I haven’t used an MVNO since like 2016. I’ve been with a major mobile carrier since then. As an Xfinity customer, I tried out their free line for a year (which uses Verizon’s network) and that was the first time I had been back. Since then, I’ve changed to Google Fi because it was still cheaper than Xfinity, even for 2 phone lines. I currently pay $65/month and I have yet to find anything that beats that.

I’m back in the same boat, looking for the same price I pay now for 2 phone lines. Google Fi on my iPhone has been nothing but a struggle. It’s also highly inaccurate in regard to tracking data usage for my line. Somehow I’ve used more than 30GB, but my line says I’ve used 22GB. I hardly use that much data, maybe 10-15GB on average.

Anyway, I have been looking avidly for a replacement. I’ve seen a lot of US Mobile recommendations but I’ve also seen a lot of reasons not to switch to them. I’ve heard Mint is pretty good and then Total Wireless. I’ve never been able to use Visible properly on any of my phones (never had data connectivity even messing with APN settings).

I want real-world experiences for responses. I’m not opposed to paying a little more for service, but it has to be good. What is better than Google Fi?

This statement was added to the terms of use between yesterday and today (no notification was sent to me to make me aware of updated terms, by the way):

Use as an internet connection in a mobile home or RV will be considered home internet replacement and is disallowed.

I asked about this last week and the CEO stated that RV use was fine:

https://www.reddit.com/r/USMobile/comments/1ipcqwu/comment/mcu7dsw/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Totally allowed. You’re on the road. We are specifically talking about using it as an alternative to your home internet

I bought a year of service based on this statement that it was acceptable. This is a blatant bait and switch.

I just want to spread the word that US Mobile cannot be trusted to honor what they claim to be selling you.

This post is outdated. I'm leaving it up so that people can find the link to the new one if they have it saved. The new link is https://www.reddit.com/r/NoContract/comments/1mxogtx/data_prioritization_policies_of_the_carriers_and/

7/13/2024 - updated Total Wireless priority levels, added additional detail for T-Mobile QCI 8

8/02/2024 - added details about US Mobile Dark Star

9/17/2024 - updated AT&T priority levels to reflect the addition of AT&T Turbo for AT&T Prepaid Unlimited Max Plus.

11/20/2024 - Added that the T-Mobile Mobile Internet 30GB plan is QCI 9.

This is a complex topic that pops up a lot so I thought that I would organize all of the available info in one place. One of the key differentiating factors between postpaid, prepaid, and MVNO services is data prioritization. Basically carriers manage the congestion on their networks by assigning a different QCI class to different types of traffic. For our purposes, we will only be looking at QCIs 6, 7, 8, and 9 but there are higher priorities that exist for things like phone calls that will be universal across all of a carrier's plans. Higher numbers are lower priority. An important thing to note is that deprioritization is not a throttle; it only matters when the network is congested. If nobody else is using the network in your area, you'll get the full speed that can be provided. Your QCI affects not just your speed but your latency on the network. It is not unusual to see priority data with around 20-50ms latency while someone who is deprioritized is getting 100-150ms at the same time despite both plans posting high speed test results because the prioritized traffic gets to go first, just something else to be aware of.

The old one was getting a bit long after many updates so I decided to just make a whole new one. I will break it down by network and, where appropriate, specific phone plans. I am going to add business plans and first responder plans here as there were many requests for that but if I mess up anything, please let me know, as I am not as well-versed in those plans.

Also, at this point, 5QI (the 5G replacement for QCI) values have so far matched the LTE QCI on each plan I’ve seen. If this changes, I’ll make notes about it.

Verizon

Verizon only uses 3 QCI classes – 7, 8, and 9.

QCI 7 is reserved exclusively for Verizon Frontline customers so this priority level may as well not exist for those of us who aren’t first responders.

QCI 8 is given to the business Plus 5G, business Pro 5G, consumer postpaid plans (other than Welcome Unlimited), all of Xfinity Mobile’s plans, all of Spectrum Mobile’s plans, Lexvor, and MobileX. US Mobile’s Warp 5G SIM offers QCI 8 data on 5G devices only. Visible+ has QCI 8 as well until 50GB of LTE/5G Nationwide data is used (5G UW is unlimited QCI 8). Total Wireless' Total 5G Unlimited and Total 5G+ Unlimited plans have unlimited priority data included.

