Best answer: An alternative carrier can not only save you money with more plans but also give you access to more networks even if your credit isn't so great.
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When we talk about phone companies most of us automatically think of the big four here in the U.S.: , , , and . But they're not the only choices when it comes to who you get your service from and the popularity of alternative carriers is on the rise.
It's not difficult to understand why. Having a carrier that do without some of the baggage that comes along with those big guys is an attractive position for a lot of people. There is a lot to talk about, both good and bad, in any discussion about finding the right carrier and if a smaller alternative option is best for you. The advantages for you are especially important to consider.
You can save a lot of money
Depending on how you use your phone (as always) you can save a nice chunk of money every month. Different companies use different ways to price out your data. Some will let you at significantly less compared to a monthly payment. Others allow you to purchase an amount of data and use it until it's gone, and others charge a flat fee and bill or credit you based on how much data you used in a month.
The things these plans all have in common: you're not paying for data you didn't use. Combined with lower prices per block of data, this can mean a smaller bill if you don't use a lot of data. Alternative carriers are not for people who need unlimited data at top speed but for people that want an upfront price for enough data for their needs.
Many carriers now, even outside of the big four don't cut you off when you've gone over your data amount, they slow down your speeds or deprioritize your connection. If you are fine with a slower connection for the remainder of your billing period, you don't need to do anything, but many of these carriers offer you the ability to add even more high-speed data as required. Some carriers like provide unlimited data at a lower speed, which is fine enough for SD video and web browsing.
Take . The company doesn't sell unlimited packages but uses T-Mobile's network to offer cheap 4G LTE data in bundles of 3GB, 8GB, and 12GB. And by bundling service into multiple months, you pay less when averaged out over a 12-month period.
This is the biggest reason people choose to move away from the big players in the industry and try something different. If you look at where you use your data and how much you use, you could be one of those people.
You might get a better coverage map
An alternative carrier doesn't own the cell towers and infrastructure they use to provide service. They lease it at a set price from the bigger carriers and resell service to you and me. Sometimes they lease from more than one carrier and can provide assistance in all the places from both.
No carrier is suitable everywhere, but unless you're in a very rural part of the country, you'll have at least one company with good service. A company that can offer service using two coverage maps has an advantage for anyone who spends time where they are covered by at least one.
Not all carriers do this, so be sure to do your homework when you choose. Two notable examples are Net10 and Red Pocket that lease service from all four major carriers and allow you to select the network that works best for you. which leases service from T-Mobile, Sprint and US Cellular can let the phone dynamically switch to the best provider if you use a
No-frills service
You're paying for calls, texts, and data. That's usually all you're going to get.
There's no denying that some of the perks phone carriers can offer are nice. Unlimited texting to Canada and Mexico is a good example. But some folks don't need anything extra.
By not having extra services, the price can be lower. If you don't need anything more than basic service and 4G data, an alternative carrier could be great for you. Some alternative carriers do offer perks for calling and texting internationally, so when you're shopping, be sure to check on them.
No credit checks
Times can be tough and less than excellent credit can make getting a postpaid account with the big four carriers difficult. And a credit check leaves a record on you that can adversely affect something like a car loan or mortgage.
If you don't want to go through a credit check for any reason, you might choose an alternative carrier that doesn't require one. Most don't, and you simply pay upfront for what you use.
Bring your own phone
As long as it's compatible with the network you choose, you can bring your existing phone and use it without any problems.
You can also buy any unlocked phone that works with the network from anywhere you like. This gives you a lot of choices from most all companies making phones today.
Best of all, you can change phones at any time. If you like the phone, you have now you can use it until you like something else better. With the cost of the service being completely separate from the cost of your phone, any decisions are yours to make.
While they aren't for everyone, you can see there are some compelling reasons to give another carrier a try, even if they don't have the brand-power the bigger ones may.
Our pick
Google Pixel 3a
Pure Android experience
With one of the best cameras and pure Android, this phone is excellent for nearly any carrier, including Google Fi for a great Designed for Fi experience.