Best Cell Phone Service in Urbana, MO

Choosing the Best Cell Phone Service in Urbana, MO

With all the different cell phone plans on the market, it's not hard to find one that fits your budget. However, that extensive plan selection also means that it's important to do your due diligence and pick the right plan for your needs. You don't want to end up spending more than you have to if there's a cheaper plan that has all the minutes, text message, and data limits you need. After you've found a cell phone plan you like, you should see how it stacks up next to as many other plans as possible and see which one is the best for Urbana, MO. Fortunately, you're able to check out a wide range of cell phones and plans, at their most competitive prices here on MyRatePlan. We show you different options to help you get the best price.

Cell Phone Plan Options in Urbana, MO

Many cell phone users have multiple purposes for their phones. In addition to regular calls, they want to send texts, browse websites, and use online apps. It's important for them to think about three major limits when comparing cellular plans. Carriers may enforce separate text, data download and minute caps. Keep in mind that the advertised limits usually pertain to domestic communication.

Numerous Urbana, MO residents utilize cell phones for the vast majority of their calls. Some even use them for all internet browsing and email. They usually need high minute and data caps. On the other hand, people with corded phones or computers might favor low-end cellular plans that are designed for occasional use. MyRatePlan makes it easy to compare providers that offer either type of service.

Cellular plans can be classified into three groups. They include family, contract-free and individual plans. The most flexible option is the no contract plan. It's also known as month-to-month, prepaid or pay-as-you-go. Many Urbana, MO stores sell prepaid wireless phones that people can begin to use at any time. The lack of a contract makes it easier to control costs and switch carriers when necessary. However, fees and cell phone prices tend to be higher than average.

Single-line contracts can only be used with one cell phone. Additional phones, tablets and notebook computers cannot communicate on the same plan. There's no need to worry about dividing up minutes or data among multiple devices. Single-line service is normally the least expensive choice for Urbana, MO residents who live alone or have family members who don't use cellular phones.

Another popular option is a shared or family plan. It's more costly than single-line service, but the per-line expense is lower. A single data cap applies to multiple devices and phones. For instance, a married couple's shared plan might come with 30 gigabytes of bandwidth. If the wife uses 12 gigabytes, the husband could still download 18 GB more. Any limits on texting or minutes will also collectively apply to all family members.

Most wireless contracts remain in effect for 12 to 24 months. Payments are usually made on a monthly basis. The contract terms normally require customers to pay large fees if they decide to cancel before the expiration date. Pay-as-you-go plans allow users to decide exactly how much they want to spend and when they want to cancel the service.

The Best Wireless Plan For People in Urbana, MO

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 Urbana, MO, 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 Carriers in Urbana, MO

All the major national carriers (AT&T, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, and Sprint) cover Urbana, MO. The city also has alternate, smaller carriers, referred to as MVNOs, available. The MVNOs use the larger carriers' networks, so coverage is still strong when you go with a smaller carrier.

AT&T has been one of the nation's largest wireless providers for decades. The carrier has all the plan options listed above, including individual, family, contract, and no contract plans.

Verizon Wireless has the same types of plans, with a slightly different selection process. The first thing you do with Verizon Wireless is choose your prepaid plan (if you're going no-contract) or your shared data plan, with each plan offering a different data limit. An individual or a family can make use of a shared data plan through Verizon Wireless, and each of those plans include unlimited minutes and text messages.

Sprint has the usual individual, family, and prepaid plans, but it separates itself from the pack with its unlimited data option. Unlike other carriers that throttle your data, Sprint has a real unlimited 4G LTE plan called Unlimited Freedom. It also has a unique type of family plan for friends and family, called the Better Choice Plan.

T-Mobile has nothing but no-contract plans, and chose to call itself the 'uncarrier' because of that. Offering both individual and family plans under its T-Mobile ONE and Simple Choice plans, the carrier offers customers unlimited minutes and text messages, with data throttled at different limits depending on the plan you choose.

Use the MyRatePlan cell phone plan comparison tool above to compare different carriers and plans with service in Urbana, MO. We also include other smaller carriers (those aforementioned MVNOs) so you can see what every carrier offers.