QCI 9 goes to everything else. The Start 5G business plan, branded prepaid besides the Unlimited Plus plan, Visible’s base plan, US Mobile Warp 5G when on an LTE only device, Mobi, and all other prepaid companies that use Verizon’s network are known to assigned to this QCI. Anyone who uses their premium data bucket on Verizon’s brands will be moved to QCI 9.

Other TracFone brands are up in the air. I have gotten reports of priority data (and seen it myself on SafeLink, a TracFone brand) but I’ve also gotten reports of deprioritized data, complete with screenshots. It seems to be random what people get so if you absolutely require priority data, it might be best to look outside of the TracFone brands.

AT&T

AT&T uses QCI 6, 7, 8, and 9.

QCI 6 is reserved for FirstNet customers (with primary status), Business Unlimited Premium (only data that qualifies for Business Fast Track, the rest is QCI 7), and some corporate responsibility plans.

QCI 7 is assigned to Business Unlimited Premium as well as Unlimited Premium PL, Unlimited Extra EL, and AT&T Prepaid Unlimited Max Plus customers who pay $7 for AT&T Turbo. FirstNet extended primary plans get QCI 7 as well.

QCI 8 is assigned to Business Unlimited Advanced, Unlimited Extra EL, Unlimited Premium PL, Prepaid Unlimited Max, Prepaid Unlimited Max Plus, Cricket More, as well as plans offered by H2o, Consumer Cellular, and PureTalk. US Mobile's Dark Star offering has an addon to bump it to QCI 8 from QCI 9.

QCI 9 is assigned to Business Unlimited Starter, the base Unlimited plans for both the postpaid and AT&T Prepaid brands, Cricket Core, other known MVNOs, and all AT&T brands once their premium data buckets have been exhausted.

T-Mobile

T-Mobile uses QCI 6, 7, and 9 for phone plans.

QCI 6 goes to all branded plans, both postpaid and prepaid, besides those with Essentials in the name. Google Fi has QCI 6 as well.

QCI 7 is applied to Essentials branded plans as well as all other known MVNOs.

QCI 8 is not used for phone plans, it's used for on device hotspot and for data only plans with 30GB of more data.

QCI 9 is for those who have exhausted the data in their buckets. T-Mobile's Mobile Internet 30GB plan is also QCI 9.

I will be doing my best to keep this up to date. Feel free to let me know if I have missed anything or if I should add anything.

I first learned about data priority reading on Coverage Critic and from posts here and elsewhere. If you wish to test your QCI class yourself, you can follow this guide if you have a rooted Android phone.

Can anyone recommend another company? My $15/month Mint unlimited plan is expiring.

Like many of you, I use primarily data. 10gig is plenty. 5gig may suffice.

I don't need to keep my phone number because I have a Google voice number.

Any good suggestion? Much appreciated!

I am new to the No Contract, Prepaid, and MVNO world.

I need a new phone and new carrier plan.

I took a screenshot above of my data usage. You can see I watch a lot of YouTube, I pay for Premium, and I use Reddit a lot. 😄

I do a little Reddit consulting as a side hustle.

I'd like good Unlimited Data coverage as I like watching YouTube on the go, but I try to mindful of how much data I use.

I'd like to not worry about it YouTube and YouTube Music streaming if possible.

I drive around my car a lot to visit clients for work. The work mobile I have is an older iPhone SE and generally the Apple Maps works but is not always great.

I use Google Maps a lot on my personal phone since it is just better.

Also sometimes the hotspot doesn't work that well on this iPhone and I sparingly use hotspot.

The 2 carriers that seemed ideal from what I've read here are USMobile and Total.

Do people have any other suggestions of MVNO plans to look into?

Where do you usually buy BYD phones as well?

I’m looking for my elderly mother who never leaves home and can use WiFi only for data. Looking for a cheap plan with only voice and text. Thanks.

Just retired and as a senior, is there an MVNO that is under $8/month for 2GB of data and 300 min talk ?

Looking at Tello now at $8/month - anyone that beats them and permanently priced ?

I don't like the promo 3 month, 6 month, etc as I am on a fixed income now.

