Best wireless carrier in the U.S. 2024

These days, selecting the best wireless carrier for yourself and your family member takes a lot more than just going for one of the three 'Big Three' carriers. Apart from them, there are dozens of Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) out there, all trying to get your attention. As such, there's no shortage of options, but it does take a little bit of effort to find which one will work the best for you.

So, keep reading to learn more about the cellular operators that we consider to be the best of the best for every budget and data needs under the sun. After we go over the picks, we'll also give you a few pointers that should hopefully make the selection process a little easier for you.

Here at Android Central, we currently think that Verizon is the best option for most folks, thanks to its large, reliable 5G network, a wide assortment of unlimited plans, and more deals than you can shake a stick at. Interestingly, Verizon has both prepaid and postpaid offerings worth considering. That being said, there are plenty of other excellent options to take a look at as well.

Patrick Farmer

Patrick is a no-nonsense deal hunter with over 10 years of experience in the eCommerce space. Whether you’re interested in a new wireless carrier, smart home device, or Android phone, Patrick combines hands-on research with practical shopping advice to get you the answers you need. 

At a glance

Best overall

While Verizon isn't always the top scorer in terms of pure download speeds, the size of its network and the consistency of the connection make it one of the best options for a lot of people. Verizon's 5G deployment hasn't quite kept pace with T-Mobile's but its combination of nationwide 5G and Ultra-Wideband 5G has been making rapid progress. Ultra-Wideband 5G also includes Verizon's mid-band spectrum, and it has been delivering great download speeds where it's available.

Verizon offers a variety of plans, starting with a simple option for basic phones with unlimited talk and text and 500MB of data. That said, most smartphone users will be more interested in the carrier's range of unlimited plans that currently start at $65 a month (per line) for the 'Unlimited Welcome' plan. The per line pricing comes down if you add more lines. With this plan, a family of four will pay $30 for each line, before taxes and fees. Apart from unlimited talk, text, nationwide 5G data, you get Mexico and Canada usage as well. That said, video streaming is limited to SD (480p) quality and no mobile hotspot is included.

The two higher plans — 'Unlimited Plus' and 'Unlimited Ultimate' — both come with hotspot data (30GB and 60GB, respectively) and Ultra-Wideband 5G access, and you also get unlimited premium data with both. It's worth mentioning that both of these are also available with streaming services and extra add-ons such as 100GB mobile hotspot, Hulu, Netflix, and Apple One. The base Unlimited Welcome plan can also be had with a bundled Walmart+ membership for an extra $10 per month, for each line.

Best prepaid

Visible is a prepaid carrier owned by Verizon that keeps it simple by having just two unlimited plans to pick from. It's worth keeping in mind that Visible only uses the LTE and 5G networks of Verizon, which means there is no access to roaming or 3G if the signal ever gets weak. That being said, it won't be an issue for most users, all thanks to Verizon's massive LTE network infrastructure.

Visible's base plan, which is simply called Visible, is much like its older plan and gives you access to nationwide 5G at just $25 per month, including all taxes and fees. You also get unlimited mobile hotspot (capped at 5Mbps), unlimited talk and text to Mexico and Canada, and automatic blocking of spam and robocalls.

If you want something more, we suggest upgrading to the higher plan, called Visible Plus. It costs $45 per month (again, with all taxes and fees included) and offers you access to Verizon's superfast Ultra-Wideband 5G network, unlimited mobile hotspot (capped at 10Mbps), unlimited talk and text to Mexico and Canada along with 2GB of high-speed data per day, and a few more extras.

Best budget pick

Mint Mobile is a great option if you're interested in going prepaid. Now fully owned by T-Mobile, the MVNO uses its parent company's excellent 5G and LTE networks to offer great coverage at much lower prices, with a unique plan system that helps you save money by buying multiple months of service in advance.

For new customers, Mint Mobile's plans start at $15 per month (provided you pay for at least three months upfront) for the 5GB plan and go up to $30 per month for the unlimited plan with a high-speed data cap of 40GB. It's also worth noting that as part of a limited-time promotion, you can get any of Mint Mobile's four plans at a monthly price of $15 (subject to advance payment of $45 for three months). After those three months are up, you can choose to pay for six months or lock-in your original price by paying for a full year in advance. All plans come with unlimited talk and text, as well as free calling to Mexico and Canada, free mobile hotspot, and Wi-Fi calling. Also, the highest unlimited plan comes with a dedicated 10GB mobile hotspot data.

If you're curious about Mint Mobile but are not ready to commit for multiple months or an entire year, the operator even offers a free seven-day trial that runs alongside your existing carrier's plan, thus allowing you to try the service without little to no interruptions. 

One catch here is that after the trial period, you'll be locked into a minimum of three months of service before you can make any changes via the Mint Mobile app. But if you're happy with your Mint Mobile experience after the first week, you can just pay for your wireless service in bulk and save a nice chunk of change in the process.

Best plans

AT&T has one of the fastest LTE networks around, with excellent coverage in most of the country. The carrier's also been moving ahead with its nationwide 5G network, a low-band, and a mmWave option with nationwide coverage. Its mid-band network now covers more than 220 million users, although most of AT&T's customers will be covered via the low-band spectrum, which it claims is available to over 300 million users across more than 24,900 cities and towns. Another big advantage of going with AT&T is that majority of the best unlocked phones will work on its network, though you might face issues with some devices if they don't support the right bands.

