Like many people, Lisa White was frustrated with the high cost of cell phone service. So four years ago, he left AT&T for a cell phone plan offered by Xfinity, his cable and Internet provider.
For White, who works at a regional bank in California, it was a decision. smart.
“I saw an ad for a cell phone at no additional cost,” says the Nevada city resident. “The plan charges for data, but since I don’t use much, I decided to give it a try. Basically, now I get my cell service for free, instead of the $ 100 per month that I paid with AT&T ”.
In recent years, more than five million people have rejected AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon cell phone plans in favor of those offered by Altice , Spectrum and Xfinity .
The main reason is the lower monthly rates. At all three cable companies, a phone line with unlimited data costs $ 45 a month. At T-Mobile, the cheapest of the major carriers’ options, it costs $ 65 per month.
On Xfinity, a four-line plan with unlimited data costs $ 120 a month. On AT&T, it costs $ 180.
“Xfinity Mobile plans and Spectrum Mobile are generally much less expensive than comparable plans from major mobile brands, ”says Kristen Hanich, principal analyst at market research firm Parks Associates.
Why? Lower costs. Much like what Cricket, Ting, and other alternative service providers do, cable companies lease excess wireless capacity from a major carrier. But instead of relying heavily on cell phone towers on those networks, they use the WiFi access points of their own Internet service networks whenever possible to provide calls, text messages, and use of mobile apps.
“Since their services are WiFi first and they have a preference to use WiFi networks, Comcast and Spectrum can save on data traffic rates,” Hanich explains. And those savings are then passed on to customers.
So if you’re already subscribed to Spectrum or Xfinity internet service or any service offered by Altice’s Optimum and Suddenlink brands, and you live in a area where cell service is also offered, adding a phone plan to the package can be a great way to cut costs.
And if money is tight, this could be a way to pay for both service cellular as a cable broadband connection in your home.
Cable companies also offer more flexibility than you get with a traditional family cell phone plan. For example, you can sign up for a 1GB plan for one phone, a 3GB plan for another, and unlimited plans for all three data hogs in your home and save even more money.
By Like traditional carrier plans, cable companies offer 5G service when available and even some special offers on new phones. On Spectrum, for example, you can get up to $ 300 off a Samsung Galaxy S 22 + 5G with a qualifying redemption. The company also allows customers to connect to the phone service they already have.
But be prepared to make some concessions. As with Cricket and Ting, your service can slow faster than a cell phone provider’s own customers when network traffic is high. And it’s not uncommon for Altice, Spectrum, or Xfinity to slow you down to 2G or 3G speeds when you hit data limits, including a threshold of 20 GB for unlimited plans. (At T-Mobile and Verizon, they are 50 GB).
And be sure to consider all fees, taxes, and other charges listed in the fine print of the offer before making a final decision. They are generally not included in advertised rates.
Here’s a more in-depth look at what Altice, Spectrum, and Xfinity offer.
Altice
Altice offers unlimited talk, text, data, and per-gigabyte plans using the T-Mobile network. To sign up, you must also have an account with one of their two brands (Optimum or Suddenlink). Without an account, the Altice Mobile service costs $ 10 additional per month. You must also accept automatic monthly payments.
The unlimited data plan costs $ 45 per month by phone. So a family of four would pay $ 180.
A plan per gigas it will cost you $ 14 per month for 1 GB of data and $ 22 per month for 3 GB. And Altice lets you mix and match service levels for up to five lines, so you can save more on this option by choosing a 1GB or 3GB plan for family members who don’t need a large amount of data.
Even once a line has consumed the allocated data, you can buy more. But when the data limit is reached, including a maximum limit of 20 GB on each unlimited line, Altice reserves the right to reduce speeds from 4G LTE (and 5G when available) to a minimum of 2G.
You must also Please note that international calls and texts from the United States, and use of calls, texts and data abroad, are not included in Altice plans. But tethering (using your phone as a WiFi hotspot to connect other devices) is available at 2G speeds and SD quality video streaming.
Spectrum
Spectrum, owned by Charter Communications, offers unlimited plans and plans per gigabytes using the Verizon cellular network. To register, you must have an Internet account with the company. Payments will be automatically charged to a credit or debit card.
The service offers two plans for unlimited calls, text messages and data. The first one costs $ 45 per month over the phone (and Spectrum actually includes taxes and government fees in its advertised prices).
When the 20 GB of data on one line, the company reserves the right to reduce download speeds to 1Mbps and upload speeds to 512 Kbps, which places them between 2G and 3G.
The unlimited plus plan costs $ 55 per month by phone. With that plan, you don’t run out of data until you reach the use of 30 GB of data on one line.
Here again, you can mix and match service levels to meet the needs of your family members (up to a maximum of 10 lines). For those who use little data, they can pay $ 14 per month for 1 GB and $ 14 more for each additional gig.
After using 5GB of data, your speeds may be reduced to 2G for the remainder of the billing cycle. If you regularly use that amount of data, it is recommended that you purchase one of the unlimited options.
With each plan, you get free calls to Mexico and Canada (up to 33. 3 hours per month) and free international text messages over 200 countries. Videos are delivered in DVD quality.
Xfinity
Xfinity, owned by Comcast, offers an unlimited plan and plans per gigabytes using the Verizon network. To register, you must have an Internet account with the company. Automatic payment is also required.
Unlimited plan costs $ 45 per month for a phone. As you add more lines, the fee decreases to $ 40 ($ 80 for two lines), $ 33. 30 ($ 100 by three lines), $ 30 ($ 120 by four lines) and finally $ 24 ($ 240 for 10 lines).
When you reach the 20 GB of data in a line, the company reserves the right to reduce speeds, and only indicates that it will leave them high enough so that you can “see videos and stream music. ”
By $ 20 additional per line, you can also purchase the Xfinity HD Pass, which prevents your speeds from slowing down during peak traffic hours.
Gigabyte plans cost $ 15 per month for 1 GB, $ 24 per month for 3 GB and $ 60 per month for 10 GB. If you exceed those allowances, you will be charged $ 15 for each additional and partial gig.
Xfinity offers the same plan flexibility as Altice and Spectrum, so feel free to choose different data allotments for each phone.
By $ 10 per month per line, you get unlimited calls to Mexico and Canada. International Call and Text Roaming is available in 200 countries for additional charges.
When you create a mobile hotspot on a per gig plan, your data will flow at 4G speeds. While connecting to the unlimited plan, it streams at 3G speeds.
Fix: An earlier version of this article said that Altice USA was part of a conglomerate based in France. Altice USA was separated as an independent company in 2018. This article was first published on 11 May 2021.
Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2021, Consumer Reports, Inc.
Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with the advertisers on this site. Consumer Reports is an independent nonprofit organization that works with consumers to create a just, safe, and healthy world. CR does not endorse products or services and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2021, Consumer Reports, Inc.