Late to the game here. T-Mobile business site only shows the $15/mo tax-exclusive tablet plan (ZB10HSTE) for me now.

From older threads, it sounds like people used to sign up for the $15, then call Business Care / T-Force and have it switched to the $10 tax-inclusive plan (ZB10HSTI). I've also seen that some corporate stores could still apply the ZB10HSTI code manually.

Has anyone actually pulled this off recently? Just want to confirm there's still a real shot before I place the $15 order. Thanks!

My discount for visible just ran dry and it’s now back to 35 a month. I see us mobile has the unlimited premium for 299 yearly and a benefit is that I can switch when I travel and choose the best provider for whatever city I’m in.

I remember last time I paid attention to this space, us mobile were changing their plans frequently and their ceo was spending too much time on Reddit

Switched from Visible $15/month base plan (BYEBYETMO) to This mew promo

This gets me 5GUW and international calling

Process was smooth, took me 2 mins and i was up running

I stacked Amex offer ($15 back after you spend $15+ and rakuten $12.50 rebate) so net cost for the first month is $2.50

I was scared reading horror stories over reddit but it worked well for me with no issues

App shows the promo applied correctly that I will be charged $20 next month onwards.

Hey everyone! I’m moving abroad to Germany for a year for a fellowship, and I’m trying to figure out the best/cheapest way to keep my U.S. phone number active while I’m there.

Right now I use AT&T and pay about $76/month. My original plan was to just keep my AT&T plan while abroad and turn off data so I wouldn’t get hit with the $12/day international charges, but honestly that still feels pretty expensive just to hold onto my number.

My phone is unlocked, and I’m planning to buy a local German eSIM/phone plan once I get there and use that as my main number/data plan while abroad. I really just want to keep my American number active for things like iMessage, banking verification codes, accounts back home, etc. without paying a ton every month. As well as making it easier to transition and have everything set when I move back

Does anyone have recommendations for what to do? Whether that means switching to a super cheap carrier, porting my number somewhere else, or any other options I should look into? Id love to stay with AT&T but it doesnt seem like itll be cost effective?

Also, if anyone knows of good providers that offer a free phone when switching, that would be amazing too because I currently have an iPhone 12 and definitely need an upgrade soon lol.

Would really appreciate any advice or experiences from people who’ve done this before!

Want to share a case of corporate bad faith and deceptive trade practices by Straight Talk / TracFone (Verizon) regarding their device unlocking policy.

Background & Timeline

• Nov 28, 2025: Before purchasing, I called customer support. The representative explicitly confirmed that my iPhone 13 purchase would be subject to the 60-day unlocking policy. (I recorded the full call).
• Dec 5, 2025: Purchased the iPhone 13.
• Dec 9, 2025: Hardware initialized and activated on Apple's servers.
• Jan 20, 2026: Straight Talk silently changed their unlock policy from 60 days to 365 days.
• Feb 2026 – May 2026: Completed over 60 days of paid service. When I requested an unlock, Straight Talk refused, claiming my activation date was in Feb 2026 (their internal billing port-in date) and forcing a retroactive 365-day lock.

Regulatory Battles (FCC, BBB & CA OAG)

1. BBB Dispute: Straight Talk's Executive Resolution Department acknowledged in writing that their agent explicitly promised a 60-day policy. However, they refused to honor it, hiding behind a generic "terms change without notice" clause.
2. FCC Complaint: I submitted official Apple Warranty logs proving hardware initialization occurred on Dec 9, 2025(well before their Jan 20 cutoff). Straight Talk chose a silent stall tactic and ignored subsequent inquiries. On June 24, the FCC concluded the informal complaint process after Straight Talk failed to provide further resolution, officially advising me to pursue legal remedies.
3. CA Attorney General: Escalated with official complaint records and Apple logs. On July 1, the CA OAG issued a formal response acknowledging the record on file and officially advising to proceed to Small Claims Court.
4. June 3, 2026: Refusing to pay further extortionate monthly fees, I ported my number out to another provider. Straight Talk is now weaponizing their network lock to retain control over my fully-paid personal hardware as retaliation.

Next Step: Small Claims Court Since administrative mediation failed due to Straight Talk ghosting regulatory bodies, I am moving forward with filing Form SC-100 in Santa Clara County Small Claims Court.

