Sage-Tips

Do cell phone carriers share towers?

Prepaid phones share the same towers as the rest of us. Most prepaid phone carriers are Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO). This means that they lease cell phone towers from large cell phone providers like Verizon and T-Mobile. Before you commit to a prepaid phone carrier, you should research which towers they use …

Does Verizon and AT use the same towers?

Actually yes, because they don’t own the towers. Most towers -80–85\%- are owned by other companies who then lease space to ATT and Verizon, and sprint and T-Mobile for that matter. They do not share equipment though, like antennas and transmitters. They only share the tower itself.

Why do carriers charge for hotspot?

Like it or not, the free ride is about to be over for those who tether without paying. I don’t like paying high fees with limited usage any more than anyone, but the carriers have a point about charging more for hotspot usage. The result is a higher load on the data network the more tethering is in practice.

Why do carriers give free phones?

The free-phone strategy is a throwback to the wireless market a decade ago, when U.S. carriers subsidized the price of most new smartphones in exchange for subscribers’ guaranteed monthly payments. Subscribers could also pay off the cost of a new smartphone through monthly installments added to their bills.

How do phone carriers make money?

They pass their fees on to you. Most wireless companies pass it to their customers. It’s also common for wireless companies to make you pay for maintaining their cell towers and third-party charges imposed on the company for the delivery of calls, and for network facilities they purchased to provide you with service.

How can I use my phone as a hotspot without paying?

How to Tether Your Phone

1. On your phone, go to Settings > Connections > Mobile Hotspot and Tethering.
2. Turn on Mobile Hotspot.
3. Choose a network name and password.
4. Tap Save.
5. Connect your second device to the network you just created, just as you would to any other Wi-Fi network.

Will AT buy you out of contract?

AT will cover customers’ ETF from their old carrier up to $350, or it will cover the remainder of an installment plan on the phone for up to $650. The trade-in value of the phone will be deducted from AT’s payment, and the customer will get a promotional prepaid card for the balance.

Is Verizon really giving free phones?

Verizon, the nation’s largest wireless carrier, is giving new and existing customers free 5G-compatible phones including the iPhone 12 Mini and Samsung’s S21 5G with the trade in of an old phone.

Should you switch carriers if you owe money on your phone?

As you can see, there are a lot of deals and incentives for switching, regardless of whether you owe money on your phone or not. The bottom line is this: you’ll have to pay if you owe on your device. The big four carriers will often pay your ETF and usually the remaining value of the device as a trade-in.

Why do I still owe money to my old carrier?

If you owe money to your old carrier, chances are it’s because you’re still paying off your phone with them. You see, actual plan contracts are a thing of the past—all that’s left are those pesky device installment plans. The easiest way to figure out what you owe is to give your current carrier a call, or log into your account dashboard.

Do prepaid phone carriers use the same towers?

Before you commit to a prepaid phone carrier, you should research which towers they use. For example, Straight Talk uses AT, T-Mobile and Verizon towers (to name a few), while GoPhone uses only the AT network. Make sure whichever plan you’re considering uses towers that offer enough coverage for your area and needs.

Can you really save 50 percent on your cell phone bill?

With such a big expense comes plenty of waste, so the opportunity for savings is big. Getting your coverage from an alternate carrier (i.e. Cricket, Metro PCS, GoSmart, Boost) can save you 50 percent on average, but many are wary of using these alternate carriers.