Many carriers now include 5G in their unlimited plans, regardless of whether or not you reside in a 5G area. The coverage of Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T continues to expand, while smaller MVNOs ride on their coattails. While rapid coverage is available in numerous locations, it all comes down to cost. Here are the top 5G proposals from the most important US carriers.
Before jumping on the 5G bandwagon, keep in mind that the quickest 5G is still only available in a limited number of U.S. regions. Unfortunately, this primarily refers to the nation’s major cities. Here is the complete list of cities where 5G is available.
This overview focuses primarily on unlimited data plans. Despite the fact that these tend to be more expensive with the larger carriers, there are numerous more affordable alternatives. And let’s face it, if you’re contemplating upgrading to 5G, which can achieve download speeds over 1Gbps, you won’t want a 3GB-capped plan.
Some Carriers Offering 5G plans:
- Verizon
- AT&T
- T-Mobile
- UScellular
- MVNOs
A Look At Verizon 5G Plans
Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband mobile service provides some of the fastest coverage available, and the company claims it is 10 times quicker than other 5G networks. However, if you reside outside a major city, you will likely spend most of your time on the 5G Nationwide network. Unfortunately, rising inflation has also prompted Verizon to add a few dollars to all subscribers’ administrative fees. There will be an increase of roughly $2 per line, which should be considered.
Verizon offers four primary unlimited plans, with mmWave 5G access included in the top three: 5G Unlimited Play More, Perform More, or Acquire More. If you have the 5G Start plan, you can still access the Nationwide 5G pool, but it will cost you $10 per month to use mmWave.
The 5G Play More and Do More unlimited plans include unlimited talk, text, data, and mobile hotspot (15GB of 4G LTE) for $80 per month for one service line. Both also include subscriptions to Apple Music, Discovery Plus, and Disney Plus. Free for up to a year, gamers will appreciate the newly introduced Google Play Pass or Apple Arcade benefits.
Both plans include 50GB of access to a premium network and 25GB of hotspot data. With the 5G Do More option, you can receive a discount of up to 50 percent on a plan for a smartwatch or tablet. It includes one month of Travel Pass and 600GB of cloud storage.
The 5G Get More plan is the premier service with all of the extras: unlimited premium data, 50GB of high-speed hotspot data, HD streaming, and everything else. It costs $10 more per month at $90.
Verizon now offers an iPhone-centric plan that includes all of Apple’s services. One Unlimited for iPhone is comprised of Apple TV Plus, Apple Music, Apple Arcade, and iCloud Plus. Once you select One Unlimited for iPhone for one line, however, it will apply to all of your lines. There is also a simplified Welcome Unlimited plan that offers voice, text, and 5G Nationwide data for a lower price without the additional benefits.
There are numerous other plans available from Verizon, including prepaid plans that begin at $40 per line for 5GB of data or $50 per line for 15GB of data. Add $10 per month for 5G access, and the monthly cost for 5G and 15GB is $60. Not terrible if you intend to occasionally utilize ultra-fast internet access.
A Look At AT&T 5G Plans
Each of the three unlimited plans offered to new AT&T customers now includes 5G access. In the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, all three offer unlimited voice, text, and data. In addition, you receive free messaging to over 120 countries and alerts for suspected spam and fraud. AT&T is also implementing some new fees, similar to Verizon. The fees are intended to counteract inflation, so it would be surprising if they go away once the economy stabilizes.
AT&T’s Unlimited Starter plan costs $65 per month for a single line, but only $35 per line for four lines. Obviously, these prices include discounts for paperless billing and AutoPay. You will not receive premium data, and AT&T may slow down your data during congested periods. The Unlimited Starter plan does not include mobile hotspot data, and streaming is restricted to standard definition.
The Unlimited Extra plan costs $75 per month for one line, or $160 per month for four lines. These prices reflect a discount of $10 for utilizing paperless invoicing and AutoPay. 50GB of data usage falls under premium data, indicating that AT&T can throttle your service at any time if it receives too much traffic after this threshold. This plan includes SD video streaming and 15GB per month of high-speed mobile broadband data.
Unlimited Premium is the most expensive of the AT&T Unlimited programs. One line costs $85 per month, while four lines cost $200 per month. The Elite tier includes unlimited premium data and 50GB of complimentary high-speed mobile hotspot data per month. Streaming video also advances to 4K UHD resolution.
AT&T appears to be moving in the opposite direction as competing carriers continue to offer more streaming options. Both the HBO Max benefit and Stadia Pro have been removed from new accounts.