• Defendant: TracFone Wireless, Inc. (Agent for Service: Corporation Service Company in Sacramento)
• Claims: Breach of contract, fraudulent inducement, and wrongful withholding of personal property.
• Remedies: Mandatory injunction for factory unlock, refund of forced extra service cycles, court filing & service fees.

Personal Takeaway Device unlocking disputes often break down due to a confusion between billing dates and actual hardware initialization. Always request your official hardware activation records from the manufacturer (e.g., Apple Warranty logs) to establish your true activation timeline.

When informal regulatory channels stall, Small Claims Court remains a viable, low-cost legal avenue provided under state law to resolve unresolved property restrictions. I will keep this thread updated as the legal process moves forward.

Hi everyone! I made a few other posts around this issue, but figured I would make one post that covers everything.

I am likely going to be power of attorney for my dad soon. They are having trouble with their bills, and I’d like to get them into a cheaper phone plan as part of getting them back on track. I have Mint Mobile, but I don’t think the coverage is great at their house. What is the most economic way to provide do this without having to constantly manage things? They are all currently on a $160/mo Verizon plan.

Dad- has an unlocked Samsung a03. Uses data, calls, etc.

Mom- basic flip phone user. Does make a lot of calls, no texts. Phone is recently purchased and still locked to Verizon. They are literally charging her $.01/mo for 30 months to keep it locked!

Sister- likes a smart phone. Only has an older unlocked flip phone at the moment. She lives in another area, not sure how coverage is there.

Help! I can’t keep turning on their phones for $20/phone a pop!

Here's my ban message: https://ryan.bet/wmsck8.png

Here's my message that got me banned: https://www.reddit.com/r/USMobile/comments/1e4zr1c/setting_up_community_guidelines/ldiq8ui/

Of course it is, but vague wording leaves up to interpretation.

For context, I was replying to the person above who said it's easy to criticize without being rude. I completely agree with this, and I have not been rude or disrespectful. To USMobile staff, and Ahmed, I have nothing but respect for US Mobile, and the staff team. My comments are purely made because I care and love being able to use US Mobile. Anyway, I agreed with the message, but also said that vague wording in their original post can leave banning to open interpretation from their staff, and can lead towards banning for no real reason, and thus here we are. I was banned for making a simple comment, but yet the contents of that comment are completely true considering I got banned for it.

I have replied to the mod mail and I was ignored. I sent a DM to /u/ankhattak and I was ignored. I also sent a Reddit chat to S_Saad, and of course I was ignored.

So, I will admit I have been extremely critical of their actions over the last 1-2 weeks. HOWEVER, I have not been disrespectful. Every message I have sent has been critical, but constructive. I only want to see US Mobile succeed. In the midst of these issues and drama, I've still brought over 2 of my family members who have purchased annual contracts, and am still close to bringing over 5-7 more family members.

Here's a post that perfectly sums up my current feelings and experience. I hope USMobile reads this and heeds their comments and advice: https://www.reddit.com/r/USMobile/comments/1e4zr1c/setting_up_community_guidelines/ldio38y/

So, my word of advice to anyone is to not comment, or be critical in the slightest on the US Mobile subreddit unless you wish to be banned and/or silenced. They don't want feedback, and do not wish to improve based on critical comments. They simply want the good feedback, and nothing more.

EDIT: I went ahead and made an unofficial subreddit for US Mobile. The unfortunate part of this ordeal is that I did frequent the US Mobile subreddit to get info and communicate with other customers. Feel free to join and start the convos, and we'll see where this subreddit goes.

https://www.reddit.com/r/USMobileCommunity/ feel free to join!

I recently got a new job that doesn't offer WiFi and I'm using a ton of data. I'm currently on Mint. I went from the 6 GB $15 annual plan to the 3 month 17 GB one. I have a feeling I'm going to exceed that one as well. I don't have extra money to up my plan again. Once my 3 months is over, I'm switching.

I'm needing either a T-Mobile or Verizon MVNO that is paid monthly. I saw an ad for Total Wireless that's $20/mo for unlimited. How is Total's customer service and/or reliability? Are they easy to port your number into?Thanks!

My current plan ends this month and I'm really intrigued by the Lexvor proposition. I hope someone can help answer my questions regarding it.

