during the first three months of 2023.

Boost Infinite offers unlimited talk, text and data for $25 a month. To put that price in context, T-Mobile's stripped-down Essentials plan starts at $60 per month for a single line, while the more feature packed Magenta and Magenta Max plans cost $70 and $85, respectively.

The Boost Infinite price would easily be the cheapest entry among the best unlimited data plans for major carriers, with AT&T's Value Plus Plan the next cheapest unlimited option at $50/month. Verizon's cheapest offering, Welcome Unlimited, starts at $65/month for one line.

Don't expect a lot of perks with Boost Infinite. Stephen Stokols, executive vice president of retail wireless at Dish Wireless, said the plan lacks benefits like complementary streaming service subscriptions and weekly giveaways. "It's just the basics, at a price point that's more than 50% lower than the next closest [plan]," he added.

Customers signing up for Boost Infinite can expect that price to stay in place for a while, though. Dish Wireless is promising "forever pricing" that keeps the $25 monthly rate for customers who stick with Boost Infinite and keep their account in good standing.

At launch, Dish Wireless is using the networks of competitors AT&T and T-Mobil, including their 5G networks. Dish plans to bring its own network online next year to supplement coverage.

You'll be able to bring your own phone to the Dish Wireless service, though the carrier also plans to sell phones. Initially, available devices will include popular handsets from Apple and Samsung, with financing available to let you pay off the device in monthly installments.

Boost Infinite is the company's first postpaid offering. It also operates the Boost prepaid service, after that was spun off to Dish in the wake of the T-Mobile-Sprint merger.

It's obviously too early to see if Dish Wireless can muscle its way into the best phone carrier rankings. But given the aggressive pricing on its first plan, the newest wireless provider looks like it's going to put up a fight against its more established rivals.

If rising costs have you worried, Visible's latest promotion may offer just what you're looking for — a fixed rate on your wireless phone service that will hold steady for the foreseeable future.

Specifically, Visible announced that new customers who activate accounts with the wireless carrier starting today (November 30) can expect their monthly rate to remain the same for five years. Visible says the locked-in monthly rate, which includes taxes and fees, will let customers know what their paying for phone service each month, fixing at least one expense in their monthly budget.

Visible's rate lock promotion runs though January 3, 2023, and it's open to new customers bringing their wireless business over to the carrier.

If you're not familiar with Visible, you should have at least heard of the carrier's parent company. Visible is owned by Verizon and uses Verizon's network for its service. That means extensive LTE coverage in the U.S. and growing 5G coverage that currently reaches 230 million people. Having reviewed Visible's wireless service a few years ago, I've found that if Verizon coverage is strong in your area, Visible coverage will be, too.

Visible currently offers two plans, both of which provide unlimited talk, text and data. The entry-level Visible plan costs $30 a month and includes 5G coverage on Verizon's nationwide network. You can use your phone as a mobile hotspot and you can make unlimited calls and texts to Mexico and Canada. We rank that option as one of the best cheap cell phone plans under $40.

That said, the $45/month Visible Plus plan offers more, making it one of the best unlimited data plans available. With Visible Plus, 5G coverage includes Verizon's faster Ultra Wideband network, and the ability to use your phone plan when you travel in Mexico and Canada. You're able to call 30-plus countries and send texts to 200-plus countries. Visible Plus subscribers can use up to 50GB of data each month before their speeds are throttled; the entry-level Visible plan can see its speeds slowed down whenever there's traffic on Verizon's network.

Visible's unlimited plans don't have the perks you'll find with service at bigger-name carriers, including Verizon, but the plans are also notably less expensive. Verizon's cheapest unlimited data plan, the Welcome Unlimited package, costs $65 a month for a single line and offers fewer perks than Visible Plus. Visible is also betting that a locked-in rate makes its plans even more appealing.

Of course, Visible isn't the first carrier to offer rate protection as a perk. T-Mobile has offered it in some form or another for years, with the most recent iteration emerging this past spring. That said, T-Mobile's price lock guarantee only applies to qualifying accounts such as its Magenta, Magenta Max and Essentials plans. The cheapest of that trio of unlimited data offerings starts at $60/month for a single line.

At a time of rising costs, locking in rates for an extended period could be one way in which phone carriers differentiate themselves from the competition. We'll see if other wireless providers follow suit in the wake of Visible's five year rate lock.