Boost Mobile is an MVNO owned by Dish Network.
Boost Mobile originally was a subsidiary of Sprint, but they were sold to Dish in July 2020 as part of the T-Mobile/Sprint merger. As part of the government's approval of the merger and sale, Dish is required to have a network that covers 70% of of the U.S. by June 14, 2023.
This is Dish's first entry into the mobile cellular carrier world, and they have plans to develop their own stand-alone 5G network, effectively replacing Sprint at the 4th major network provider.
Plan Information
Boost offers plans on an Expanded Data Network, and other plans on a Nationwide Network. It's not clear from their website what the difference is between the two networks, but our theory is that the Expanded Network plans are on the T-Mobile network, and the Nationwide Network plans are on the legacy Sprint network.
Available Plans
Expanded Data Network Plans (phone plans)
- Go Unlimited
- 35GB highspeed with 30GB mobile hotspot data - $60/month
- 35GB highspeed with 12GB mobile hotspot data - $50/month
- Promotion on this plan available until 2/8/21 - prepay 6 months for $240 ($40/month) - for new customers only
- $hrink It - 15GB highspeed - $45/month
- Capped Data Plans
- 10GB - $35/month
- 5GB, 2GB, and 1GB plans - $10-25/month
Nationwide Network Plans (phone plans)
These plans are billed as "unlimited", but they all have high speed data caps.
- 35GB highspeed with 30GB mobile hotspot data - $60/month
- 35GB highspeed with 12GB mobile hotspot data - $50/month
- 3GB - $35/month
- 6GB - $35/month (available only at Wal-Mart)
The Nationwide Network Plans offer Family Plan pricing, with discounted pricing available for additional lines. You can bundle up to 5 lines.
Hotspot Plan (only operates on the Sprint 4G LTE network)
- 50GB - $50/month
Plan Specs
Plan Specifications
- Carrier Networks Used: Currently Sprint and T-Mobile; but will be on Dish's network once it is built
- Carrier Relationship: Owned by Dish Network
- Plan Types Available: Phone, Data Only
- Device Types Permitted: Phones, Hotspots
- Unlimited: Yes, but with high-speed data caps
- High-Speed Mobile Hotspot Use:
- $60 Unlimited Plans - 30GB
- $50 Unlimited Plans - 12GB
- All other plans - all data can be used as hotspot
- Throttling: Yes
- Network Management: Yes
- Video Streaming Resolution:
- $60 Unlimited Plans - video up to 1080p, music up to 1.5 Mbps, gaming up to 8 Mbps
- $50 Unlimited Plans - video up to 480p+, music up to 500kbps, gaming up to 2 Mbps
- All other plans - 480p
- 5G Access: Yes, but unclear on which plans have access to it
- Device Purchase Required: Yes for hotspot plan only
- Plan Period: 30 days
- International Roaming: No. Mexico data services can be added at an additional cost.
- Domestic Roaming: Voice services only
- Data Roll Over: None
- Overage Charges: None
- Lines permitted per account: 5
- Extras:
- Boost Perks reward program
- Boost TV which offers various networks to stream via your device. The basic service is free, but you can access premium content add-ons for a fee. (Android phones only.)
- Unlimited music streaming if using one of the providers Boost has partnered with.
- A 6-month subscription to TIDAL music streaming service is included with the phone plans.
- The Privacy Premium add-on costs $5.99 per month and is available to customers only with Android smartphones and with data plans on Boost’s Expanded Data Network. Provides tools for encrypted Wi-Fi, visual voicemail, and spam call blocking.
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Shopping for Cellular Data Plans
Finding the right plans for your needs is no easy task - quite simply mobile travelers using cellular data as their primary way online is not how most carriers have designed their plans. Many of us want plans that provide copious amounts of data.
Understanding the different plan terms (like network management, throttling, hotspot data, video resolution) is key to determining if a plan will meet your needs or not. You also need plans that are suitable for use in the device you want to use them in - such as smartphone, mobile hotspot device or cellular embedded router.
To learn more about shopping for dataplans, check out these key guides:
As heavily as the carriers push their "Unlimited' data plans - you'll quickly discover that most have limits. Here's a video going over what you need to know about unlimited plans, including 3rd party resellers plans that you might find on the internet:
But a data plan alone will not keep you online - it's only one part of the equation. You also need the right gear and signal enhancing strategy.
For more education on assembling a cellular centric mobile internet setup, head on over to our collection of guides:
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