Spectrum Mobile Plans

Adam Harley
Adam Harley
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Aug 23, 2020

Spectrum is known for being one of the largest internet and cable providers in the nation. And in recent years, Spectrum has branched out into the cellular industry in the form of its own MVNO, Spectrum Mobile. Spectrum Mobile runs on Verizon’s powerful network, which covers 70% of the US. Plus, Spectrum Mobile customers have access to Spectrum WiFi hotspots all across the country. Keep in mind, however, that Spectrum Mobile is only available for current Spectrum internet customers.

Spectrum Mobile unlimited data plans

Spectrum Mobile currently offers two unlimited plans, including:

  • Unlimited Data Line ($45/month)
  • Unlimited Plus Data Line ($55/month)

And while both Spectrum Mobile unlimited plans offer great coverage and value, the $45/month Unlimited Data Line does so at a much more competitive price—rivaling the likes of other Verizon MVNOs, such as Visible and US Mobile. The caveat here, of course, is that you must be on a Spectrum internet plan to purchase either plan. But if you love your Spectrum internet plan and want to save money on your phone bill as well, then Spectrum Mobile unlimited plans provide excellent value for the price and also includes these perks:

  • 20GB data deprioritization threshold (30GB for Unlimited Plus Data plan)
  • 5GB of high-speed hotspot (then slowed)
  • Unlimited international texting from the US
  • 2,000 monthly minutes to Mexico and Canada
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What is data deprioritization?

Data deprioritization refers to the temporary slowing of your data speeds during times of heavy network congestion, and typically, this occurs once you’ve reached your data deprioritization threshold for the month. So, with the Spectrum Mobile Unlimited Data Plan, for example, you have a 20GB data deprioritization threshold, meaning your speeds won’t potentially be slowed until you’ve used 20GB that month.

The keyword is “potentially” since it isn’t guaranteed that you’ll experience reduced speeds—it really just depends on how crowded the network is. For an unlimited plan, a 20GB threshold is fairly low (consider the fact that the major carriers typically offer thresholds between 50GB and 100GB), but if you’re a Spectrum internet customer looking for an affordable unlimited plan, this may be a great choice for you.

 Spectrum Mobile By the Gig

If you don’t need a Spectrum Mobile unlimited plan, you can always opt for Spectrum’s By the Gig plan, which costs $14/GB, allowing you to save a bit more money and still have all of the features included with the unlimited plans. With the By the Gig plan, you’ll start with a base amount of data (1GB) and be charged for each additional GB of data you use per month.

If you’re a light data user and don’t intend to go over 3GB in a given billing cycle, you may want to consider the By the Gig plan. However, be aware that once you surpass 3GB of data, you’ll actually be paying more than if you had just paid for the unlimited plan. Even 3GB is cutting it close at $42/month—for just $3 more per month, you might as well opt for unlimited data. But if you use 1-2GB/month, the By the Gig plan is a decent option. Like the unlimited plans, the By the Gig plan includes unlimited international texting and 2,000 minutes to Mexico and Canada. Additionally, you can keep your data use down by connecting to one of Spectrum’s 500,000 nationwide WiFi hotspots.

Does Spectrum Mobile offer family plans?

Spectrum Mobile doesn’t offer any family plans, per se—although, you can add up to 5 lines on a single account. And while there are no real drawbacks to adding multiple lines per account, there are no real benefits either. For instance, lines on the Unlimited Data Line Plan cost $45/month regardless of how many phones are on the account, so there is no discount for multiple lines.

Additional features from Spectrum Mobile

Spectrum Mobile doesn’t offer too much in terms of add ons and features for its plans; however, all of its plans include unlimited Spectrum WiFi hotspot access.

Spectrum WiFi hotspot access isn’t exclusive to Spectrum Mobile users, though—this already comes as a part of signing up for Spectrum’s primary services (cable and internet).

Compare Spectrum Mobile & other MVNOs

Because of Spectrum Mobile’s exclusivity, it’s difficult to recommend its plans if you aren’t already subscribed to Spectrum’s internet services. Switching to Spectrum internet solely for its cell phones plans is likely not worth it for most of us. However, if you’re already looking to switch internet providers, Spectrum Mobile may be a viable option to consolidate some of your digital expenses each month—not to mention getting the benefits of excellent coverage through Verizon’s network.

Alternatively, there are plenty of other carriers and MVNOs to choose from—particularly if switching to Spectrum Mobile isn’t a realistic option for you. Carriers like US Mobile, Visible, Ting, and Page Plus all offer plans on Verizon’s network as well, so looking into a limited or unlimited plan from one of these small carriers may be a great way to still take advantage of the network, without also paying an arm and leg by signing up directly with Verizon. You can compare plans offered by Verizon MVNOs below.

Adam Harley
Written by
Adam Harley
Adam is a writer at Compare Cellular and self-proclaimed jack-of-some-trades. When not writing about all things cellular, you can find him partaking in any number of unrelated activities, ranging from creative arts, to athletics, to wondering if nineties fashion will ever make a comeback.
Adam is a writer at Compare Cellular and self-proclaimed jack-of-some-trades. When not writing about all things cellular, you can find him partaking in any number of unrelated activities, ranging from creative arts, to athletics, to wondering if nineties fashion will ever make a comeback.