National iPhone Carriers: AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon
National carriers AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon are the major companies people associate with the iPhone. These companies service the largest number of customers across the country. All four provide calling, data, texting, personal hotspots, family plans, and the latest iPhone models. These companies are a sure bet, offering all the features and models you may want, but may be more expensive than smaller carriers, with limited upgrade options.
Prepaid National Carriers
Prepaid carriers offer similar services to the major carriers. However, instead of paying a fixed monthly fee for phone and data use, you pay a certain amount that’s debited as you use the phone. When you use what you’ve paid, you have to recharge your account. You can save considerable money using a prepaid plan, but there are some drawbacks. For example, you usually have to pay for the phone, and there might be roaming restrictions. Here are some of the best prepaid plans to use with your iPhone.
Boost Mobile
All Boost Mobile prepaid plans include talk, text, unlimited data, unlimited music streaming, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and more features. Plans range from $35 to $60 per month, with additional savings when you add a line.
T-Mobile Prepaid
T-Mobile’s prepaid offerings start at $15 per month, including unlimited talk and text plus 2 GB of high-speed data. Coverage extends through North America, so if you go to Canada, Mexico, or Latin America, you’re in luck.
AT&T Prepaid
AT&T Prepaid has plans that start at $25 per month with high-speed data, unlimited talk and text in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, rollover data, and multi-line discounts.
Mint Mobile
Mint Mobile has prepaid plans that range from $15 to $25 per month. These plans include unlimited talk and text, 4G LTE high-speed data, nationwide coverage, and the ability to keep your phone number.
Straight Talk
Straight Talk’s prepaid plans start at $30 per month and let you refill your service plan automatically. With unlimited talk and text, high-speed data, and reliable coverage, there are plans that meet anyone’s needs.
Other Carriers
Consumer Cellular, Cricket, Simple Mobile, Walmart’s My Family Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile, and Net10 Wireless offer a variety of prepaid plans with excellent features.
Regional Carriers
Unless you live in certain, mostly rural, places, you may not have heard of most regional iPhone carriers. These smaller providers serve customers with coverage and plans suited to their area, often providing coverage for hard-to-reach areas. Here’s a look at regional carriers in the U.S.
Appalachian Wireless: Serves Kentucky and West Virginia. ASTAC: Serves Alaska. Big River Telephone: Serves Missouri. Blue Wireless: Serves New York and Pennsylvania. Bluegrass Cellular: Serves Kentucky. Bravado Wireless: Serves Oklahoma. Bristol Bay Cellular Partnership: Serves Alaska. Bug Tussel Wireless: Serves Wisconsin. C Spire Wireless: Serves Mississippi, Tenessee, Florida, and Alabama. Carolina West Wireless: Serves North Carolina. Cellcom: Serves Wisconsin. Cellular One: Serves Arizona and New Mexico. Chariton Valley Wireless: Serves Montana. Chat Mobility: Serves Iowa. Choice Wireless: Serves Nevada, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Montana. Colorado Valley Communications: Serves Texas. Commnet Wireless: Serves Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Montana, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. Copper Valley Telecom: Serves Alaska. Cordova Wireless: Serves Alaska. CTC Wireless: Serves Idaho. Custer Telephone Cooperative: Serves Idaho. DTC Wireless: Serves Tennessee. Enhanced Telecommunication Corporation: Serves Indiana. Evolve Broadband: Serves Texas. GCI Wireless: Serves Alaska. FTC Wireless: Serves South Carolina. Illinois Valley Cellular: Serves Illinois Indigo Wireless: Serves Pennsylvania. Infrastructure Networks: Serves West Texas, Southeast New Mexico, and parts of California. Inland Cellular: Serves Washington and Idaho. Limitless Mobile: Serves Pennsylvania. Mobi: Serves Hawaii. Nemont Wireless: Serves Montana and North Dakota. Nex-Tech Wireless: Serves Kansas. NNTC Wireless: Serves Colorado. NorthwestCell: Serves Missouri. NVC Wireless: Serves South Dakota. OTZ Cellular: Serves Alaska. Pine Belt Wireless: Serves Alabama. Pine Cellular: Serves Oklahoma. Pioneer Cellular: Serves Oklahoma and Kansas. PTCI: Serves Oklahoma. Redzone Wireless: Serves Maine. RTC Communications: Serves Indiana. Shentel: Serves West Virginia, the western region of Virginia, Central Pennsylvania, Central Maryland, and parts of Ohio and Kentucky. Silver Star Communications: Serves Idaho and Wyoming. Snake River PCS: Serves Oregon. Southern Linc: Serves Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. Standing Rock Telecom: Serves North Dakota and South Dakota. STRATA Networks: Serves Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado. Tampnet: Serves the Gulf of Mexico. TelAlaska Cellular: Serves Alaska. Thumb Cellular: Serves Michigan. Triangle Mobile: Serves Montana. Union Wireless: Serves Wyoming and Colorado. United Wireless: Serves Kansas. U.S. Cellular: Serves 23 states. Viaero Wireless: Serves Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, and Wyoming. VTel: Serves Vermont. West Central Wireless: Serves Texas. WUE: Serves Nevada.
Other Carriers
As the iPhone becomes more wide-ranging, additional carriers that don’t fit in the categories above are starting to offer it. These are often national carriers that target their services at specific markets or customers. Some of the most prominent of these niche carriers are:
CREDO: Socially conscious. Kroger Wireless: Available in Kroger and other supermarkets. Ting: Socially conscious. Truphone: Business service. Vodafone: Business service. Xfinity: A national service from Comcast.