AT&T's offerings start with a 4GB data plan that costs $50 per month (before taxes and fees) with one line. With it, you get a mobile hotspot, unlimited talk, text, and data with usage in Mexico and Canada. Unfortunately, streaming is limited to 480p resolution, but you do get unlimited texting to more than 200 countries. Moving up, AT&T has four unlimited plans starting with the 'Value Plus' plan. This unlimited plan costs just over $50 per month for a single line and offers unlimited talk, text, as well as data, 5G access.

Then there are the three higher unlimited plans, starting with the 'Unlimited Starter' plan that costs $65.99 per month for a single line, with the price coming down to just $35.99 per month if you sign up for four lines. This plan has unlimited talk, text and data, along with 5GB of dedicated hotspot data per line per month. Moving up, the 'Unlimited Extra' plan gives you 75GB of high-speed data, 30GB of mobile hotspot data, and SD streaming at a price of $75.99 per month for a single line. Lastly, there's the 'Unlimited Premium' plan that costs $85.99 per month for a single line, and gives you unlimited talk, text, and high-speed data with no reductions in speed regardless of your usage. It also comes with 60GB of dedicated mobile hotspot data, and video streaming in 4K UHD resolution, along with a whole bunch of other benefits. It goes without saying that all three of these plans come with 5G network access.

Best for customization

US Mobile is a prepaid carrier that uses the networks of both Verizon and T-Mobile to give you high-speed 5G access. When signing up, you can choose whichever SIM will work best with the phone of your choice and provide solid coverage in your area. Although both networks have reliable coverage across the country, T-Mobile offers a more developed 5G network. That said, premium data access via a Verizon SIM will give you a solid experience as well.

Perhaps the biggest highlight of US Mobile are its two unlimited plans. Of these, the 'Unlimited Starter' plan has a single-line cost of $29 per month (including taxes and fees) and gives you 35GB of premium data, 10GB mobile hotspot data, international calls and texts, and more. Moving up, the 'Unlimited Premium' plan is priced at $50 per month (inclusive of all taxes and fees) for a single-line and gives you an amazing 100GB of premium data and 50GB of mobile hotspot data. With this plan, you're also eligible for multi-line subscription perks that let you add pre-configured bundles of services (e.g., Audible, Hulu, and Xbox Gamepass) for $15 per month, provided you sign up for three lines.  There's also an 'Unlimited Flex' plan that's only available as an annual option, with the monthly price coming to just $15. It gives you 10GB of premium data, hotspot data as an add-on, and international usage benefits.

Lastly, US Mobile has a lightweight 1GB plan that offers unlimited talk and text and will cost you just $6 per month if you sign up for a full year. The carrier's 'Shareable Data' offerings let you purchase data-addons that can be shared between devices across multiple lines, with the starting 2GB add-on priced at $10 per month.

Best premium pick

T-Mobile has vastly improved its network over the past few years and continues to get even better, with some of the biggest improvements coming to its 5G network. Using a combination of low-band and mid-band spectrums, the carrier has stormed past its competitors to lead the 5G race. The 'un-carrier' claims that its 5G network now covers more than 330 million users across two million square miles. Majority of the customers by the carrier's 'Ultra-Capacity' 5G network.

T-Mobile has a handful of unlimited offering, starting with the 'Essentials Saver' plan that costs $50 per month (before taxes and fees) for one line. It includes unlimited talk and text, 50GB of premium data, unlimited 3GB hotspot, and no requirement for an annual contract. You also get 480p (SD) streaming with this plan. Oddly, the next 'Essentials' plan offers exactly the same set of benefits, but costs $60 per month.

Moving up, you have the three 'Go 5G' plans that have a single-line monthly cost of $75, $90, and $100. It's worth noting that all these prices are inclusive of taxes and fees, and all three plans unlimited 5G data access. You also get varying amounts of premium data, usage in Mexico and Canada with dedicated high-speed data, as well as in-flight connectivity. The highest 'Go 5G Next' plan even comes bundled with streaming services like ad-supported Netflix and Hulu, and up to 4K UHD video streaming.

All of T-Mobile's plans offer multi-line discounts for a maximum of five lines. What's also worth mentioning is that the carrier offers nearly all these plans at discounted prices to senior citizens (aged 55 and above), military personnel and veterans, and first responders.

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How to choose

Should you go with prepaid?

A Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) is a prepaid carrier that provides cellular service by reselling it from one of the big carriers. It allows a greater variety of plans on the same networks that may work better for you. Some of the best MVNOs can offer additional savings with longer terms or even just by cutting out things you don't need, such as video service subscriptions. You can even go for MVNOs that bundle
advanced features like tethering (hotspot data) with their plans.

The most important thing is to choose the best cell phone plan that offers reliable coverage.

Choose a carrier offering plenty of data and coverage in your area

Most of the Americans will be covered by any of the above-mentioned networks, so the biggest questions are: 1) Which plans are the best fit for you? and 2.) How eager are you to get 5G access? Nationwide 5G is available on all the three big carriers, but you'll need a phone that supports it. Luckily, most of the best Android phones do. Verizon and AT&T are more comfortable charging a premium for service, thanks to a good reputation for having strong networks. Most of the time, the best choice isn't the cheapest carrier but the one with the best coverage for you. Luckily, switching is reasonably easy, and you can even keep your phone number when you do.

• Carrier deals: Verizon | AT&T | T-Mobile | Mint Mobile | Visible