[jrref]

I was helping a neighbor looking for cell phone service and currently as we have been discussing, the cable companies are offering discount cell service that you can bundle with TV and Internet. It looks like a good deal but in reality, you can get the same or better deal for cell phones with other companies.

For example, both Spectrum and Xfinity you can get $30/line, no data cap with is good but after 30GB they slow down the data speed so you use less. Consumer Cellular, for example will give you 2 lines for $60/month with unlimited data.

If you bundle your cell phones with cable, they will give you a discount on the TV and Internet for a limited time like one or two years which is good but again, it's only for a limited time and why would you do that if you could get pretty much the same plan that's not an offer and will stay the same for many years?

Just something to think about when considering bundiling your cell phones with the cable company.

[jrref]

When we were discussing why get Verizon when you can get other companies cell service that use the same towers and network. After doing some research, although many providers are using the Verizon network, Verizon is always more expensive because they give you more features such as unlimited data, the fastest data all the time, and almost all the plans have extras like access to streaming and music services.

So, that said, most of us here in the Villages probably don't need all the Verizon extra's and just want "vanilla" cell service but I just wanted to point out why Verizon is more money.

Also, if you go with a "discount" provider and get the cheapest plan with 1GB of data, be aware of how you use that data because you might use it up faster than you think depending on how you use your phone.

From what I read, many people who are younger and not retired desire all these "perks" and extra services whereas retired people don't want or need them anymore and want to cut costs so they tend to switch away and go with a "discount" provider. No right or wrong, just interesting.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by tjdmlhw

Verizon is the leader in 4G coverage and because of that their overall coverage area is the fullest of the 3 major players, but T-Mobile's 5G coverage is far greater than Verizon.

Even 3rd place AT&T has a larger 5G presence than Verizon. It's as if T-Mobile and AT&T are building for the future while Verizon is relying on their reputation.

If I can't tell the difference between 4G and 5G, why should I care?

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by jrref

When we were discussing why get Verizon when you can get other companies cell service that use the same towers and network. After doing some research, although many providers are using the Verizon network, Verizon is always more expensive because they give you more features such as unlimited data, the fastest data all the time, and almost all the plans have extras like access to streaming and music services.

So, that said, most of us here in the Villages probably don't need all the Verizon extra's and just want "vanilla" cell service but I just wanted to point out why Verizon is more money.

Also, if you go with a "discount" provider and get the cheapest plan with 1GB of data, be aware of how you use that data because you might use it up faster than you think depending on how you use your phone.

From what I read, many people who are younger and not retired desire all these "perks" and extra services whereas retired people don't want or need them anymore and want to cut costs so they tend to switch away and go with a "discount" provider. No right or wrong, just interesting.

I have the Xfinity 1gb data plan, and in 4 years, I have never used 1gb of data in a month. Most of the time, I use less than half of that. I get unlimited talk and text for $22 per month. However, I use WIFI for data whenever possible, which is almost always. Almost every Villages business and the rec centers offer free WIFI. There are also free Xfinity hot spots all over the place.

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by jrref

I was helping a neighbor looking for cell phone service and currently as we have been discussing, the cable companies are offering discount cell service that you can bundle with TV and Internet. It looks like a good deal but in reality, you can get the same or better deal for cell phones with other companies.

Not exactly.

Verizon does not have access to Xfinity Hot Spots, of which there are over a million.

Service for service, Xfinity seems to always have the best pricing, especially when you consider the perk of access to their Hot Spots.

Curiously, Xfinity Customer Satisfaction Index is higher than Verizon by a a percentage point.

Here's a fairly complete comparison of everything the 2 providers offer.


Just a moment...

[jrref]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

Not exactly.

Verizon does not have access to Xfinity Hot Spots, of which there are over a million.

Service for service, Xfinity seems to always have the best pricing, especially when you consider the perk of access to their Hot Spots.

Curiously, Xfinity Customer Satisfaction Index is higher than Verizon by a a percentage point.

Here's a fairly complete comparison of everything the 2 providers offer.


Just a moment...

That's a good article comparing the two companies. It's basically what I said in my post. But Verizon has hot spots as well just not as many as Xfinity. Everyone's needs are different, but I personally wouldn't rely on hot spots because when you are not in a hotspot, and you have run out of data and you need to use data, you will pay the overage. Also, I know you like the hotspots, but they are not secure unless you use a VPN and many are not going to set everything up. I had a friend who tried to use Xfinity's hotspots, and he said when you are at one, they work well but they didn't cover all the areas he frequented so he went with an unlimited data plan. Just another point of view.

