Prepaid phone plans: Everything you need to know about MVNOs

MVNO operators are not explicit about these restrictions, but you can find them spelled out in policy documents. Let’s look Mint Mobile Network Management Policy For example.

The first obstacle is not setting priorities. “Other brands may be prioritized higher on the T-Mobile network,” Mint’s network management policy states. “For all service plans, T-Mobile may also reduce speeds during times of network congestion.” These policies aren’t clear on how severe the slowdown is, but in general, if the network has a lot of congestion, MVNOs will see slower speeds before those on the larger carriers.

In most parts of the country, this is not a problem. However, you will likely experience slower speeds in larger cities and at large events. If you’re at a concert and everyone is trying to post Instagram Stories and TikToks, you’ll likely notice a significant slowdown.

Another downside for most MVNOs is throttling. You’ll be able to purchase an ‘unlimited’ data plan, but there are usually caps on the amount of data you can use before speeds slow down. Again using Mint as an example, it classifies “heavy data users” as those who use more than 35GB of data in a single month, and says these users “will have their data usage prioritized below the data usage (including backhaul) of other customers at times and locations where there are competing customer demands for network resources, which may result in slower data speeds.”

These are the two big drawbacks, but some smaller limitations arise depending on which provider you look at. For example, Mint uses “video optimization,” which basically means that video streams are capped at standard definition when using mobile data (480p). This happens automatically on the network, even if you’re trying to stream at a higher resolution.

I’m using Mint as a benchmark here, but these practices are common among most MVNOs. Cricket has similar data limitations And video limitations as it does Optimal Mobile. Major carriers with direct prepaid plans, like T-Mobile, generally have higher data caps before reducing speeds.

Beyond these limitations, some MVNOs don’t offer additional cellular features like roaming or mobile hotspot. These limitations are not universal, but they are some good things to be aware of when looking at providers and plans.

Can you use the same number with a prepaid mobile phone plan?

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decided decades ago that phone service providers don’t own phone numbers. In general, you are allowed to keep your number when you switch to a new carrier, regardless of whether it is a prepaid or postpaid carrier. In fact, since 2009, the FCC has required carriers to port your number — or more accurately “port it” — within one business day.

under FCC rules.The carrier cannot refuse to port your number, even if you refuse to pay the porting fee. However, transportation fees are allowed. Some carriers, like T-Mobile, don’t charge anything to port your number. Others charge fees ranging from a few dollars to $20.