Best Cell Phone Service in Birmingham, AL

Compare and Find Cell Phone Plans in Birmingham, AL

When you begin looking for cell phone coverage in Birmingham, AL, rest assured that you won't have to look far to find a plan that will fit both your needs and your budget. You'll want to carefully consider what you actually require in a cell phone and how much you really want to spend. You may find a deal that seems inexpensive in the beginning, but after comparing it to other plans with similar features, it may be more of a drain on your wallet than you expected. It's always a smart idea to compare different cell phone plans before settling on one. We offer a variety of services here at MyRatePlan that will help you spot the different features and benefits right off the bat. This helps you choose a plan that is right for you as an individual or as a family in Birmingham, AL. You'll know from the beginning who offers the rates that will fit your budget, as well as what company has the best features and most reliable reception.

Types of Cell Phone Plans in Birmingham, AL

Most folks who live in Birmingham, AL are looking for a cell phone plan that lets them use the minutes, data, and text messages that they need. Choosing your wireless service depends on things like data limits, the minutes offered as well as text message limits.

If you're depending on a cell phone for either most or all of your communication, then it's important to have a phone plan that will suit your needs. There are, in effect, three categories for wireless plans. These include individual plans, family plans, and no contract plans.

When it comes to single line plans, you only have a single line with a single rate for data, talk, and text. It's not going to include any other devices or phones. If you don't have children or a spouse, a single line is probably going to be the best plan for you.

Family plans actually mix up the plan offerings and devices in order for you to have a phone line for everyone in your family. While a family plan is going to have a higher price associated with it, it's still the greatest deal if you need two or more lines. The fee is actually smaller when you compare it with single plan prices also. Family plans give you the opportunity to share minutes, data, and texts. You should be sure to purchase a plan that covers the needs of everyone in your family.

Month-to-month, pay-as-you-go, prepaid, or no contract plans are all flexible when it comes to pricing and payment. Pay-as-you-go has really come a long way since the original cell phone prepaid cards. You can pick up a prepaid phone at just about any Birmingham, AL department store and begin with the phone right away, or you can order a prepaid SIM from a carrier through MyRatePlan. You only actually pay for what you use. Along with that, phone prices might be quite a bit higher unless you choose a simple or cheap phone. Many of the no contract plans will also offer you the best new smartphones as well. The best part about all of this is that you aren't bound to a contract.

When you have a contract plan, you're usually signing up for a minimum of two years. You pay per month, but you have an obligation to continue paying for the entire length of the contract. In order to cancel, you'll have to pay some kind of early termination fee. What this means is that whatever's left on the contract is going to be calculated as a part of that fee as a percentage that has a penalty listed on top of it. Most plans these days are monthly no contract plans though.

The Best Wireless Plan For People in Birmingham, AL

When you are considering what plan to choose, first think about the number of individuals who need to be part of the plan, as well as what type of service you need. You'll get texting, talk, and data included in your service with almost all carriers.

Cheaper contract plans allow you to keep your minutes and text messaging limits down to around 400 text per month, or even less. If you know you will be using a lot of text and talk minutes, it is better to just choose an unlimited plan right off the bat. Prepaid plans allow you to use a wireless card to load minutes onto your phone. You can usually purchase these by smaller minute increments or by a larger package; for example, 500 minutes may cost $50. When you use up all of your minutes, you'll need to go buy more.

Most people worry about data limits, as we use our smartphones for more everyday. It is almost impossible to find an unlimited data plan in Birmingham, AL, and most carriers charge a high amount for data use. You'll find that plans come priced by the megabyte and gigabyte. With many carriers, you'll be allowed to go over your data limit, but for an expensive fee. To avoid high overage fees, find a data plan that will give you the amount that you need per month.

Compare Cell Phone Plans in Birmingham, AL

The major national carriers, which are AT&T, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, and Sprint, all cover Birmingham, AL. In addition, there are also smaller carriers, which are called MVNOs, that operate on the networks of those larger carriers.

AT&T has long been among the largest wireless providers. Its plan lineup includes all the standard options: individual, family, and no contract plans.

Verizon Wireless has the same lineup of plans, but with this carrier, you start by selecting either a prepaid plan or a shared data plan for a specific amount of data. An individual or a family can use any of this carrier's shared data plans, which all include unlimited talk and text.

Sprint has the standard plans available, but it also has a new family plan option known as the Better Choice Plan, which is unique in that it's available for friends and family. Another way Sprint stands out is its unlimited 4G LTE data plan, which is truly unlimited and doesn't have any throttling or overages.

T-Mobile refers to itself as the 'uncarrier' because it only offers no-contract plans for individuals and families. Its plans are called T-Mobile ONE and Simple Choice. They all have unlimited talk and text, and you choose the amount of data you want (if you exceed your plan's data limit, T-Mobile may throttle your data).

The major carriers have a strong lineup of plans, but there are plenty of other great cell carriers that have service and coverage in Birmingham, AL. We include cell phone plans from the MVNOs alongside plans from the largest carriers on our cell phone plan comparison tool that you can find above.