[jrref]

You might want to check out Visible by Verizon. Plans start at $25/month, includes taxes and fees, unlimited data, talk and text. Much better than the plans offered by Xfinity and Spectrum because you are getting unlimited cellular data at that price.

I have a couple of neighbors on Visible for several years and are very happy with the service. Just another option and your cell phones are not bundled with your cable services.

[bopat]

We have the old T-Mobile one plan, the plan with the lifetime price lock guarantee. Had it since 2017. In writing and in their ads they said they would never raise their rate for that plan. Yesterday, on 3/13, they raised the rate on that plan, up $5 per line. We called them and were on the phone for over an hour, they wouldn’t do anything. Google it yourself, you’ll see, they ****ed off tons of people. I guess T-Mobile is allowed to break their contracts.

[Packer Fan]

Originally Posted by jrref

When we were discussing why get Verizon when you can get other companies cell service that use the same towers and network. After doing some research, although many providers are using the Verizon network, Verizon is always more expensive because they give you more features such as unlimited data, the fastest data all the time, and almost all the plans have extras like access to streaming and music services.

So, that said, most of us here in the Villages probably don't need all the Verizon extra's and just want "vanilla" cell service but I just wanted to point out why Verizon is more money.

Also, if you go with a "discount" provider and get the cheapest plan with 1GB of data, be aware of how you use that data because you might use it up faster than you think depending on how you use your phone.

From what I read, many people who are younger and not retired desire all these "perks" and extra services whereas retired people don't want or need them anymore and want to cut costs so they tend to switch away and go with a "discount" provider. No right or wrong, just interesting.

I don't think thats it. Its because so many people just have had Verizon so long they are willing to keep paying the $80 a month because they get a "free" phone every 3 years and they don't know there are options. They also want to be able to have a store to go to if they have an issue. However, the big cell companies have too much capacity so they sell it off to the MVNOs for people who have a clue. Spectrum is also bundling so people think they are getting a good deal on cell coverage but they keep paying inflated home internet. Apple keeps people paying rediculous prices for lousy phones by convincing people that "Blue bubbles" in text messages are important and their "ecosystem" is so great. Most people go with the path of least resistance and then whine they are poor and have no money. Worse yet, they finance it all and pay interest. Every time I compare what I pay for internet and phone with people, they don't believe me...... They are always paying too much.
I have to say I was actually impressed by a few people on here that knew what an MVNO is... TV people are pretty well informed.

[Packer Fan]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

Not exactly.

Verizon does not have access to Xfinity Hot Spots, of which there are over a million.

Service for service, Xfinity seems to always have the best pricing, especially when you consider the perk of access to their Hot Spots.

Curiously, Xfinity Customer Satisfaction Index is higher than Verizon by a a percentage point.

Here's a fairly complete comparison of everything the 2 providers offer.


Just a moment...

Thats great except you have to pay Xfinities inflated prices for internet at home. I moved from Xfinity to Quantum fiber for $35 a month with speeds 4 times as fast (you don't really need it, but its fun to measure). I was paying double that for Xfinity 200 MBPS. BTW, Quantum fiber pricing includes no increases for life (they can raise the equipment price though, just not the service). It does work extremely well.

We have 3 lines between my wife and I. I like electronics and move sims around between phones too. Have multiple phones, its like an addiction.
Here are my rules -
1. No Iphones - Got rid of my last iphone last year. They haven't really advanced in like 4 years, and Android is miles ahead, and way cheaper. Apple locks you in with percieved values that are not. Imessage and Facetime are the worst. There are people who won't leave apple because of those, and there are better options for both. Even 3 or 4 year old iphones are crazy prices.
Note I said MY RULES. This is no slight on anyone with an iphone. Just not for me and realize you pay a huge premium.

2. I normally buy my phones ebay refurbished the previous years models for half price. If you buy very good or excellent they look new and act new when they arrive. So you today I would be buying Samsung S24, Pixel 8, or oneplus 12. Phones are like computers now, they don't advance that much. Of course I have imported two phones you can't get in the US but thats another story. You can buy Tablets and computers this way too. I got a Galaxy Tab S8 for $300 and it looked new when I got it (highly recommend Galaxy S series tablets, they are excellent).

