Popular Cellular Plans

There are many cellular plans out there, but only some of them are useful for cellular internet. Below is a collection of the most popular plans for cellular internet and a brief explanation of each one (subject to change). 

BEFORE VIEWING THE PLANS!

In order to understand the best way to choose a plan, it would be best to start here first, if you haven't already. Also, choosing a plan is easier when you understand the different categories & types of plans that can be useful for cellular internet and the pros & cons of each.


LEGIT PLANS



CELLULAR HOME INTERNET PLANS
tmobile home internet
T-Mobile Home Internet

Unlimited LTE/5G. $50/month (with autopay, taxes/fees are included, no equipment costs, & no contract). Speeds not listed - reports have shows that it's pretty fast in some locations. But it has limited availability by location. The TOS states that it is geo-locked to the registered address, but that is not currently being enforced (people have confirmed that it can be taken anywhere, for now).

verizon lte home internet
Verizon LTE Home Internet

Unlimited LTE. $50/month non-VZW customers, $40/month VZW customers, $25/month VZW customers w/select mobile unlimited plans (with autopay, taxes/fees are included, no equipment costs, & no contract). Speeds of about 25-50 Mbps down & 4 Mbps up. But it has limited availability by location and it is geo-locked to service address.

at&t fixed wireless internet
AT&T Fixed Wireless Internet

350 GB/month. $59.99/month (+taxes/fees). Speeds of at least 10 Mbps down & 1 Mbps up (typically 25 Mbps down, though). Historically, there have been double data deals. But the price is when bundled, has potential overage charges, and possible equipment & installation costs. It has limited availability by location and it is geo-locked to service address.

verizon 5G home
Verizon 5G Home

Unlimited 5G/LTE. $50/month non-VZW customers, $40/month VZW customers, $25/month VZW customers w/select mobile unlimited plans (with autopay, taxes/fees are included, no equipment costs, & no contract). Speeds up to 300 Mbps down & 50 Mbps up. There is a higher teir of the service called "5G Home Plus" that is $70/month non-VZW customers, $50/month VZW customers, $35/month VZW customers w/select mobile unlimited plans (with autopay, taxes/fees are included, no equipment costs, & no contract). Speeds of 300-1000 Mbps down & 50 Mbps up. But both services have limited availability and are geo-locked to service address.

at&t internet air
AT&T Internet Air

[Currently only available to AT&T DSL customers, but may eventually open up to the general public.] Unlimited LTE/5G. $55/month (with autopay, +taxes/fees, no equipment costs, & no contract). Typical download speeds between 40-140 Mbps. But, limited availability, possibly geo-locked, and low priority data.

starlink
Starlink

[Not technically a cellular home internet option, but it is an advanced satellite internet option being developed by SpaceX - so definitely worth mentioning.] Unlimited. $110/month (+$599 initial equipment fee). In general, speeds 50 - 250 Mbps with 20 - 40 ms latency (impressive for satellite). They do have some areas priced at $90/month and they have a version of Starlink that you can take travelling for $150/month. But, limited availability, some potential connectivity issues, and they have already raised prices from the original $99/month & $500 inital equipment fee.

metro home internet
Metro Home Internet

[For existing Metro phone customers only. Pretty much the same as T-Mobile Home Internet, but prepaid.]  Unlimited LTE/5G. $50/month (with autopay, taxes/fees are included, & no contract). Equipment is $99 one time fee, but currently comes with a $50 instant rebate. Speeds not listed - reports have shows that it's pretty fast in some locations. But it has limited availability by location. The TOS states that it is geo-locked to the registered address, but that is not currently being enforced (people have confirmed that it can be taken anywhere, for now).

straight talk home internet
Straight Talk Home Internet

[Pretty much the same as Verizon LTE/5G Home Internet, but prepaid.]  Unlimited LTE/5G. $45/month (taxes/fees are included, & no contract). Equipment is $99 one time fee. Speeds of about 20-100 Mbps down & 3-10 Mbps up. But it has limited availability by location, lower data priority, and it is geo-locked to service address.

us cellular home internet
US Cellular Home Internet

[Very limited to US Cellular's regional coverage areas.] Unlimited LTE/5G. $50/month (w/ autopay, taxes/fees?, & no contract?). Equipment is a monthly fee for 36 months ($3-$11.10/month depending on equipment choice). Speeds not listed. But it has limited availability by location and not a lot of details are listed on the main webpage.


