Best Cell Phone Service in Athens, IL

Choosing a Cell Phone Plan in Athens, IL

With all the cell phone carriers out there and the different plans that they offer, you never have to look far for a plan that has the minutes you need at the price you want. That's why the first things you should take into consideration when looking for a phone plan in Athens, IL are the features you need and the amount you're willing to spend. However, don't stop searching just because you find a plan that works. Keep shopping around and see if you can score an even better deal, because why pay more than you have to? To check out all the different plan and phone options, along with their prices, check out the comparison table here at MyRatePlan. We make it fast and easy to compare plans and save money on your phone bill.

Different Types of Cell Phone Plans Available in Athens, IL

Most customers in the Athens, IL area are looking for a few features when they choose a phone. These are: minutes offered, how many text messages they can make and receive, and data plans. When you plan to use your phone for multiple things, you'll want a service that offers a good deal for all of these amenities.

Many people now completely depend on their cell phone for their communication needs, either through phone calls, text messages, live face-to-face apps, email and more. Our service allows you to look at the different ways you can communicate and see just what you can save. You'll be able to choose from three groups of wireless plans in Athens, IL, which will include family, individual and no contract plans.

Single line plans are perfect when you only need to have service for one cell phone. You'll receive a rate for talk, text and data usage that will not include another phone or device. This is the best cell phone plan if you do not have a spouse or children who also need a phone.

If you have a spouse or children who do need cell phones, a family plan may be your best option. Family plans do cost more but are the best choice when two or more lines are necessary. The fees are less than if you would purchase separate lines for your family. Since family plans offer shared minutes, texts, and data, be sure to choose a plan that will cover everyone in your family.

A prepaid cell phone plan, also known as month-to-month, no contract and pay-as-you-go, is the most flexible option in terms of pricing and payments. Prepaid phone service in Athens, IL is much more advanced than it was years ago. While you can choose to only pay the amount that you are comfortable with, there can be additional fees. The actual phones themselves may be priced higher to make up the difference in price. However, you're likely to find a newer smartphone with most companies; plus, you will never be bound by a contract.

Most contacts with the major carriers require you to sign up for one to two years, with most contracts being two. Every month you pay a certain amount that goes toward your bill and possibly the actual cost of the phone, if you choose to spread out the payments, and you will have to pay this amount for the whole length of the cell phone contract. Canceling this contract means having to pay an early termination fee, which can cost you hundreds of dollars, especially if you have more than one phone on your plan.

What Plan Should You Choose in Athens, IL

There are many types of plans available in Athens, IL, and it can be difficult to select one. The three main parts of a plan to consider will always be the minutes, data limits, and text message limits. There are some plans that offer unlimited talk and text, and there are even a few that offer unlimited data. These plans are preferable over others. Sometimes, data, text, and talk limits can make it difficult to do everything that you need to do with your phone.

Generally speaking, there will be data limits on the plan that you choose. Unlimited data is relatively rare. However, the specific data limits vary considerably from one provider to another. It is also important to consider how your plan handles the situation when you exceed your data limits. In many cases, if you exceed your data limits, you will end up paying extra each month. This situation can either be avoided by choosing a plan without overages or finding a plan that has a higher data limit.

Compare Cell Phone Carriers in Athens, IL

All the major national carriers (AT&T, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, and Sprint) cover Athens, IL. 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 Athens, IL. We also include other smaller carriers (those aforementioned MVNOs) so you can see what every carrier offers.