Best Cell Phone Plans in El Paso, IL

El Paso, IL cell phone coverage

One of the most important features that you need to consider in a cell phone plan is how well you will be covered. You'll need to have good reception when you are in El Paso, IL, so you need to choose a plan that offers the best coverage. While you may find a cheap cell phone plan that you want to go with, it won't do you any good if you can't get proper service in your area. Luckily, most national carriers now offer reliable coverage for cities around the United States, so chances are, you'll be covered wherever you go. Before you choose a plan, look at their coverage maps to make sure you get the right plan for your geographical area.

Types of cell phone plans

The hallmark of a great plan is flexibility. Most cellphone users want a customizable plan that will allow them to pay for only the data they need, the texts they send and the minutes they use. All cell phone plans include some combination of talk time, texts and data. Some offer a la carte options as well.

If you're like thousands of other Americans, you rely on your cell phone for nearly all of your communication needs. This is why it is imperative to select a plan that's perfect for you and your usage needs in El Paso, IL. Use Wirefly to compare a wide variety of carriers and plan types and learn how much you can expect to spend. You may even same some money over the plan you currently use. Cell phone plans generally fall into one of these three categories: individual, family and no-contract.

Individual plans have a single line item that reflects the total charges for voice, text and data for a single phone. This plan is best for single people with no children or spouse.

If you do have a family and want everyone to be on the same wireless plan, consider a family. These offer family members to have their own device and unique coverage allowances. These can be pricey, but are worth it if you have multiple phone lines. They allow families to share data, text messages and minutes. Choose a plan that can adequately meet the needs of everyone in your family.

No-contract plans give you the benefit of great coverage without the hassle of being locked in. Also known as pay-as-you-go, no-contract plans used to mean buying a pre-paid card and loading it onto your phone. Now, phones themselves are pre-paid. You can purchase a prepaid phone in most major department stores in El Paso, IL. The cost of the phone covers the data, texts and minutes you use. You may be charged additional fees if you exceed your limits. Most of these phones are fairly expensive so that all your usage can be covered. You can typically find the latest smartphones in pre-paid versions.

Most phone contracts last a minimum of 24 months, but there are some you can get for just 12 months. Payment is due on a month-to-month basis, but you have to pay for the whole life of the contract. You cannot break the contract early unless you pay a hefty termination fee. This fee includes a percentage of the outstanding amount on your contract plus penalties.

Choosing a Suitable Plan

There are several factors to think about while comparing service providers and specific plans. You need to consider the number of individuals or separate mobile devices in your home. It's also important to look at non-voice communication features, such as data access and texting. Internet downloads are measured in gigabytes. Many cell phone providers no longer apply separate limits to texts or voice minutes, especially if users sign multi-year contracts.

Prepaid plans let users buy specific numbers of minutes. For instance, a person might pay $20 to talk for eight hours. The phone stops working after this time runs out. Inexpensive contracts may limit subscribers to less than 500 texts and/or minutes. An unlimited plan is typically more affordable for anyone who repeatedly communicates on a cellphone throughout the day.

Data bandwidth has become an important consideration for El Paso, IL smartphone users. People use it to browse the mobile Web and use online apps. Cell phone companies usually demand considerable monthly fees for plans with high data caps. Substantial extra charges may apply if a person exceeds the limit. It's wise to choose a service that provides more than enough bandwidth. Few providers allow subscribers to download unlimited amounts of data.

Finding the best cell phone plan for your needs

Now that you know which kind of cell phone plan you want, it's now time to make another important decision: what do you need each month in terms of minutes, text messages, and data? This used to be a slightly complex decision to have to make, but that is no longer the case due to changes in the wireless industry. Current cell phone plans have almost all dropped limits on calling minutes and texts messages. Postpaid family plans and individual plans at Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon, all include unlimited talk and text. Only a small number of no contract prepaid plans still enforce limits.

The good news is that you can choose to look at only the amount of data that you need on a monthly basis. Two of the major carriers make this decision pretty simple, while two of the other major carriers require a bit more decision making before choosing a plan. Here's what to keep in mind when selecting a cell phone plan in El Paso, IL:

Sprint

Like T-Mobile, Sprint recently unveiled a flat-rate, all-unlimited mobile plan for new and existing subscribers. Customers who prefer not to get an unlimited plan can opt for a 'shared' amount of data that can be used by all lines attached to the account. By default, data speeds on limited plans slow down after all data has been used. Customers can buy a high-speed pass if they wish to have more full-speed data until the end of the month, however.

T-Mobile

The Un-Carrier, as T-Mobile has dubbed itself, recently made a move toward unlimited data for all. The company added to its Simple Choice plan lineup with T-Mobile ONE, an unlimited, single plan for individuals or families. T-Mobile Simple Choice plans are still available for customers who prefer them, however. These plans feature data rollover and no overage charges, so there's no extra fees added to the bill based on your usage.

Verizon

Verizon got rid of overages early in 2016 and started offering rollover data for its shared data plans. Verizon's plans are similar to AT&T's, however an unlimited data option is not available to new customers at all.

AT&T

AT&T offers unlimited data only to customers who also have DIRECTV or AT&T Internet. Otherwise, customers have shared data plans with every line on their account. In 2016, AT&T introduced a no-overages policy that throttles data to 2G speeds when a data bucket is exhausted. The company also has its 'Stream Saver' service in 2016, which reduces the quality of all streaming video and uses data more slowly as a result.

MVNO Carriers

Smaller prepaid carriers, called Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs), usually operate on one of the four above networks and resell services to no-commitment customers. These plans cover El Paso, IL and change very frequently, but they do often represent a good savings each month.