US Mobile

[tulak]

I’m in Germany right now and decided to try out the US Mobile data only plan. I installed an eSIM and signed-up for 5GB for 30 days. It cost $10 plus $2 for the eSIM.

…

I’m not sure about the speeds, but it feels fast enough. I will get a better feel for speeds as I wander around today.

After using it for an entire day, the speed has been great. I can easily use maps to find local stuff, use directions, spontaneously (I always download local maps, but it’s not complete).

The only issue I had is when I lost coverage in a tunnel. The phone reconnected to the Edge network and I had no access. I had to reboot my iPhone in order to fix the problem.

Looking at my usage, I could have gotten by on 1GB and saved a few dollars. I even turned on iCloud Photos, which I normally turn off when traveling to save data.

I’ll definitely use this again for future travels. It beats T-Mobile and is easy to setup and use.

 

[Qs Laptop]

I opened a chat session with US Mobile. Asked where I could find answers on their website to specific questions, such as what I posted above. He said, just ask me. So I copied and pasted the list of questions. He attempted to answer some of the questions. But it was like pulling teeth. At the 20 minute-mark, I gave up.

Agree this is a problem. There should be a webpage that lists the plans side-by-side with all specs listed.

I finally asked, Do you really NOT disclose this information (in writing) on your website? He said no, but he would email it to me. That was 5 hours ago. Nothing.

Did you eventually receive an email?

The CEO promises stuff that never happens. For example, priority data is now 5G only. When you drop to 4G, or if you have a 4G phone, it's deprioritized at all times.

My understanding is if you have a 5G phone your data is never deprioritized, even if coverage drops into 4G. However, this could be only on Super LTE (Verizon network.)

And always deprioritized on T-Mobile. So priority data is a hollow promise.

Can't comment on this as I don't know.

Every other MVNO discloses these details. Why the smoke and mirrors?

I can take a guess--their plans change frequently so they don't want to redesign web pages several times a year? If this is the reason it's a lame excuse for a high-tech company, though.

They seem to have a cozy relationship with Verizon but not T-Mobile. The caps on T-Mobile are horrible and same price as Verizon. That's just plain dumb.

Could be T-Mobile does not want to make a deal with US Mobile and Verizon will. When I was comparing MVNO's it seems that the GSM networks always had lower number of data and features compared to what you would get on a Super LTE network.

Judging from the reactions on Reddit, I'm certainly not alone. These new plans have been a PR disaster. And deservedly so.

Well, I was so excited to see the new plan that came out on Wednesday that I immediately switched gears from Unlimited All to Unlimited Premium. All four lines.

I got a lot of my information on US Mobile from watching YouTube videos by Stetson Doggett.

 

[Qs Laptop]

Here is US Mobile's expanded FAQ's page:

https://usmobile.helpdocs.io/

 

[Cobra9777]

...Did you eventually receive an email?

No. Still waiting. If I ever get it, I'll post the answers here.

...My understanding is if you have a 5G phone your data is never deprioritized, even if coverage drops into 4G. However, this could be only on Super LTE (Verizon network.)...

That's the way it was originally promoted. But reports on reddit yesterday claim that Verizon 4G is now deprioritized even on 5G phones. It's always deprioritized on T-Mobile but they keep promising it's coming.

...I can take a guess--their plans change frequently so they don't want to redesign web pages several times a year? If this is the reason it's a lame excuse for a high-tech company, though...

Perhaps. My thought is that they don't want to commit to the specifics because they want to reserve the right to change anything anytime.

Also, with these really high caps and low prices, they are starting to attract people like me, who use tons of mobile hotspot data while traveling in our van. Sometimes more than 10GB per day. And a fair amount of HD video streaming. They like to advertise the high caps as a differentiating feature, while knowing that the vast majority of "normal" users will never get anywhere close to those caps. But people like me, full-time RVers, boaters, etc... we will use every bit of that data and then some.

That's why I need a clear written commitment as to exactly what happens after the cap. All they say is you "might experience slower speeds." What does that mean? If it means deprioritization, I'm definitely on board with that. If it means throttled to 1Mbps and deprioritized, I'm less excited, but maybe still on board. If it means throttled to 128Kbps, I'm not on board at all. I think they won't commit in writing because they don't want to attract ultra-heavy data users like me. Or at least reserve the right to throttle different users differently, based on usage patterns.

There's a lot to like about US Mobile. Like priority 5G data on Verizon, and maybe T-Mobile one day. All indications are that throttling after the cap is not too bad... ~1Mbps plus deprioritization, which can temporarily take it lower. Reports are that video streams are not throttled. But hotspot limits, while better with the new plans, are still not very good. All the data limits on T-Mobile are terrible. That's the real deal-killer for us because we would need one line on each network while traveling. Their T-Mobile offering is not competitive at all.

But this lack of clarity on the specifics drives me bananas.