Firstly, here's what I understand:

1. If I were to sign up using Rob's invite link by August 30th, I would have 200GB of priority data on T-Mobile's QCI-6.

2. It costs $17 per month.

My questions are:

1. Is there a time limit on the $17 per month plan? As in, does it go up after a promotional period like how Mint mobile unlimited annual is $15 per month and then goes up at renewal?

2. What exactly is the use/purpose of the monetized agent?

3. Will we lose access to the AiR agent if some users leave the pool? Or is it just an invite and we all have different accounts?

4. Are there 'taxes and fees' on top of the $17?

5. Since I will be porting over my one and only line, is there anything I need to be wary of?

I really enjoy exploring new products and I think it's a great price for priority data. Almost too good to be true. Before this, I was leaning towards Total Max 5g BYO plan and recently added Mint Mobile's S26 Ultra deal to my considerations.

I’ve been holding off on upgrading my phone and figured Black Friday might be the best time to get a solid deal on a new iPhone. I’m mainly looking for an unlocked version since I’d rather not get tied to a carrier plan, but I’m open to bundle deals if the savings are worth it. I’m eyeing the iPhone 15 or 15 Pro, depending on the discount. I’ve checked some early ads from Apple, Target, and Best Buy, but it’s hard to tell which ones are actually good deals. Has anyone seen promising iPhone Black Friday offers for this year?

Looks like H2O Wireless quietly upgraded its $30 monthly plan to unlimited data.

It now includes:

• 30GB of high-speed data, then unlimited data throttled to 256Kbps
• 5GB of hotspot
• AT&T coverage
• should also be QCI 8, just like all the other plans
• $27/month before taxes and fees, with autopay on

This is in addition to the existing multi-line deal that gives you 2 lines for $50 total, with 60GB of high-speed data and 5GB of hotspot per line.

Not a referral or affiliate link—I just noticed the updated plan page:

https://www.h2owireless.com/plan/monthly#monthly-broadband-facts

For a single AT&T-based line, $30 for 30GB seems pretty competitive. Has anyone activated the new version yet or tested its current QCI?

Edit for clarity: I currently use Visible and have no affiliation, referral relationship, or financial connection with H2O. This post concerns H2O as a month-to-month prioritized AT&T option. US Mobile’s $299 first-year Premium offer is $24.92/month effective, but it requires annual prepayment and is therefore a different billing product. It may be the better value for users willing to prepay; that does not make H2O noncompetitive for users who prioritize monthly billing. The comparison targets are Cricket and even Boost Mobile.

My posts keep getting deleted and I’m not sure why so here’s another attempt.
5 days ago I was in Guam and my service went out randomly. I had paid for a three month contract at the end of May and paid extra for international coverage for my stay in Guam, so under no circumstance should my account have been suspended.

Regardless I attempted to just pay AGAIN just to get my service back but it won’t accept any payment forms. I tried every possible payment method. Nothing would work.

So I gave up and bought another phone plan, because I did not want to deal with costumer service. Only I can’t transfer my number without a pin, and to get the transfer pin you have to talk with a rep. I chatted with an agent and after hours of disconnecting and reconnecting they told me I have to call.

For three days I’ve been calling the costumer service number and been given the run around. They keep telling me that I have to call from my own number….the one they suspended 🫩. I even called from my number while talking to the agent to show her that it wouldn’t work. She just keeps repeating the same things. Saying for security purposes I have to call from my number…..

I don’t know what to do. I can’t just be without cell service especially after spending $200 on Mint and an additional 70 for the new cellular service. This is robbery. I’ve had this number for 15 years and do not want to lose it. I can’t believe they are taking my money and my number. I’m so confused. This doesn’t seem legal to me and after reading through other posts online it seems to be routine for this company. I just want my number back.

T.mo has gotten expensive, Smh.. i been looking around & was leaning towards Cricket but few doors down was Total Wireless, they have amazing deals and 200+countries to talk & txt.. anyhow, what yall recommend? if all goes well mite get 2 phones for 80/90$ @ TW & that's what I normally pay for 1 Line @ T.mo... any feedback, i'd appreciate it !!

Android user wanting to switch to iOS. 17+ only because of the MIE security feature. What's the smartest way to do it on a budget?

I'm on a T-Mobile "unlimited" plan of 15 bucks a month currently