AT&T MVNOs: What are they and which is the best option?

AT&T MVNOs: What are they and which is the best pick?

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AT&T MVNOs include a lot of wireless providers you've probably heard of, even if y'all didn't know that they were an MVNO — or what an MVNO even is.

Put simply, AT&T MVNOs are carriers that utilize the speeds, coverage and reach of AT&T, allowing them to offering leading coverage to wireless phone customers without developing their own network.

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This is by no means unique to AT&T. At that place are Verizon MVNOs and T-Mobile MVNOs too. In fact, MVNOs — mobile virtual network operators — handily outnumber the major wireless carriers.

By using another carrier's networks, an MVNO is able to offer lower-price coverage with the same speed and reach that a major carrier tin can provide. Go with an AT&T MVNO, and along with the speeds of AT&T. you could get other perks from that specific carrier.

While there aren't anywhere near as many AT&T MVNOs as the number that use Verizon or T-Mobile, yous can still find a wide range of prison cell phone plans, including Consumer Cellular for seniors and Cricket which is a cheap culling to low-cost carriers similar Mint Mobile.

What is an MVNO?

Equally we said above, MVNO stands for mobile virtual network operator. Information technology describes a phone company that doesn't own a cellular network of its own. Instead, it turns to another larger wireless provide to use its network.

For the well-nigh part, an MVNO will feature the same speed and coverage as the parent network, though there's a mighty big exception. The core network — in this instance AT&T — gets priority over everyone else. That means when there is a lot of traffic or the AT&T network is in a tiptop period, its MVNOs volition be slowed down to assist ease upward AT&T'southward customer's and allow them priority.

While the lack of prioritization of MVNOs is frustrating, these discount carriers usually offering better inexpensive cell telephone plans and tend to make upwards the majority of the best prepaid telephone plans.

AT&T MVNOs

Compared to Verizon and T-Mobile, there aren't a huge amount of MVNOs that operate under AT&T. Some solely use AT&T and others include AT&T among multiple options.

For example, Net10 is an MVNO that uses AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon. This doesn't hateful it uses all iv; instead, it will connect to the best network for where you alive.

Beneath is a full listing of both MVNOs that solely utilise AT&T and ones that could be on AT&T:

Consumer Cellular (AT&T, T-Mobile)
Cricket
FreedomPop (AT&T, T-Mobile)
FreeUP Mobile
Good2Go Mobile
H20 Wireless
Net10 (AT&T, Dart, T-Mobile, Verizon)
Red Pocket (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon)
Directly Talk (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon)
TracFone (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon)

The best AT&T MVNOs

Why choose an MVNO over AT&T?

Considering AT&T MVNOs utilize the aforementioned network as AT&T, why not just opt for AT&T instead? There are a few benefits to choosing an MVNO instead simply generally, it'south effectually price.

Because they don't have to run their ain networks, MVNOs tin charge lower prices for their plans. This means you tin can get a very affordable price while however property onto the benefits of AT&T.

The other big benefit is that MVNOs can add their ain incentives on acme of monthly phone rates. For example, if you sign up for Consumer Cellular, you can get an AARP discount — something AT&T doesn't take. (That'southward why Consumer Cellular offers some of the best phone plans for seniors.)

However, the biggest issue with MVNOs centers around slower speeds as we mentioned above. When you sign upward for an MVNO, yous'll potentially exist on a throttled network if a lot of people are connecting to AT&T'south towers.

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Alex is an editor at Future with a focus on phones and broadband. With an eye on the best prices across both of these areas, Alex is bringing you the must-have bargains right now.