 

[ncbill]

IIRC, Verizon deprioritizes 4G data on all its MVNOs...I guess they don't for 5G to encourage use of that network instead.

Does US Mobile (USM) still charge extra for hotspot on all its plans?

When I asked USM about domestic roaming (voice/text) I provided them with zip codes in a US Cellular area (at a mountain cabin owned by my extended family) where I have NO voice/text coverage on my current 4G phone using Visible which is a Verizon-owned MVNO with coverage on Verizon towers only.

They claim their Verizon 5G network option has coverage there, as does another Verizon MVNO (mobi.com)

So I'm waiting on my cheap 5G phone to be delivered then I'll test both of the above MVNOs at those locations...all I need up in that area dominated by US Cellular is voice/text reception...data would be nice, but is optional.

 

[Cobra9777]

I finally received an email from US Mobile with responses to my questions...

1. For each network: How much data is included?

The data depends on the plans you get either on our Super LTE or GSM LTE network. For example, our unlimited premium plan on the Super LTE network gets you 100GB of high-speed data, and our unlimited premium plan on the GSM LTE network gets you 35GB of high-speed data.

2. Is it prioritized? Do I need a 5G phone for priority data? Is it prioritized on 5G only? Or is 4G also prioritized?

On Super LTE, if you have a 5G device, your data will be prioritized. However, we are also working on bringing priority data to our 4G devices as well.

3. How much hotspot for each network?

On our unlimited premium plans, for Super LTE, you will get 50GB of hotspot data, and on our GSM LTE network, you will get 15GB of hotspot data. However, please note that our unlimited basic plans do not come with any hotspot data as of now.

4. What happens when I exceed the hotspot limit? What happens when I exceed the data limit? Is video streaming throttled?

If you exceed the hotspot limit, then the hotspot will stop working. In this case, you'll have to get a new plan to renew the hotspot limit.

If you exceed the high-speed data limit, you might experience slower speeds but you should still be able to browse, and normal functions, but you might not be able to stream in 4K or do a live gaming session.

From our end, we do not have any restrictions. However, there might be certain limitations by our parent carriers that are applicable to our customers as well. [I think this was the answer to the video streaming question]

5. How much international roaming? Is there any domestic roaming? If so, on what network?

The international data roaming depends on your plan and the region you're traveling to. If you have unlimited premium, then you can get up to 10GB of international data depending on the country you're traveling to. Yes, we do offer domestic roaming on our Super LTE network.

6. How much are taxes and fees on Premium Unlimited?

PREMIUM PLAN PRICING
1 line: $49.98/line
2 lines: $44.96/line
3 lines: $39.79/line
4 lines: $34.36/line

Some of the above was not clear, so I sent these follow-up questions, and here are the responses.

1. Regarding priority data on Super LTE, is it prioritized on 5G only? Or is it also prioritized when I drop to 4G?

We only provide prioritized data speeds for 5G devices for now. You will get prioritized data as long as you have a 5G device on the Super LTE / Warp 5G network and 5g coverage. However, if you move and the area has no 5G coverage and only LTE coverage you will still get prioritized data on the LTE coverage.

2. If I exceed the high-speed data limit, what is the specific speed that I will be throttled to? There are online reports that US Mobile throttles to 1Mbps plus de-prioritization. Can you confirm that?

Once the high speed data is consumed, it is followed up by slow speed data. The speeds will be slower as compared to high speeds, but we can't know how slower these would be.

3. Regarding domestic roaming on Super LTE, which network would I be roaming on?

We do not offer domestic roaming. However, I guess you are asking about the network, so, our Super LTE network is powered by Verizon.

The responses came from two different reps. They provided conflicting information about domestic roaming. So I'm still not sure whether they offer that. And if so, on what network.

The answer about video streaming is vague. Online sources say it is not throttled.

Also no clear answer about throttle speed after the data cap. But there are a slew of online sources that all agree it's 1Mbps with heavy deprioritization. I was also quoted the 1Mbps figure by a different phone rep.

And apparently I was wrong about priority data on 4G. Requires a 5G phone on Verizon, but you will stay prioritized when no 5G is available.

 

[tulak]

Mixed results with using US Mobile for international roaming. The second day I couldn’t get it to work. It kept connecting me to the Edge network and I had no internet. I didn’t have any time to play around with it, so I’m not sure if there was something I could have tried to make it work.

I’ll be in Portugal later in June, so I might try it there again and see if I have better luck.

 

[camfused]

Re domestic roaming. I don't know the official answer (see the LTEiRA info in a previous post), but I am just completing a road trip where I went from NC to the midwest, then all around Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, and parts of Illinois and Indiana, for 9 days. I was without a signal four times, for maybe a total of 5 minutes. Everywhere else was fine. I was many times in the middle of nowhere (no humans, or signs of humans, as far as I could see, other than fields planted by humans), and had 1 or 2 bars signal. Almost every time I was driving and saw a tower, the signal got better as I approached it, indicating it was a Verizon or affiliate tower.

