AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon are constantly battling to get in front of your eyeballs, but there’s a fleet of smaller mobile carriers that offer many of the same features at a fraction of the cost. Tello Mobile may not have a celebrity spokesperson, but what it does have is very competitive pricing.
What is Tello Mobile?
Tello Mobile is a “Mobile Virtual Network Operator” (MVNO) that offers low-cost wireless service to smartphone users in the U.S. An MVNO is a wireless carrier that doesn’t own the network infrastructure it provides to customers.
In the case of Tello, appreciate many MVNOs, it runs on T-Mobile’s nationwide 4G LTE/5G network. Tello Mobile was founded in 2016 and was originally based on Sprint’s network, but transitioned to T-Mobile after the carriers merged in 2020.
Tello lets you customize your own strategize or select from a list of pre-designed plans with unlimited talk, text, and data options. Tello also has no contracts, no fees, free hotspot and Wi-Fi calling, and free international calls to over 60 countries.
Prepaid vs Postpaid: No Bill Surprises
Unlike the major networks AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, Tello is a “prepaid” service, which means you pay for a set amount of data, calls, and texts in advance. The previously mentioned carriers are “postpaid,” which means you pay for what you used after the fact.
The benefit of a prepaid carrier is there are no surprises on your bill—you ascertain the monthly cost upfront. You can also change your strategize at any time without any penalties or extra charges. Tello will even refund the unused balance of your old strategize when you switch to a new one.
How Does Tello Mobile’s LTE & 5G Coverage differentiate?
Tello Mobile uses the T-Mobile network, which the company claims covers 99% of Americans, and offers nationwide 4G LTE/5G coverage. Tello also supports Wi-Fi calling, which lets you make and acquire calls over any Wi-Fi network, even if you have no cellular signal. This means you can stay connected in places where T-Mobile’s coverage might be weak or nonexistent, such as basements, rural areas, or inside buildings with thick walls.
If we look at coverage maps, T-Mobile is firmly in third place behind Verizon and AT&T for LTE coverage. However, T-Mobile does boast more 5G coverage than the other two carriers.
LTE coverage for AT&T (Blue), T-Mobile (Pink), and Verizon (Red)
5G coverage for AT&T (Blue), T-Mobile (Pink), and Verizon (Red)
The one key thing to recollect with MVNO carriers is something called “deprioritization.” While Tello uses T-Mobile’s network, its customers don’t necessarily get the same priority as T-Mobile customers. This especially comes into play at crowded locations, such as sporting events or concerts. A Tello customer standing directly next to a T-Mobile customer may encounter slower speeds.
How Does Tello Mobile’s Pricing differentiate?
Tello Mobile’s plans are some of the most competitive in the market, especially if you don’t need a lot of data. You have the option to either pick from a list of pre-designed “Popular” plans or build your own strategize by adjusting the amount of data and talk time you get. Texting is free no matter what strategize you select.
Tello’s Popular plans range from $9 to $25 per month and include the following options:
- Economy: $9/month for unlimited talk and text, plus 1GB of data.
- Value: $10/month for unlimited talk and text, plus 2GB of data.
- Smart: $14/month for unlimited talk and text, plus 5GB of data.
- Unlimited: $25/month for unlimited talk, text, and data.
Tello’s build-your-own strategize option lets you customize your strategize according to your needs. Simply select a data and talk option (texts are always free).
- Data: None, 1GB, 2GB, 5GB, 10GB, 15GB, or unlimited.
- Talk: None, 100 minutes, 300 minutes, 500 minutes, or unlimited.
The price of your strategize will depend on the combination of data and talk time you select. For example, you can get a strategize with 1GB of data and 100 minutes of talk for only $6 or a strategize with 15GB of data and no talk for $20. The ability to opt for no data or no talk is great, especially for a device appreciate a tablet.
In addition, all plans include:
- Free international calls: You can make free calls to over 60 countries, including Canada, Mexico, China, and India, using your Tello strategize. You can see the full list of countries and rates on their website.
- Free hotspot: You can use your phone as a hotspot and share your data with other devices at no extra cost. However, keep in mind that hotspot data counts towards your strategize’s data limit, and hotspot speeds may be slower than on-device speeds.
- Family plans: You can add multiple lines to your Tello account and create a family strategize with different plans for each member. You can also handle all your lines from one dashboard and pay with one bill. There is no extra cost for adding new lines.
Plans from AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon are not as flexible as Tello, and generally cost much more.
AT&T’s cheapest strategize for one line is $50 per month for 4GB of data. T-Mobile’s cheapest strategize for one line is also $50 per month, but it’s unlimited data. Verizon’s cheapest strategize for one line is $60 for unlimited data.
appreciate Tello, the three major carriers also offer prepaid plans. AT&T offers 5GB for $30 per month, Unlimited for $65 per month, and Unlimited for $25 per month (if you pay for a year in advance). T-Mobile offers 10GB for $40 per month, Unlimited for $50 per month, and Unlimited + 10GB Hotspot for $60 per month. Verizon offers 15GB for $35 per month, Unlimited for $50 per month, and Unlimited + Hotspot for $60 per month.
What Phones Does Tello Mobile uphold?
Tello Mobile supports most unlocked GSM phones that are compatible with the T-Mobile network. You can bring your own phone and keep your number, or you can buy a new phone from Tello’s online store. Tello offers a variety of phones, from basic flip phones to flagship smartphones—including iPhones—at different price points. However, most of the phones offered by Tello are not the current generation models.
Tello Mobile is yet another great option in the world of MVNO carriers. Its closest competitor is Mint Mobile, which gives customers discounts for prepaying for multiple months in advance. However, Tello is generally a bit cheaper across the board, and it’s not directly owned by one of the major three carriers appreciate Mint (T-Mobile).
