Cell phone plans and 3G vs 4G ...

[msubobcats]

Right now we have Verizon which in our area is the best/strongest server.Our package is unlimited phone/text and 2GB of data... This runs $75 each per month. It started at $70 but over time new fees/taxes have been added.
Today I contacted AMAC Consumer Cellular and was quoted for 5000 minutes each phone and text BUT 5GB of data. This would come to $90 total each month, not $150. Now comes the sticker. We would no longer get 4G but would be on 3g. What would we notice in the speed change? And would we notice a change in phone capabilities and texting capabilities. I have heard that services change when you "are not a real customer". Ex: using Net 10 vs the name brand carrier...
Thanks for any info.

[Larry1013]

I have Straight Talk for the sim phones (AT&T, T-Mobile, etc) and for most part have had decent service for the last 6 years. The 5gb 4G data has served most of my needs. The only time I have ran out of 4G data is when I tethered the phone to my laptop. It would drop to 3G after the 4G data was gone. You could tell a difference if not in a service area that was not in a large metro area.

Straight Talk does has similar plan for the Verizon phones. Go check their site to see if your current phone will work with Straight Talk. The Straight Talk plan is $45 a month for unlimited talk and text alone with the 5gb of 4G data. They do have a 10gb of data for $55 a month.

https://www.straighttalk.com/wps/por...GR_lY5Q!!/#ESN

I suspect the service area for the Verizon plan is a bit better than the AT&T service are I have.

You can also port over your current phone number to most all cell carriers now. Most are no charge for this service.

[rjsurfer]

Verizon has already started dropping 3g from their towers. They expect all 3g will be gone in a few years.

Ron W

[jkohler70]

It depends on what you are doing, but you'll likely notice a difference. Will it matter to you? If you primary usage is checking email and web surfing, you can probably tolerate the lower bandwidth. If you surf heavily or use data intensive apps, you'll be unhappy.
Unfortunately, 3G and 4G aren't speed specifications like you can find with WiFi specs. The "G" simply stands for generation. It's often tough to compare apples to apples.
If your current phone allows you to disable 4G, disable it and do what you normally do.

[bill-e]

One reason mobile providers gave us unlimited 3G data was because the bandwidth was so bad you couldn't really use that much unless you liked being bored.

Personally, I would never pay for a 3G plan no matter what the monthly usage allowance was.

[bsmith0404]

3G vs 4G will not have any effect on your calling or texting. When you are using data (internet) you will notice a difference and it will only get worse. People are building more elaborate websites with the idea that people are using more bandwidth/faster internet services. As they continue to expand their sites, your 3G will become slower and slower.

[denverpilot]

Right now most of the resellers are within about $5/mo of the big carriers in pricing. You can play with the selection gadget at whistleout.com for example to see the base prices. I assume by $75/mo you mean including taxes, which isn't how you'll see plans compared online. Thank the government for their stuff like the "Rural Broadband Fee" which anyone who lives rural just laughs heartily at.

I wouldn't go backward to 3G if I were you. I'd find a package either direct from the network carrier or one of the MVNOs that "deprioritizes" data after your limit as a first choice (usually found on an MVNO owned by the main carrier and rare on Verizon outside of their own plans but common on the traditionally-GSM carriers, AT&T and T-Mobile. Sprint I have no idea. Wouldn't touch them with a ten foot pole.

If you can't get "deprioritized" next best is "throttled". Still connected via 4G or LTE but can't run as fast.

Last option and least desirable would be to drop back to older tech like 3G.

Consumer Cellular is an AT&T MVNO by the way, and made their name big by pairing with AARP, for better or worse. They give discounts for AARP members and get relatively high customer satisfaction ratings.

But if AT&T isn't as good as Verizon where you're located, be aware they're an MVNO operating on the AT&T network.