Hope that helps.

 

[target2019]

After reading through the other thread where US Mobile was mentioned (https://www.early-retirement.org/fo...mited-data-plans-what-113736.html#post2764325) I looked at possibly switching from Verizon to US Mobile. I know it will work here in NJ, as there are a bunch of towers. But issues with roaming in the U.S. and not really having overseas network when you need it are worth noting.

 

[Qs Laptop]

After reading through the other thread where US Mobile was mentioned (https://www.early-retirement.org/fo...mited-data-plans-what-113736.html#post2764325) I looked at possibly switching from Verizon to US Mobile. I know it will work here in NJ, as there are a bunch of towers. But issues with roaming in the U.S. and not really having overseas network when you need it are worth noting.

Is there any place in the US that Verizon does not have coverage and T-Mobile does have coverage? I would guess there are areas in Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Montana where there is no coverage, but there's probably no coverage for any carriers in these areas.

As to international travel, I would make provisions for something besides US Mobile if I were leaving the US.

 

[Qs Laptop]

The fun doesn’t end yet…

After I had ported over three lines I looked at my order history. I noticed that the first line was added for $49.98 ($45 + taxes/fees), the second line was added for $44.96 ($40 + fees/taxes) and the third line was $39.79 ($35 + fees/taxes). I already had my "burner line", or the line I set up near the end of April with a new phone number, and one of my son's lines setup on an old plan for $30 a month.

I wanted my son's line to be on Unlimited Premium bringing my plan to four lines on Unlimited Premium. I also wanted his monthly billing date to be same as the other three lines. This took some maneuvers with his account status--turning off auto-pay, changing the plan to Unlimited Premium, turning auto-pay back on. This also set the billing dates for all four lines to a uniform day of the month. I also noticed I was charged $49.98 for this line.

Now I needed to get $30 refunded for my son's line that I had setup two days previously. I had a wonderful sales tech named Johar that completed this task for me.

Finally, I needed to get all four lines to be included on the multi-line discount and not be paying the varying amounts of $49.98, $44.96, $39.79, and $49.98. Again, Johar performed this action for me. Johar told me I was set at four lines at $34.36 per line. However, when it was all done and I reviewed my order history, I didn't see any refunds listed. "No worries," Johar explained, "those refunds will show up on your credit card in 3 to 5 business days. I checked my credit card activity on Friday (2 business days later) and the refunds were not there yet. I went on chat and asked a different tech what they showed for refunds related to my account. She told me the correct dollar amount and cautioned that it will take 3 to 5 business days for it to appear on my credit card. Well, as of today it's been 3 business days and when I checked a couple of hours ago they hadn't shown up yet.

Today my son tried the hot spot feature and was told it was not activated and to call the service provider. I contacted US Mobile and they asked me if I had "turned your phone off and then on again".



Once he did that the hotspot was working.

 

[ncbill]

Well, testing another Verizon MVNO (mobi.com) I still didn't have any coverage (not even voice/text) when I went up to the cabin recently, so I'm going to assume most prepaid Verizon MVNOs don't offer domestic roaming.

Page Plus (extra cost) & Tracfone are the only exceptions I've found so far, but for me their monthly plans aren't cheap enough compared to something like Visible (unlimited T/T/D, no extra charge for hotspot for $25/month)

 

[Qs Laptop]

Just changed my plan on my burner phone from the old Unlimited All plan to a plan with unlimited text, unlimited calling, and 5GB of data per month. The cost is $15 per month.

 

[Qs Laptop]

Page Plus (extra cost) & Tracfone are the only exceptions I've found so far, but for me their monthly plans aren't cheap enough compared to something like Visible (unlimited T/T/D, no extra charge for hotspot for $25/month)

I had originally considered Visible but further research showed they had a lot of complaints about data rate throttling and deprioritizing. Also, customer support was lacking--no toll free number, just chat, Twitter, and email support.

 

[FIYes]

I’m interested in reports on US Mobile. While I’m not looking to switch right away, I do plan on looking at other options in the future. I’m a current Tracfone customer and want to use up my balances before switching. Sadly, Tracfone has gone downhill since the Verizon acquisition.

 

[ncbill]

I had originally considered Visible but further research showed they had a lot of complaints about data rate throttling and deprioritizing. Also, customer support was lacking--no toll free number, just chat, Twitter, and email support.

Well, I got a chance to test US Mobile (Verizon - black SIM) and it does work fine both at home and up at our extended family's cabin which is in the middle of a US Cellular area.

So it looks like I'll be switching...US Mobile is not as convenient (hotspot costs extra) but I guess I'll live with that to have continuous coverage.

