There are more than 100 MVNOs in the U.S. That’s their way of keeping you bound to their service. The catch? These phones are typically “locked” to the carrier meaning you can’t switch providers should you be under contract for the lease (or loan) of the device. To compete with the contract-free MVNO’s, the big carriers are now offering deep discounts on the phones themselves and incentives to “trade up” if you sign up for a low monthly (or up front) payment on a device. If your phone is locked, some carriers offer buy-back options, or you can wait until your phone payment period is over and then try selling it yourself through third party sites or services. If you can make a call successfully, then it’s unlocked and you’re ready to go. Another simple way to know is by swapping out the SIM card (a tiny microchip) with one from a different carrier. It varies depending on the device year, make, model, etc. The easiest way to find out if your phone is unlocked is to call your carrier and ask. But only if it’s “unlocked,” meaning it isn’t tied to a particular phone carrier. And do so while working hard to keep your business from month to month.ĭue to the popularity of MVNO’s contract-free plans, the larger carriers are also dropping contracts to keep up (but they’re finding other ways to keep you locked-in as we’ll discuss below).Ĭan I Bring My Own Phone If I Switch Plans? What they save on having expensive wireless towers they can then pass along the savings to the customer. So basically, you’re getting the same coverage as you would with one of the big companies, just without the name recognition. No contract plans (often referred to as “prepaid cell phone plans”) operate using Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs), a type of wireless provider that leases cell network space from one or more of the “big four” carriers (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint), rather than owning its own wireless network infrastructure.

Mobile Virtual Networks vs Traditional Carriers

Metro 4 lines for 100