UScellular (formerly U.S. Cellular) is the largest regional carrier in the U.S. Their prime market concentration is in the Pacific Northwest, Midwest, New England, and a few other scattered areas.
Plan Information
T
hough UScellular has always offered its customers nationwide coverage via roaming agreements, you must have a home address in one of UScellular's home markets to sign up for service. If you spend too much time roaming your service will get canceled - making UScellular a poor choice for most nomads. UScellular's terms specifically state:
At least 50% of your monthly voice usage for each device on your account must be used in U.S. Cellular's licensed markets. No more than 400 MB of your data usage in any month for each device on your account may be used in U.S. Cellular's non-licensed markets.
In addition, UScellular has specifically prohibited the mobile use of their "High-Speed Internet" plans which are designed for residential use at a single fixed location in the UScellular service area.
They have both postpaid & prepaid options. They offer both phone and data-only plans.
Currently Available Plans:
Postpaid Plans
- Unlimited Data Even Better: $75/month
- Unlimited Data Everyday: $65/month
- Unlimited Data Basic: $55/month
Prepaid Plans
- Unlimited Plus: $65/month
- Unlimited: $55/month
- 8GB: $40/month
Data-Only Plans
- 4GB: $20/month
- 10GB: $45/month
- 20GB: $70/month
- 40GB: $100/month
Plan Specifications:
- Carrier Networks Used: UScellular
- Carrier Relationship: Direct
- Plan Types Available: Phone, Data Only
- Device Types Permitted: Plan dependent
- Unlimited: Yes with high-speed caps
- High-Speed Mobile Hotspot Use:
- Even Better: 30GB
- Everyday: 15GB
- Prepaid Unlimited Plus: No limit, but speed capped at 1.5Mbps
- Throttling: None, except for 5GB plan
- Network Management: Always
- Video Streaming Resolution:
- Even Better: 1080p
- Everyday: 720p
- Basic: 480p
- Prepaid plans: 480p
- 5G Access: Included
- Device Purchase Required: No
- Plan Period: Monthly
- International Roaming: Yes, varies by account
- Domestic Roaming: Yes
- Data Roll Over: None
- Overage Charges: No
- Lines permitted per account: 10 for consumers, 25 for businesses.
- Extras: Free RedBox rentals available on some plans
News, Videos & Status:
Testing Status
We have not tested a UScellular plans.
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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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