BTW, if you want to test US Mobile, use their chat or send an email requesting their free SIM kit...instead of the 10-day free trial as promoted on the website they'll email you a code for a full month free.

 

[Qs Laptop]

Well, I got a chance to test US Mobile (Verizon - black SIM) and it does work fine both at home and up at our extended family's cabin which is in the middle of a US Cellular area.

So it looks like I'll be switching...US Mobile is not as convenient (hotspot costs extra) but I guess I'll live with that to have continuous coverage.

BTW, if you want to test US Mobile, use their chat or send an email requesting their free SIM kit...instead of the 10-day free trial as promoted on the website they'll email you a code for a full month free.

Glad to hear US Mobile worked out for you. I suppose if you need a hot spot you can add it as needed during the month and remove afterwards if you don't need it every month.

That's a great tip on the free trial offer.

 

[camfused]

An update: We had 4 lines on the old Unlimited All plan, at $25/each. Looking at data usage during a couple of months, this was overkill for us.

On 1 July, I switched us to a 12GB pool, for a total of $61.92/month.

The only “issue” in the switch was we each had no service until we rebooted our phones. Other than that, no difference.

For our use cases, 4G is plenty fast enough, so 5G is gravy, and the lack of 5Guw is not noticed by us.

$15.48/line on the Verizon network is kick butt, imho.

Will be adding my MIL to the pool soon, for another $9.48 (she uses next to nothing for data).

 

[Qs Laptop]

US Mobile just announced they will let you mix and match Unlimited plans in order to get the multi-line discount. Previously all Unlimited plans needed to be identical to get the multi-line discount.

For example, their top plan, Unlimited Premium is $45/month for one line; $40 a month for two lines; $35/month for three lines; $30 a month for four lines.
Unlimited Basic is $35/month for one line; $30/month for two lines; $25/month for three lines and $20/month for four lines.

In my case all four family members are on Unlimited Premium and the cost is $30/month for each of us. But my wife and I don't need all the features of Unlimited Premium, so Unlimited Basic would probably work for us. If we switch over our two lines to Unlimited Basic the new costs would be $30/month for two lines on Unlimited Premium and $20/month for two lines on Unlimited Basic. So a savings of $20 a month.

 

[Qs Laptop]

In my case all four family members are on Unlimited Premium and the cost is $30/month for each of us. But my wife and I don't need all the features of Unlimited Premium, so Unlimited Basic would probably work for us. If we switch over our two lines to Unlimited Basic the new costs would be $30/month for two lines on Unlimited Premium and $20/month for two lines on Unlimited Basic. So a savings of $20 a month.

Hold the phone...I just noticed that if I have three lines on Unlimited Premium plans I get to choose a free perk, either music, video, or gaming perks. If I have four lines on Unlimited Premium plans I get two perks. I like free stuff, don't you?

For example if I keep all four lines Unlimited Premium I could get Spotify Family music AND the Disney Plus/Hulu/ESPN Plus video package. Or perhaps Pandora Plus and HBO Max. Hmmmm...might have to keep all four lines as Unlimited Premium and grab my free stuff. Are two of those perks worth $20 a month?

 

[camfused]

Thought I would wake this thread up. The current USMobile plans are even better than before:

- Unlimited Starter: $25 all in, unlimited data, includes hotspot, your choice of Verizon, TMobile, and soon AT&T for the towers, free calls/texts to Canada, free calls/texts to 200+ countries (on TMobile, and soon on Verizon)
- Pool plans: like 2GB data, and unlimited calls/texts, for $10 all in. DW and I do a 6GB pool plan for $18 plus $8 for the 2nd line, for a total of $26 all in. Pools include hotspot, the same international calling above, and can do automatic top-ups when you are running low on data (configured by you).
- Cheapo plan: 500MB, 500 min, 500 texts, for $5 all in.
- They are about to roll out data/calls/text when outside the US (you fly somewhere, and your phone just works when you get there), for a fairly cheap add on

Plus, they now can do equivalent of your landline (via cellular connection), with unlimited calls to 200+ countries, for $9.99/month.

These people amaze me. They actually seem to have the consumer in mind when they do stuff.

 

[ncbill]

Home phone price includes all fees/taxes!

Will wait on reviews but will likely switch over (from cable VOIP) sometime next year.

 

[camfused]

^^^ Yeah, everything with USM is now taxes and fees included.

That home phone box uses the TMobile network only, for now. Verizon networks support is coming.

 

[dixonge]

Been using their Global USM e-sim as a 2nd line on my phone. No voice, just data. Works well here in Mexico and worked flawlessly in Europe last month.

 

[CaptTom]

...- Unlimited Starter: $25 all in, unlimited data, includes hotspot, your choice of Verizon, TMobile, and soon AT&T for the towers...

Question: Do you have to pick just one and stick with that provider, or is it more dynamic than that?