3. Churn the lines to get best pricing. I usually jump around with each line and pay yearly. Right now have one line on Tello I pay $9.00 a month for(only 1 gb of data, but its a second line). 2 lines on mint mobile, one we paid $180 the other $165, unlimited data for a year. You have to be a new customer(off at least 6 months) and catch the sales correctly. We like Tello and mint because both are great for international travel, but I have also used XMobile, US Mobile and Google Fi also at times depending when. My wife's Mint runs out in May and will look for who is having the best special to port her number to. My goal is to keep each line at $15 a month with as much data as possible. We need to keep at least one line with a carrier with good international roaming rates because we are overseas a lot. Tello is probably the best for that, but Mint is not bad.
4. Have run phones on all 3 networks, I measure speeds regularly. T-Mobile is definitly my favorite for speed and coverage - I like 5G rocket fast. Second is Verizon. AT&T stinks. Even prioritized they slow down in crowds. They are all good if you are just in The Villages.

All that said if you want no hassles, go to a place that has brick and mortar stores like Boost Mobile, consumer cellular, or even T-Mobile to get your phone and service so you have someone to help you. Mint, Tello, US Mobile and the like are great and cheap, but there are no stores, its dealing with them over chat.

For our next lesson, I will tell you how I bought my childhood phone number (with the villages area code of 352) on numberbarn and ported it to a new line..... Bet you didn't know you can buy a phone number. Amazing what you can do these days. They have 352-352-WEED for sale for $7999 for example... I paid $19.

BTW- need to change that at the bottom, sold the place in Oak Creek and moving now!

[biker1]

If you like the T-Mobile network then consider their MVNO; Mint Mobile. Their lowest cost pre-paid plan is $15 per month for unlimited voice, text, and data (although the bandwidth may be reduced after 5 gigabytes).

Originally Posted by bopat

We have the old T-Mobile one plan, the plan with the lifetime price lock guarantee. Had it since 2017. In writing and in their ads they said they would never raise their rate for that plan. Yesterday, on 3/13, they raised the rate on that plan, up $5 per line. We called them and were on the phone for over an hour, they wouldn’t do anything. Google it yourself, you’ll see, they ****ed off tons of people. I guess T-Mobile is allowed to break their contracts.

[JoelJohnson]

Not exactly the same thing, but there are a number of Villagers that have a "land line". These are really phones that connect with the phone system through a cable modem. A way to save money on the "land line" is to buy something called Ooma. Ooma will let you connect your "land line" to the phone system without a high monthly fee (they only charge a small maintenance and 911 and taxes fees ($8-$10/mo). You can also save money by buying your own modem/router. It does take a few days for the cable company to transfer your phone number to Ooma, so be aware of that.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

great thread/post, very informative for everyone, who is looking for the cheapest cost of service.

thanks

jrref

[Flyers999]

I have T-mobile two lines for $84 per month. They just sent me a text that it's going up $5 per line. Now you're thinking, "no problem just switch." Well it's not that easy because one of the phones is locked to the T-mobile network.
Service with T-mobile has been OK. I've been a customer for over 20 years. In Europe it surprisingly works well without an extra charge. My home is not within their 5G yet, so I couldn't get an internet/phone bundle. My "plan" had been to wait until the phones (Samsung Galaxy 7) become obsolete but they work well and I'm not sure if I could save money in the long run by switching now.

[bopat]

Originally Posted by Flyers999

I have T-mobile two lines for $84 per month. They just sent me a text that it's going up $5 per line. Now you're thinking, "no problem just switch." Well it's not that easy because one of the phones is locked to the T-mobile network.
Service with T-mobile has been OK. I've been a customer for over 20 years. In Europe it surprisingly works well without an extra charge. My home is not within their 5G yet, so I couldn't get an internet/phone bundle. My "plan" had been to wait until the phones (Samsung Galaxy 7) become obsolete but they work well and I'm not sure if I could save money in the long run by switching now.

They oversold their network, and oversold their 5g home internet. Talking with them, they have no plans on expanding their cell presence here. I think they are counting on Starlink to help their overcapacity issue. They have great coverage here but low bandwidth, and their 5g latency is horrific, barely good for video calls.