HOTSPOT PLANS
at&t prepaid 100 GB hotspot
AT&T Prepaid Hotspot

100 GB/month LTE/5G. $90/month (+taxes/fees). Speeds based on location, probably similar to fast phone data speeds. But, there have been reports of some data connection glitches (which will probably be fixed soon). [Note: This plan historically has been $55/month. We do not know if that pricing will come back.]

Verizon Hotspot Premium

150 GB/Month LTE/5G (then throttled to 3 Mbps or 600 Kbps depending on local network). $80/month add-on or $110/month standalone (+taxes/fees?). Speeds based on location, probably similar to fast phone data speeds. But, it is Postpaid and video throttled to 720p in most cases and Full HD+ only available in select locations. [They do offer 3 lower data options, see more.]

tmobile mobile internet 100 GB hotpsot
T-Mobile Mobile Internet

100 GB/month LTE/5G. $50/month (with autopay, +taxes & fees, possibly an add-on to Postpaid phone plan). Speeds based on location, probably similar to fast phone data speeds. Sometimes there are promotional offers for a 5G hotspot device. But, it is Postpaid and has historically been available and unavailable at anytime.

calyx hotspot
Calyx Institute Hotspot 

Unlimited 5G/LTE (depending on plan). Cheapest options are $500/1st year (then $400/year) or $150/3 months - these plans come with an included hotspot device & a lot of people have success with this plan. Speeds are location dependent, but usually highest available speeds with no throttling. Technically, you are paying a membership to support the non-profit & a benefit of the membership is the unlimited cellular data. [This plan is based off an old Sprint agreement to offer unlimited cellular internet to non-profits, which is managed by Mobile Beacon & Mobile Citizen.]

connectall hotspot
ConnectAll Hotspot

Unlimited LTE. $11.95/month (+$99 initial equipment fee). Speeds are location dependent, but usually highest available speeds with no throttling. However, you need to qualify to access this plan (ie. low income or non-profit). [This plan is based off an old Sprint agreement to offer unlimited cellular internet to non-profits, which is managed by Mobile Beacon & Mobile Citizen.]

pcs for people hotspot
PCs For People Hotspot

Unlimited LTE. $15/month in packages of 3, 6, or 12 months (+$80 initial equipment fee). Speeds are location dependent, but usually highest available speeds with no throttling. However, you need to qualify to access this plan (ie. low income). [This plan is based off an old Sprint agreement to offer unlimited cellular internet to non-profits, which is managed by Mobile Beacon & Mobile Citizen.]

cricket hotspot
Cricket Simply Data

100 GB/month LTE/5G. $90/month (taxes/fees included). Speeds based on location, probably similar to fast phone data speeds. HD Streaming available. [Note: We do not normally recommend MVNOs, but this plan historically has been offered at $55/month and a similar plan historically has been $55/month on AT&T Prepaid and is no longer available. Since Cricket uses AT&T's network and is owned by AT&T directly, we thought it would be best to mention it.]


UNTRADITIONAL PLANS



TABLET PLANS
at&t standalone tablet plan
AT&T Unlimited Tablet

Unlimited LTE/5G. $20/month (+taxes/fees & standalone) Postpaid. Speeds are location dependent, but usually highest available speeds with no throttling. Possible deprioritization, but not usually noticeable. 10 GB hotspot data limit (but workarounds [APN] available). No video throttle if Stream Saver is turned off. Easier to use and cheap as a standalone plan with no phone plan required. Requires IMEI modification if used in a non-tablet. But, cannot be signed up for online. View our special info page for all the details.

tmobile tablet plan
T-Mobile Magenta Plus Tablet

Unlimited LTE/5G. $25/month (with autopay & add-on to phone line or $70/month as standalone) Postpaid. Speeds are location dependent, but usually highest available speeds with no throttling. Possible deprioritization after 50 GB. 10 GB hotspot data limit (but workarounds [TTL] available). HD video streaming available, if activated. Requires IMEI modification if used in a non-tablet. T-Mobile offers other tablet plan options, but they have video throttles and hotspot limits that are unnecessary or generally not worth it.

verizon tablet plan
Verizon Unlimited Tablet

Unlimited LTE/5G. $20/month (with autopay +taxes/fees & add-on to phone line or $80/month as standalone) Postpaid. Speeds are location dependent, but usually highest available speeds with no throttling. Possible deprioritization after 15 GB. 15 GB hotspot data limit (but workarounds [TTL] available). 1080p video streaming (but workarounds [VPN] available). There is a $30 tablet plan with 4K video streaming, if using 5G Ultra Wideband. May require IMEI modification if used in a non-tablet. Verizon offers other tablet plan options, but they lack features to make it generally not worth it.

tmobile business tablet plan
T-Mobile Magenta Business Tablet

[$10 promo has ended as of Feb 2023. It is now $60/month standalone or $20/month add-on.] Unlimited LTE/5G. $10/month. 10 GB hotspot data limit (but workarounds [TTL] available). We don't normally recommend business plans, as we are focused on consumer plans, but this plan has become very popular in the cellular internet community. This is because it is only $10/month and it is available as a standalone plan, with no other lines required. But, you do have to get a business account to be able to get this plan. In any case, it is worth a mention. For all the details, follow the link below.