A Look At T-Mobile 5G Plans
T-Mobile claims that it has greater 5G coverage than AT&T and Verizon combined, with powerful signals spanning thousands of miles rather than just city blocks. The recent merger with Sprint has only accelerated its growth, and the company’s website is filled with optimistic projections regarding the network’s size and speed in the future years. Currently, T-Mobile is the king of 5G speeds in the actual world.
If T-Mobile didn’t already sound like your best option for a 5G plan, it now does: 5G access is included at no additional cost with every T-Mobile plan.
T-Mobile offers several prepaid plans, including the Connect plan, which costs as little as $15 per month. It will be difficult to locate a cheaper plan with 5G capability, but you’d quickly exhaust 2GB of data, so let’s focus on unlimited data plans. One prepaid plan offers unlimited data for $50 per month (taxes and fees not included). 3G hotspot is a fine example of a basic unlimited data plan, but you’ll receive a 5G unlimited data plan that may only be slowed after using 50GB of data per billing cycle.
You have a variety of unlimited data options for postpaid plans, depending on your requirements. The most prominent plans are Essentials, Magenta, and Magenta Max. Noting that the Magenta and Magenta Max plans include taxes and fees, the prices for a single line are $60, $70, and $85 respectively. You can find a detailed analysis of each plan on our T-Mobile plans page, but given that all three offer unlimited talk, text, and data, the price difference reflects the additional features you’d expect. For instance, the Magenta Plan includes SD video streaming and 3GB of 4G LTE mobile hotspot before reverting to 3G. The Magenta Max plan offers 40GB of hotspot data, unlimited 4K streaming, and genuinely unlimited access to 5G.
A Look At UScellular 5G Plans
UScellular is frequently far behind the top three US carriers, but its roughly five million subscribers make it the fourth-largest standalone US network. It is only accessible in sections of Iowa, Wisconsin, and the midwestern United States; it is not the largest 5G network in the country. However, UScellular is still a viable option if you’re in one of the aforementioned locations. It typically offers more affordable rates than larger carriers, and a number of modern phones can be purchased at a discount.
UScellular offers three primary postpaid plans — Basic, Everyday, and Even Better — if you wish to sign up while the 5G network grows.
The Basic plan begins at $55 per month for a single line, but the price decreases with each additional line added. It’s a straightforward plan with unlimited speak, text, and data, but not much else. You can stream in standard definition, but there is no access to hotspots or priority data.
If you prefer to have the full support of UScellular behind you, either the Everyday or Even Better plan is preferable. The Everyday plan begins at $65 per month, while the Even Better plan costs $75 per month. However, both plans include hotspot, HD or Full HD streaming, and a repayment incentive. As long as you remain under 3GB per month, UScellular will refund you $5 or $10, depending on your plan.
MVNOs
5G access is still available if you know where to search, but MVNOs typically offer simpler, more affordable plans without the lengthy contracts of the four major carriers. The following is a summary of MVNOs that provide 5G access.
- Metro by T-Mobile
- Google Fi
- US Mobile
- Mint Mobile
Metro by T-Mobile
As part of the T-Mobile network, 5G is accessible on all Metro plans. Unlimited plans begin at $40 per month, and all of them offer ACP (Affordable Connectivity Program) integration. On this plan and the $60 unlimited plan, Google One provides 100GB of cloud storage. The $60 plan includes a membership to Amazon Prime.
Google Fi
Google’s Fi programs also offer 5G coverage on the T-Mobile network. While these programs are slightly more expensive than Metro, they are also more adaptable. A plan for a single user costs as little as $20 per month, but you pay $10 per GB of data. The Unlimited Plus plan costs $70 per month, but you can save significantly by adding additional lines. For example, three unlimited lines cost $150 per month. Simply Unlimited is a $60 per month plan that excludes international access if you’re looking to save money.
US Mobile
US Mobile now includes 5G access in all plans at no additional cost. You can still create your ideal plan, but the premium speeds are better utilized by the unlimited options. Unlimited options start as low as $40 per month, and when you add two or more lines, you can still select streaming benefits.
Mint Mobile
All Mint Mobile plans provide access to the T-Mobile 5G network and are incredibly straightforward. You can select from 4GB, 10GB, 15GB, or unlimited data, with initial three-month plans beginning at $15. You’ll be able to roam throughout the United States, and Mint will maintain your connection on 4G or 5G, whichever is stronger.
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