Best Cell Phone Service in Washington, PA

Finding a Cell Phone Plan in Washington, PA

There are many companies that offer cell phone plans to the residents of Washington, PA, and this makes it easy to find an affordable plan. Prior to looking for plans, be fully aware of what you can pay, and stay within this price range. When you begin looking, it is important to examine as many plans within your price range as possible to ensure you get the best deal. MyRatePlan gives you the tools necessary to find the best plan within your price range. If you think you have found a good plan, do a bit more research to make sure that there isn't one with the same features for a lower price.

Types of Cell Phone Plans in Washington, PA

People who live in Washington, PA typically have three main features they want in a cell phone plan - enough minutes to cover all their calls, sufficient text messages, and data to use while on the go. Check out the minute, text message, and data limits when you look at a wireless service plan so you know that it has enough of each.

More and more people are relying on cell phones for most or even all of their communications. If you're part of that group, then you need a plan that has everything you need. If you already have a plan, use our service to see how much you may be able to save with another carrier or plan type. Wireless plans fall under three basic categories, which are individual plans, family plans, and no contract plans.

An individual plan is one phone line with minutes, text messages, and data for that one device. This is often the best choice if you don't have anyone else you want on your plan, such as a spouse or any children.

With family plans, every member of your family has their own phone line on the plan. These plans are more expensive overall than individual plans since there are more phone lines, but you pay less than you would with multiple individual plans. Some family plans have shared minutes, text messages, and data between every device on the plan, so you have to find one with enough for your entire family.

No contract plans, which are also known as prepaid, pay-as-you-go, or month-to-month plans, are simple and flexible. You choose a prepaid phone, which you can find at any department store in Washington, PA, and pay for the features that you want. There may be additional fees with these types of plans, and you often have to pay more for the phone since you're not tied to a contract (or choose a cheap, basic phone). There are no-contract plans that you can get with the latest, most advanced smartphones.

The standard length of a cell phone contract is two years, but you may find one-year plans with certain carriers. You pay your phone bill monthly, and must continue until your contract is up, at which point it becomes a month-to-month contract. While you're able to cancel at any time, there will be an early termination fee.

Finding The Right Wireless Plan For You in Washington, PA

You'll need to consider the three major factors that come into play when you need a wireless plan for you and your family. Most national carriers will factor talk, text, and data into every different wireless plan that they offer. Knowing what is most important for you will be the first part of choosing a wireless plan that works for your needs.

Cheaper wireless plans allow you to limit how many minutes and text messages you can get to around 400 or less. However, if you plan to send a lot of text messages and talk on the phone frequently, choose an unlimited plan so you don't have to worry about limits. When you choose a prepaid option, you can load up a wireless card in order to cover the minutes. These can be purchased by the minute or in a large package; for example, 1000 minutes for $60. When your minutes are completely used up, you will have to add more.

Many users must factor in how much data they will use now. In Washington, PA, most popular carriers charge one price for a certain amount of data. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to find an unlimited data package for wireless cell phones. Carriers charge per megabyte and gigabyte, and you have to be careful about going over your data limit. You may be charged high fees if you go over, or your service could slow down considerably. Make sure to find a data plan that covers all your data usage needs.

Compare Cell Phone Carriers in Washington, PA

Washington, PA has a range of different carrier options, from the four major carriers (AT&T, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, and Sprint) to small carriers, which are known as MVNOs. The MVNOs operate on the networks of the major carriers, so they still have plenty of coverage.

One of the biggest wireless providers on the market, AT&T has the plan options you'd expect from such a large carrier. It includes the usual individual and family plans, along with prepaid no-contract plans.

Verizon Wireless also has individual, family, and no-contract plans. All of Verizon's plans have unlimited minutes and text messages, so the only thing you choose is your shared data plan. Individuals and families are able to use Verizon's shared data plans. If you go the no-contract route, you start by selecting your prepaid plan.

Sprint has all the typical plan offerings, but it has a couple unique selling points. One of those is its Better Choice Plan, which is a plan for friends and family. Unlike most carriers, Sprint also has the option of a fully unlimited 4G LTE data plan, which means the carrier never throttles your data.

Referring to itself as the 'uncarrier,' T-Mobile could also call itself the no-contract carrier, as those are now the only plans it offers. It has individual and family plans under its T-Mobile ONE and Simple Choice lines of plans. Like Verizon, T-Mobile offers all its plans with unlimited minutes and texts, and then has you choose the data limit you want. Once you hit that data limit, T-Mobile throttles your data. Even though T-Mobile doesn't have contracts, it does have equipment installment plans that allow you to pay off a device over two years instead of all at once.

The major carriers aren't the only ones out there, as the MVNOs also have good cell phone plan deals in Washington, PA. You can compare all the major carriers and the MVNOs quickly and easily with our cell phone plan comparison tool above.