When it comes to having the best wireless communication service providers and phone plans, there are plenty of options to choose from. But most of them are expensive. Larger data plans come with higher monthly bills and I’m not sure I’m willing to pay as much as the big players are asking for in this industry.
My smartphone has 4G capabilities. It’s not the lasts 5G performer. Not that this would be of any use at the moment. But even so, data plans and unlimited minutes are deals that cost too much as a student.
I decided to look at other smaller carriers for more affordable plans. It took a while to browse through most of them. I had no idea there were hundreds of companies offering low prices. But good network coverage was also important.
After a couple of weeks of research, I choose Tello Mobile as my favorite. This plan was one of the simplest options for me. There are a few standard plans for you to choose from. But you may create your custom plan as well.
Tello Mobile Features
Standard Plans
If you’re looking for a simple plan without any headaches, its best just to stick to what the company offers as standard. There are 3 individual plans and one family plan to consider.
- ECONOMY
- VALUE
- SMART
The New Family plan is surprising. You can have 2 to 4 family members on the same plan. You’d only pay up to $39 per month with unlimited calls and unlimited texts for all these 4 family members.
Interestingly, you also get unlimited data for all 4 family members on this plan, alongside the talking and texting benefits. I find it to be the best plan from the carrier and one of the most attractive on the market for families.
If you, your partner and your 2 kids have smartphones, it can be one of the plans which lead to considerable monthly savings.
When you split this monthly fee to 4, it shows the value of the plan. At $9.75 each, it is the value plan I was looking for. However, I don’t have my own family at the moment, so I have to be with one of the individual plans.
But if you’re the type of person who’s looking for a good deal, your family can benefit from the plan the most. You can talk amongst yourselves and browse the web with no extra costs and with no limitations.
Custom Plans
There are a few options for custom plans as well. I find them very good if you don’t need as many unlimited extras.
For example, if I were to use a work phone, I wouldn’t need unlimited minutes or unlimited texts. I would probably stay away from data on that phone as I already have data coverage on my phone to check social media updates.
I simulated such a plan with 500 minutes per month and unlimited texts. Without any data coverage, this plan would cost be only $7 per month. I think many businesses could potentially save on such a plan for employees who don’t need any data coverage at all.
Updates, Changes, and Cancelations
These plans can be updated at any moment. You don’t need to pay anything extra to upgrade or to downgrade. At the same time, there are no additional fees to worry about such as applicable VAT as its already included in the price.
You are also free from signing a contract with the phone carrier. You simply pay and get the service as you go. I’ve had a couple of issues with carriers which gave me headaches when looking to cancel my plan. I ended up paying the cost of the remaining months of the plan just to be able to switch to another carrier.
Another interesting aspect for those with family or friends abroad is the ability to call nearby countries. Included countries in these plans are the USA, Canada, and Mexico. If your family is in Mexico, Canada or China, you can talk with them all the time, as much as you want without extra charges.
Even calls to the UK have good rates. Calls to Africa cost a bit more, as expected. But many customers as myself could benefit from the affordable plans.
Still, I consider the company truly beneficial to families. Anyone looking for maximum savings would have to join a plan with all family members.
Pros
Cons
Final Verdict
If you want to test the service out, you can do so using your smartphone. You don’t need to choose the most comprehensive plan from the first month. You can simply choose a plan which allows you to test call quality and network coverage together with internet speeds.
My advice is to look for family members who can join this plan together with. When you have up to 4 family members to split the monthly bill with, you get unlimited data and minutes. You can sign-up, manage your account and even cancel your plan from the official website without visiting physical premises. This is also where you can pay your phone bill every month.
