Best Cell Phone Plans in Windsor, NC

Coverage is still king: a few things to keep in mind

Coverage has gotten dramatically better for all carriers in the last few years, especially for Sprint and T-Mobile. While the country's two smallest carriers often had their coverage compared to Swiss cheese in the early 2000s, their LTE networks today are fully modernized, dense, and ready to perform well even during times of peak demand. With that said, it's a good idea to take a look at independent test results that show the strengths of each network. These tests, performed by RootMetrics, will help clarify which carrier is best for clear calls, fast data, or consistent texting.

Best for Calls: For the third time in two years, RootMetrics testing found that all four major carriers are almost the same in Windsor, NC when it comes to 'call performance.' This indicates that all four carriers have crystal clear calls, and that all four carriers rarely drop a call that has been initiated. That's great news if your main area of usage each month is wireless minutes.

Best for Texting: During the second half of 2016, RootMetrics testing found that AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile were tied for first place in overall texting performance. All three carriers had a near-100-percent success rate in sending and delivering texts. Sprint's texting performance was just a bit shy of making this metric a four-way tie.

Best for Data-Heavy Usage: This category is a bit more nuanced than the others. Overall, Verizon's LTE network delivered both the fastest speeds and the most reliable connections to customers in Windsor, NC. T-Mobile's average data speed increased dramatically in 2016, however, and AT&T showed improvement in average speeds as well.

Breadth of Coverage: All four carriers have an extremely broad network in Windsor, NC, with coverage almost everywhere. Sprint, which is still expanding its LTE network, has slightly less high-speed coverage. Even so, it has the high-density city and suburban areas covered very well.

Major cell phone plan types

Many Windsor, NC residents use cellphones for several different purposes. They often make voice calls, access the Internet and engage in texting. When people select cellular plans, they need to consider several different limits. Separate caps may pertain to voice minutes, text messages and data transfers. Different limits often apply to international communications, especially when subscribers make calls to people in countries outside of North America.

Individuals who completely or mostly rely on cellphones must find plans with enough data and minutes to fully meet their communication needs. Users who have home Internet connections and/or landline phones may be satisfied with the most basic cell phone services. Either way, Wirefly enables people to find affordable plans that have what they need. Most cell phone plans fit into one of three types: family, individual or no contract.

A family plan is more expensive than individual wireless service, but it costs less per line. All of the subscriber's mobile devices share the same amount of bandwidth and minutes. It's crucial to choose a plan with limits that accommodate the total cellphone usage of all family members. Alternately, a single-line plan only provides service for one phone. It's the most economical option for people who don't live with any other cellphone users.

A no contract plan offers the greatest flexibility and helps keep costs under control. Some providers call it a pay-as-you-go, prepaid or month-to-month plan. This type of service has become more convenient than it was in the past. Locals can visit department stores in Windsor, NC and purchase prepaid cell phones. It's normally possible to begin using the phones immediately. However, extra fees may apply and high-end cell phones tend to cost more than usual.

No contract plans let people spend just as much as they want, and it's easy to switch providers at any time. On the other hand, individual and family contracts usually remain in effect for at least 12 months. Subscribers pay monthly fees and the contract requires them to keep paying until it expires. A substantial fee must be paid to cancel early; it includes a fine and a portion of the unpaid amount.

Which cell phone plan should you choose?

During the process of selecting a plan, you'll need to consider the number of people who will be covered and what kinds of features they'll need to have. Most service providers divide these plan features into one of these three categories: minutes, texts, and data usage.

Inexpensive contract plans restrict the number of minutes and/or texts to around 400 or fewer. Unrestricted plans are more cost-efficient if you text or talk frequently throughout the day and can't abide any limitations. With prepaid plans, you usually fund your phone card with cash to purchase minutes, which are available per minute or in a bundle, like 500 minutes for 20 dollars. After you've used up your minutes, you must buy more.

How much data you use is an important consideration when selecting plans these days. Many Windsor, NC providers charge a lot for heavy data usage, and there aren't many unlimited wireless data packages on the market. Plans are usually charged according to MB and GB usage. Sometimes, exceeding your data capacity can result in costly penalty fees. To avoid these unwanted charges, choose a data package that can handle the amount of data you use.

Comparing carrier cell phone service in Windsor, NC

The following list is of cell phone carriers that offer coverage in Windsor, NC. Smaller carriers also known as MVNOs operate through one or more of the large carriers, which mean coverage is most likely available in every city.

AT&T

As one of the largest wireless providers, AT&T offers consumers many different types of cell phone plans. Whether a person only needs an individual plan, wants to add phone lines for their children, or would prefer to not have the responsibility that comes with a two-year contract, they can contact AT&T for a wireless plan.

Sprint

A friends and family plan is among the various offerings from Sprint. Called the Better Choice Plan, literal friends and family can share the cost of one plan where their lines are grouped together. Another selling point for Sprint is it is one of the only major carriers that has unlimited 4G LTE data without throttling the data.

T-Mobile

The self-given name of the “uncarrier” is a way for T-Mobile to brag about not binding their customers to contract plans. Choosing from T-Mobile One and Simple Choice plans, customers can pay a single monthly price to receive unlimited talk, text and data. However, the service does throttle at different levels. Individual and family cell phone plans are also offered through T-Mobile.

Verizon Wireless

Individual, family sharing and no contract plans are part of the offerings from Verizon Wireless. Customers start by choosing either a prepaid or shared data plan. Individuals may use a shared data plan. A family may also benefit from selecting a shared data plan. Either way, these plans come with unlimited talk and text. However, the amount of data comes in a pre-specified amount.

Other cell phone carriers and MVNOs

Customers are not limited to using one of the major carriers in Windsor, NC. They can also choose from quality cell phone carriers. By using the cell phone comparison tool on above, they can make the best choice whether it is for family or their own use.