Best Cell Phone Plans in Woodland, IL

Cell phone coverage quality in Woodland, IL

Many factors pertain to making a decision about what is good and not so good about the different cell phone plans. One in particular is signing up with a service that has good coverage quality in Woodland, IL. No one wants to be on a call that drops at a moment's notice. The number of text and call minutes in a cheap plan does not matter if messages and phone calls never complete.

Fortunately, most national cell phone carriers have decent coverage in every city across the country. Therefore, choosing a decent plan in Woodland, IL should not be difficult. A good thing to do is to compare coverage maps from several carriers. This helps to determine if the coverage is reliable.

Getting started: what different kinds of cell phone plans exist?

While the American wireless industry is changing rapidly and becoming exceedingly competitive, the overall premise of wireless plans remains the same. In Woodland, IL, you'll be able to choose from a family plan, an individual postpaid line, or prepaid plans that present no long-term contract or device financing requirements. Here's the basics on each type of plan available:

Family Plans

Family plans are the most popular type of cell phone plan in the United States. Family plans enable multiple people in a family or small business to share a single account, dividing line and data fees across several different people in order to get a less expensive monthly cost of service for each person on the plan. Most carriers offer deep discounts on the price of a GB of data for multi-line accounts, making it cheaper for everyone. However, multi-line accounts are also hard to move between carriers due to different device payment plans and coverage concerns.

Individual Plans

Individual plans enable a single person to pick the amount of data they need each month for themselves. Though these plans are typically more expensive than family plans, individual plans are simpler to manage and are geared towards people who do not want to share expenses and device upgrades with friends or members of their family.

Prepaid Plans

Prepaid plans have become far more ubiquitous these days. The majority of prepaid plans offer more data at a lower cost than an individual plan at a major carrier, but still offer many of the most popular phones. In addition, prepaid family plans offer more inexpensive costs for multi-line accounts than some traditional family plans at the 'Big 4' carriers. These plans are usually ineligible for device financing, which means you'll likely have to pay full price to buy a new smartphone.

Choosing a wireless plan that works best for you

When you are searching for a wireless plan, you will need to consider who will all be using the plan and the different services that you will need to include. Almost all cell phone carriers factor three things into each plan: minutes, text messages, data usage in MB or GB.

When you choose a cheaper plan, you can set a limit on how many minutes and text messages you can use to about 400 or less. But if you talk on the phone a lot and send multiple text messages, an unlimited plan will be the best bet. When you choose a no contract plan, you'll be loading your wireless card with cash that will pay for the minutes. These can be purchased by the minute or bought as a package. For example, 1,000 minutes for a flat rate of $40 is a typical purchase. When your minutes are used up, you'll need to add more to your plan.

The amount of data you use is another big factor in how to pick a cell phone plan. Almost all carriers in the Woodland, IL area charge higher amounts for high data usage, and there are basically no plans that allow for unlimited data. Cell phone plans are usually priced per gigabyte and megabyte. With many plans, going over the data limit per month can occur and will cost you in overages. To avoid this, choose a data plan that will be enough for yours or your family's needs.

Woodland, IL cell phone carrier comparison

There are 4 major cell phone carriers in Woodland, IL. Other smaller carriers, called MVNOs operate using the larger carrier's networks. The big networks offer a lot of coverage, so you will likely find coverage for your area.

AT&T

AT&T offers an array of plans to fit your needs. From individual and family plans to pay-as-you go plans with unlimited data, there are many options for individuals and families from this carrier. Plans from AT&T are reasonably priced, but their overage charges can be expensive. To combat this, some plans offer rollover options.

Verizon Wireless

Verizon is the largest carrier in the U.S., offering coverage in remote areas where service can be spotty. This probably won't be an issue for you in Woodland, IL, but it's reassuring for travel. Verizon has a large selection of plans and phones, but they do not offer unlimited data, and their plans can be pricey.

Sprint

Sprint offers a number of budget-friendly plans, including ones that give you unlimited talk, text and data. These affordable plans are excellent for families, but not great for anyone that requires fast, consistent service. Sprint coverage is not the best and the data speeds can be slow. However, the price is often unbeatable.

T-Mobile

T-Mobile, who call themselves the “Uncarrier,” only offer no-contract plans. Their plans are affordable and most give you unlimited everything, including data. The downside to T-Mobile is their network. T-Mobile does not perform well in some areas, so if you want to consider one of their plans, be sure to check the coverage maps to make sure you'll have peak performance in your area.

MVNOs and other carriers

There are a variety of other carriers out there and some of them have some great deals. Using our cell phone comparison tool, you can find a plan that works for you and then see what's available from smaller carriers.