MVNOs aren’t forthcoming about these limitations, however yow will discover them spelled out in coverage documentation. Let’s take a look at Mint Cellular’s community administration coverage for instance.
The primary hurdle is deprioritization. “Different manufacturers could also be prioritized larger on the T-Cellular community,” reads Mint’s community administration coverage. “For all Service plans, T-Cellular may additionally cut back speeds throughout occasions of community congestion.” These insurance policies aren’t clear about how extreme the slowdown is, however typically, if a community has lots of congestion, MVNOs will see slower speeds earlier than these on main carriers.
In most elements of the nation, this isn’t an issue. Nonetheless, you’ll seemingly expertise slower speeds in main cities and at giant occasions. In the event you’re at a live performance and everyone seems to be making an attempt to publish Instagram tales and TikToks, you will most likely discover a big slowdown.
One other draw back with most MVNOs is throttling. You’ll be capable to buy an “limitless” knowledge plan, however there are normally tender caps to the quantity of knowledge you should utilize earlier than speeds gradual. Once more utilizing Mint for instance, it classifies “heavy knowledge customers” as those that use greater than 35 GB of knowledge in a month, and it says these customers will “have their knowledge utilization prioritized under the info utilization (together with tethering) of different clients at occasions and at areas the place there are competing buyer calls for for community assets, which can lead to slower knowledge speeds.”
These are the 2 massive drawbacks, however some smaller limitations pop up relying on the supplier you take a look at. Mint, as an illustration, makes use of “video optimization,” which principally means video streams are capped at commonplace definition when utilizing cell knowledge (480p). This occurs mechanically on the community, even for those who’re making an attempt to stream a better decision.
I’m utilizing Mint as a touchstone right here, however these practices are frequent amongst most MVNOs. Cricket has comparable knowledge restrictions and video limitations as does Optimum Cellular. Main carriers which have direct pay as you go plans, like T-Cellular, typically have larger knowledge limits earlier than lowering speeds.
Outdoors of these limitations, some MVNOs don’t supply extra mobile options like roaming or a cell sizzling spot. These limitations aren’t common, however they’re some good issues to look out for while you’re suppliers and plans.
Can You Use the Similar Quantity With a Pay as you go Cellular Plan?
The US Federal Communications Fee (FCC) decided many years in the past that cellphone suppliers don’t personal cellphone numbers. Broadly, you’re allowed to maintain your quantity when transferring to a brand new provider, no matter whether or not that’s a pay as you go or postpaid provider. In truth, since 2009, the FCC requires carriers to switch—or, extra correctly, “port”—your quantity inside one enterprise day.
Underneath the FCC’s guidelines, a provider can’t deny porting your quantity, even for those who refuse to pay a porting charge. Nonetheless, porting charges are allowed. Some carriers, akin to T-Cellular, don’t have any charges for porting your quantity. Others cost anyplace from a couple of {dollars} to $20.
