Why I Ditched Verizon for Good—and You Should Too

The $45 plan made my $100/month "premium" service look embarrassing.

For many years, we've relied on the belief that choosing between AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon’s postpaid plans ensures top-tier mobile services at a premium price. This has generally held up well. With these postpaid options, customers typically enjoy greater data allowances and preferential access to network towers over various prepaid and MVNO offerings. However, this isn’t always accurate nowadays.

Lately, every Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) utilizing Verizon’s network for their services has updated their offerings to include genuinely unrestricted high-speed data plans. While certain providers limit this high speed exclusively to Verizon’s Ultra Wideband coverage areas, others such as Visible provide completely unrestricted access to high-speed data without limitations. It's worth noting that since Visible and Total Wireless operate under direct ownership from Verizon, these companies may enjoy advantages not available to several competing MVNOs.

Furthermore, US Mobile has newly introduced unlimited high-speed data on their AT&T network, enjoying the same priority data tier as AT&T’s postpaid customers. It remains a mystery to me how they managed to strike such a favorable agreement with AT&T, yet it certainly presents an outstanding offer. For just $44 per month, US Mobile provides this service, which slightly undercuts Visible’s monthly price of $45.

Why would anyone choose to spend $90 or more each month with carriers like Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile?

Now is the moment to leave the big three telecom providers behind.

For frequent travelers like myself—whether international or domestic—it’s crucial to have access to unlimited high-speed data. Some months, I might only consume around 10GB, but during busy periods, usage can easily surpass 100GB. For instance, last January, attending CES resulted in me using more than 220GB due to poor Wi-Fi conditions both at CES and my hotel. Consequently, I had to rely heavily on mobile data for tasks such as uploading photos, videos, and video streaming throughout the week. Therefore, when US Mobile introduced their new Dark Star Unlimited Premium plan, it immediately caught my interest.

I've steered clear of AT&T for quite some time due to their poor network performance where I live. Last year, when I checked, there were numerous coverage gaps and sluggish zones. But things have changed since then. Currently, I'm enjoying speeds up to 300 Mbps at home. This improvement prompted me to change from Verizon’s Unlimited Ultimate plan to US Mobile, which costs significantly less than half what I was paying before.

The Dark Star Unlimited Premium plan from US Mobile provides you with unrestricted high-speed data usage, 100GB of fast mobile hotspot data (with speeds capped at 8 Mbps beyond this point, followed by unlimited use but only up to 600 Kbps). Additionally, it includes access to an impressive 20 GB for using your phone internationally. This comprehensive package convinced me to make the switch. However, US Mobile goes further than just offering this exceptional deal.

Recently, US Mobile has started resembling what T-Mobile once was: a game changer. With US Mobile, customers can easily switch between different networks as needed. Since they offer plans with AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, switching becomes straightforward when one carrier underperforms in their location; this process typically takes just a few minutes. It’s quite impressive. For reference, Google Fi attempted something similar many years back but made the transitions automated. Nevertheless, Google Fi operated solely through T-Mobile, Sprint—which is now owned by T-Mobile—and US Cellular, essentially reducing it to a single-network mobile virtual network operator (MVNO).

Additionally, US Mobile currently offers a multi-network service in beta. This essentially provides you with dual SIM functionality while only charging for one line.

Why opt for AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon when there seems to be little justification for doing so? While these providers may provide additional benefits such as Apple TV+, Netflix, Hulu, among others, which could be appealing, the amount saved elsewhere allows you to cover those costs independently and potentially pocket even more savings.

Visible has also introduced a new Plus Pro plan.

Recently, Visible introduced a new offering known as Plus Pro. The naming might seem peculiar initially, yet it aligns well with the nomenclature of their other plans. This latest addition comes with a monthly fee of $45, making it just one dollar pricier compared to US Mobile. With Plus Pro, customers enjoy unrestricted access to top-tier data across all of Verizon’s network types—mmWave, C-Band, Sub-6 5G, along with LTE services. Additionally, subscribers can utilize unlimited tethering at speeds up to approximately 24 Mbps, have limitless calls and texts available for both Mexico and Canada, and maintain full connectivity including voice, messages, and internet usage while within these countries. Furthermore, support for smartwatches is provided; however, it currently supports only the Apple Watch model.

Those are just some of the benefits. Honestly, it surpasses what Verizon provides. The nearest equivalent from them would be their Unlimited Ultimate package. This includes unrestricted high-quality streaming alongside 60 GB of premium mobile hotspot data. Although Verizon’s hotspots offer quicker speeds since they aren’t capped like those offered by Visible—Visible caps theirs at approximately 24 Mbps—the latter remains limitless, and 24 Mbps is more than sufficient for most uses. What sets Verizon apart then? Their discounted devices during upgrades. Yet, this particular plan costs either $90 per month with auto-pay or $100 without. By opting for Visible over a year, you stand to save up to $540; these savings do not include additional taxes and fees required beyond your monthly payment with Visible. Essentially, these savings alone might cover nearly one new device each year, potentially covering an entirely new device every couple of years instead.

The customer service provided by MVNOs can often be insufficient.

One major advantage of choosing one of the top three carriers is their customer support. In contrast, mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) often fall short when it comes to this aspect. Based on my experience with Google Fi, Visible, and US Mobile, I concur that contacting them can be challenging at times; particularly so for Google Fi. On the brighter side, both Visible and US Mobile offer superior assistance, with Visible notably enhancing its services significantly in recent years.

As a current user of US Mobile, I've started paying closer attention to them compared to other mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs). One thing I've observed is the company's active presence on its subreddit, r/USMobile. The CEO frequently engages here by responding to customers and sharing updates about the services. For instance, he personally made an announcement regarding the recent promotion for the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9a smartphones via Reddit. This kind of engagement isn't common among CEOs of major telecom companies; even within MVNOs, it stands out significantly. Furthermore, every time I have had to reach out to their customer support, the process has been remarkably smooth and efficient.

Why confine yourself to T-Mobile, AT&T, or Verizon?

Lately, I find it tough to come up with reasons for people to stay loyal to the major providers. Over the last year or so, the MVNOs have significantly improved their offerings. Many of which I've mentioned in this piece continue setting new standards. This push is causing the bigger companies to adapt just to keep up.

Actually, US Mobile provides superior plans compared to AT&T. At present, AT&T’s highest hotspot allowance caps off at 60GB of mobile hotsopt data each month with their Unlimited Premium Plan. In contrast, US Mobile delivers up to 100GB at full speed followed by an additional 100GB at 8 Mbps before severe throttling occurs. The mentioned AT&T plan costs $85.99 monthly for a single line; however, this can drop to as little as $50.99 per line per month if you subscribe to four or more lines.

At a time when numerous economists anticipate an economic downturn, it makes sense to look for ways to cut costs wherever possible. This is one aspect of financial management where you can achieve savings without significantly altering your daily routine. Personally, I made the switch: I transferred my primary phone service to US Mobile and started using another line exclusively for testing devices. Now, I pay less for these two lines combined than I used to with just one line through Verizon. What surprised me the most was how much faster the internet speeds were compared to those offered by Verizon in my region.

The post Why I ditched Verizon and never turned back — and you might want to consider doing the same. appeared first on Android Headlines .