PHONE PLANS
at&T unlimited elite
AT&T Unlimited Premium

Unlimited LTE/5G. $85-$40/month, depending on how many lines on the account (with autopay & +taxes/fees) Postpaid. Speeds are location dependent, but usually highest available speeds with no throttling and no deprioritization, with a high priority level too. 50 GB hotspot data limit (but workarounds [APN] available). No video throttle if Stream Saver is turned off. Requires IMEI modification if used in a non-phone. AT&T offers other phone plan options, but they lack features to make it generally not worth it. [Note: Used to be called AT&T Unlimited Elite]

tmobile magenta max
T-Mobile Magenta MAX

Unlimited LTE/5G. $85-$37/month, depending on how many lines on the account (with autopay & includes taxes/fees) Postpaid. Speeds are location dependent, but usually highest available speeds with no throttling and no deprioritization, with a high priority level too. 40 GB hotspot data limit (but workarounds [TTL] available). 4k UHD video streaming available, if activated. Requires IMEI modification if used in a non-phone. T-Mobile offers other phone plan options, but they lack features to make it generally not worth it.

verizon 5G get more unlimited
Verizon 5G Get More Unlimited

Unlimited LTE/5G. $90-$50/month, depending on how many lines on the account (with autopay & +taxes/fees) Postpaid. Speeds are location dependent, but usually highest available speeds with no throttling and no deprioritization. 50 GB hotspot data limit (but workarounds [TTL] available). SD (480p) video streaming (but workarounds [VPN] available). There is a $10/month video streaming add-on that can bring streaming up to 720p on LTE/5G or 4K on 5G UW. May require IMEI modification if used in a non-phone. Verizon offers other phone plan options, but they lack features to make it generally not worth it.

visible unlimited
Visible Unlimited

[Visible is a unique Verizon MVNO that people have found useful for cellular internet.] Unlimited LTE/5G. $25-45/month (taxes/fees included). $30 Visible Basic, $45 Visible+ (prioritized 5G UW data, 50 GB prioritized 5G/LTE data). Prepaid. The benefit of this plan is unlimited Verizon data for as low as $25/month. It also includes official unlimited hotspot data. But, speeds are completely location dependent, some people have great speeds, others suffer from harsh deprioritization and high latency. Also, hotspot is throttled to 5 Mbps, which is generous, but workarounds [TTL] available. Video streaming throttle (but workarounds [VPN] available). May require IMEI modification if used in a non-phone. [UPDATE: Visible customers can actually get a discount on Verizon LTE/5G Home Internet. Info here.]

att prepaid unlimited plus
AT&T Prepaid Unlimited Max

Unlimited LTE/5G. $50/month (with autopay promo deal & +taxes/fees. $60 normal autopay or $75 w/o autopay) Prepaid. Speeds are location dependent, but usually highest available speeds with no throttling. Possible deprioritization after 22GB, but not usually noticeable. 10 GB hotspot data limit (but workarounds [APN] available). No video throttle if Stream Saver is turned off. Relatively easier to use and a Prepaid option with a good promo price. Requires IMEI modification if used in a non-phone. Unfortunately, the plan is not listed on the AT&T Prepaid website. You have to get a different plan first, then once your account is setup, you can switch to this plan. [Note: Used to be a similar plan called AT&T Unlimited Plus.] 

mobile internet resource center
Additional Plans

Above is just a list of the most popular options for cellular internet. If you would like to explore a more comprehensive list of plans, along with complete details of plan specifics and business level plans, check out a wonderful resource for cellular internet over at the Mobile Internet Resource Center.


Disclaimer:
  • Cellular internet has too many variables to predict with certainty what will work. There are no guarantees. Everything on this site has been complied from multiple resources and is provided for informational purposes only.

Disclosure:
  • Some links to 3rd party sites may be affiliate links. This does not influence the information shared on this website.

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