A Guide to Cell Phone Plans
What you will find in this section:
Trying to figure out the best cell phone plan for you?
Here are some things to consider:
If you have a working phone, always check with your own provider first. Adding another line to your existing plan will usually be the cheapest option, especially if you have a family plan. However, always check with your phone provider first before paying additional fees.
If your provider is not an option, consider whether your phone itself is factory unlocked or locked. If your phone is locked, it can only be used by certain providers. If your phone is unlocked, it can be used by any provider (in most cases).
Based on this information, the provider you are looking into will tell you if they are able to provide service on your specific phone. If you have a locked phone and are financially able, consider buying an unlocked phone for accessibility purposes.
Below are several phone plan options for you to review.
The Federal Lifeline Assistance Program
Through the Federal Lifeline Assistance Program, you may be able to obtain free phone service, as well as free government phones by state. If you are eligible, you can apply for free cell phones as well as additional free data (with approval from the Affordable Connectivity Program). In addition, Lifeline provides a discount on your monthly wireless service. In order to become eligible, you must enroll in one or more of the following programs:
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP Food Stamps)
Section 8 Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)
Medicaid (NOT Medicare)
In addition, you are eligible for the Lifeline program if your total gross income is at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. “Gross income” refers to the total income received by all members of the household from any source derived.
Requirements for the Lifeline program vary state by state. For information about your specific state, as well as to review the other terms and conditions, please visit Lifeline.
Affordable phone providers that don’t require annual plans
(Note: cheaper providers work decently in large cities, but do not work well in rural areas).
Unlimited service from $15 a month (unlimited plan slows down after 35 GB monthly data usage
The 3-month trial at discount prices
Free SIM card
Cheap, bare-bones phone plans from $5 per month per line
Free text plus your choice of minutes and data
Contract free
Cons:
Limited amount of high-speed data
Data slows down to 2G after the monthly limit is exceeded
Three separate plans with different benefits, from a low-data plan to an unlimited plan
Competitive prices.
An option to keep your existing SIM card through an electronic SIM
More expensive than the other plans listed above but comes with more benefits.
Additional tip
Be cautious when signing phone plan contracts and read the provider’s terms and conditions, because there may be hidden additional fees when trying to leave your phone plan in the future.