MVNOs like Mint Mobile and Straight Talk are often considered inferior cell carriers compared to big names like Verizon or T-Mobile, but the truth is, they have a lot to offer you. While there are tradeoffs between an MVNO and a big-name carrier, there are many good reasons to consider switching.
What is an MVNO?
In case you don’t know what an MVNO is, here’s a brief explanation. You’ve probably heard the names of MVNO companies before: Cricket Wireless, US Mobile, Mint Mobile, and Straight Talk are a few well-known ones. These are Mobile Virtual Network Operators, and they buy network space from big names like Verizon and then sell that network space to consumers like you, generally at a lower cost than Verizon would.
There are some downsides to this setup for consumers like you, namely that MVNO subscribers get lower priority during congested network times (meaning you may get slower network speeds) and less robust customer support or perks in some cases. Even so, depending on what you need out of your cell plan, there are some benefits offered by MVNOs that are worth this tradeoff.
MVNOs Are Much Cheaper than Big Name Carriers
This is the big selling point of pretty much every MVNO. The entire business model is based on this benefit to the consumer. Big companies like AT&T and T-Mobile have to actually build and maintain the physical and digital infrastructure that provides your cell network. That means they have to charge their customers more money actually to make a profit.
An MVNO doesn’t have that problem. They’re just renting network space from the big carriers, which means they have a much lower overhead cost to operate. Because of this, an MVNO can offer much cheaper services to their customers. Now, each MVNO is different, and just like any of the big carriers, you get more benefits when you pay for more expensive plans.
Regardless, the price is almost always cheaper. For example, US Mobile has cell plans starting as low as $10 a month. You’re not going to find anything that cheap at Verizon. Even if you want to go for an MVNO that offers fairly robust service packages, like Visible, their plans start as low as $25, and their most expensive plan is just $45 a month. Those prices will be tough to match for most big-name carriers.
It’s not like these affordable prices mean poor service packages, either. The vast majority of MVNOs today offer unlimited talk and text. Many offer unlimited data, significant amounts of hotspot data, roaming data, and more. Some MVNOs even offer access to the best network types used by the carriers they are borrowing from, like Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network.
All of this is why the low price is such a huge selling point, but MVNOs still offer other benefits.
MVNO Plans Are Usually Prepaid, Not Contract
When you get phone service through a big carrier like Verizon, you almost always do it by signing a contract. You agree to pay for a certain amount of service for a certain amount of time. If you agree to a year’s worth of service with Verizon, it’s not impossible to get out of that, but it is difficult and may even cost you some extra fees. Switching carriers is complicated when you’re on a contract plan.
MVNOs, on the other hand, usually operate on a prepaid basis. You pay upfront for the package you want that month. If you think you’ll only need a plan with a few GB of data that month, you can pay for that upfront. It can be a bit of a hassle if you end up needing more data than you expected (though many MVNOs let you pay by the gig if you need to), but there is a nice bonus to this setup: flexibility.
Because you aren’t locked into a lengthy contract with an MVNO, you’re free to switch cell carriers and plans pretty much whenever you want to. If your current provider isn’t very good in your area, you can switch to a different one without any hassle. You won’t have to pay any fees for breaking a contract. It’s easy to shop around for the cell carrier you like the most, and this leads us to another benefit of MVNOs, too.
MVNOs Usually Let You Bring Your Own Phone and Number
Though some MVNOs do sell phones just like the big leagues, the aforementioned flexibility of prepaid plans means they generally expect you to bring your own phone to the table. You don’t have to buy a phone with them to start using their service, something that the big carriers usually push you to do. You don’t have to wait until some contract runs out before you can upgrade your phone, either.
Whatever phone you have, it’s very likely that you’ll be able to get it on a prepaid phone plan with an MVNO, offering you more freedom and flexibility. If you’re perfectly fine with your old phone, an MVNO won’t force you to upgrade. If you’re comfortable with your current phone number, an MVNO will often let you keep it. Sometimes, the big-name carriers do this, too, but not always.
There are plenty of people out there looking to upgrade their phones constantly, and if that’s you, the contract world of the big carriers, with their upgrade payment plans, is probably appealing. But if you don’t fit that bill, using an MVNO makes it a lot easier for you to switch carriers without having to switch phones or phone numbers, too.
Ultimately, these are the big reasons that people switch to MVNOs. It’s good service at more affordable prices, with fewer restrictions and more freedom. MVNOs even conduct less credit and social checks on you compared to big names like T-Mobile or Verizon. That said, don’t forget that there are a lot of MVNOs out there, and they all offer different prices, plans, perks, and network coverage.
It’s true that you can gain a lot of benefits from an MVNO, but that’s only if you find one that’s a good fit for your needs and your area. Be sure to research your options, and remember, MVNOs still operate on the same networks as the big carriers. If Verizon isn’t very reliable in your area, MVNOs using Verizon’s network are likely to have the same issues.
