In today’s fast-paced world, mobile communication plays a crucial role in our everyday lives. It enables us to connect with friends, family, and business associates anytime, anywhere. Choosing the best mobile network operator can often be time-consuming and challenging. Major telecommunication services providers like Spectrum Mobile and Verizon Mobile are competing for your attention. This blog Spectrum Mobile vs Verizon consists of a detailed comparison
Spectrum Mobile and Verizon are popular mobile service providers, each offering advantages and drawbacks. Should you opt for the well-established provider Verizon, or bundle your service with Spectrum Mobile? This comprehensive guide will help you understand the key differences between the two providers, comparing their pros and cons to help you make an informed decision.
Spectrum Mobile vs Verizon: Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Spectrum Mobile | Verizon |
|---|---|---|
| Network | Runs on Verizon’s network | Verizon network |
| Prices | $14 per GB for Spectrum’s gig plan and $45 per line for the unlimited plan | Prices highly depend on the selected data plan |
| Coverage | Over 500,000 data hotspots | Has nearly 70% US coverage |
| Perks and promotions | Has no streaming perks or promotions | Offers both music and video streaming perks |
| 5G access | Included with the unlimited data plan | Included with most plans |
Spectrum Mobile vs Verizon: Overview
Spectrum Mobile and Verizon are both prominent mobile carriers in the market. A mobile carrier, also known as a mobile network operator, is a company that provides wireless communication services to customers through the use of cellular networks. Mobile carriers operate the infrastructure that enables mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, to connect to the internet, make phone calls, and send text messages.
Verizon is a multinational telecommunication conglomerate founded in 1983. The company provides voice, video, and data solutions and services on its renowned networks and platforms. With years of experience in the industry, many consider Verizon a leading provider of reliable network connectivity, mobility, and security. With Verizon, you get 4G and 5G nationwide access on prepaid or postpaid plans. Furthermore, Verizon also hosts other companies on their network, from where they can run their mobile services. You can check out Verizon internet plans below.
Spectrum Mobile is a virtual mobile network operator service launched by Charter in June 2018. The company operates on a network provided by Verizon. However, they use their local service area’s Wi-Fi to provide extended network coverage. Despite being relatively new, Spectrum Mobile has grown to rival even Verizon, its host company. Unlike Verizon, Spectrum Mobile is strictly prepaid with two payment plans. You can check out Spectrum Mobile Internet Plans below
Plans and Pricing
When considering pricing, the two companies offer different payment plans. However, Verizon is a much more expensive option than Spectrum Mobile. Check out these payment plans below.
Plan | Cost |
|---|---|
| Spectrum by the gig plan | $14 per GB |
| Spectrum Mobile unlimited plan | $45 per line |
| Spectrum unlimited plus | $55 per line |
| Verizon’s (Start) unlimited plan | $70 for a single line, $60 per line for two lines, $45 per line for three lines, $35 per line for four lines |
| Verizon’s (Play) and (Do More) unlimited plan | $80 for one single line, $70 per line for duo lines, $55 per line for three lines, $45 per line for four lines |
| Verizon’s (Get More) unlimited plan | $90 for one line, $80 per line for duo lines, $65 per line for three lines, $55 per line for four lines |
$49.99/mo.
- Provider: Spectrum
- Download Speed up to 200 Mbps
$35/mo
- Provider: Verizon
- Download Speed up to 100 Mbps
Spectrum Mobile
Even without factoring in the cost of your internet plan each time, Spectrum Mobile is still the more affordable carrier. Further, Spectrum Mobile provides you with only two main plan options.
- 200Mbps Spectrum Internet for $49.99 per month.
- 940Mbps Internet Gig for $109.99 per month.
By themselves, these plans can dramatically raise your overall cost. However, Spectrum Mobile tries to keep the prices manageable by offering Gig coverage at $14 per GB. However, note that Spectrum will charge your cost by the full gigabit.
Therefore, if you have used 2.4GB, it is best to use the remaining 0.6GB since your cost will add up to 3GB regardless. In addition, if you get the Gig coverage, you can also text and talk without extra charges. On the other hand, you get unlimited service at a starting price of $30 per line with an allowance to get two or more lines.
Besides these reasonable offers, Spectrum Mobile also offers some mix-and-match options. This offer means you can get some lines on the Gig service and others on the unlimited coverage. This option further increases the affordability of already great options.
Further, Spectrum Mobile is now offering an Unlimited Plus plan option for only $10 extra each month. This plan allows you to get two or more lines depending on your preference. In addition, you get 30GB of premium data, and they kick your streaming up to HD quality.
Read: Fix Spectrum Slow Internet Issue
Verizon
With Verizon, the prices can be slightly higher, but you will typically know what to pay beforehand. Although most of their plans cost slightly more than Spectrum Mobile, some options can become more affordable once you surpass three lines. For instance, once you surpass three lines, their Play More, Do More, and 5G Start will drop to between $35 and $45.
Along with reduced cost, these plans will also come with more perks than Spectrum Mobile. Although expensive, Verizon’s Unlimited Get More plan is also the most complete offering of the lot. Indeed, it is among the USA’s most comprehensive mobile internet service plans.
Coverage
Although Verizon and Spectrum Mobile provide similar services because of the shared 4G LTE network, they are significantly different. For instance, Spectrum Mobile also uses a network of about 500,000 data hotspots besides its mobile service. This supplementary network helps their users stay on Wi-Fi service instead of 4G LTE. Moreover, Spectrum helps users on the Gig plan save money by tracking and controlling their data usage. Although Spectrum Mobile also provides 5G coverage, it is limited to only a few select cities. They provide a map where you can check your Spectrum Mobile local coverage.
Verizon’s Big Red has almost 70% of the US covered by its 4G LTE network. With such coverage, they guarantee you a stable connection within any populated area in the country. Verizon even has a new nationwide coverage map for its services. Although Verizon’s 4G LTE network is comprehensive throughout the country, their mmWave 5G setup is slightly limited. However, the nationwide 5G makes things much simpler for their users. This 5G network is slower than the mmWave but far better than LTE.
Perks and Promotions
Besides outstanding coverage and affordability, a good mobile plan needs unique perks to top it off. Spectrum Mobile needs to catch up on this since its menu has no streaming perks or promotions. However, this sacrifice of perks is unsurprising considering their low service costs.
Plan Specific Perks
In contrast, all four Verizon plans cover different perks. Check out the table below to see how they compare.
| Verizon Plan | Perks |
|---|---|
| Verizon’s Unlimited start plan | You get six months of Apple Music and Disney Plus |
| Verizon’s Unlimited Do More plan | You get six months of Apple Music and Disney Plus |
| Verizon’s Play More Unlimited | You get Disney Plus, ESPN Plus, Hulu, and six months of Apple Music. |
| Verizon’s Get More | You get Disney Plus, ESPN Plus, Apple Music, and Hulu. |
Verizon wins with perks, offering video and music streaming services. Most of their unlimited plans provide a mix of Apple Music and Disney Plus, even if for just six months.
Device Specific Perks
Verizon also sells mobile devices and goes above and beyond to provide incredible promotions. You can save money on its devices or even get one for free when you switch from another carrier. For instance, you can get flagship devices like the Google Pixel 7 Pro at $900 off. As a side note, if you are on Apple services, you can now get the One Unlimited plan for your iPhone. The plan provides bundles for everything Apple, from Apple Music, Apple Arcade, iCloud Plus, and Apple TV Plus.
Device Selection
Being among the leading carrier service providers in the US, Verizon supports a vast array of high-quality devices. From Samsung to Apple, Verizon can support almost any CDMA phone. Alternatively, if you want to keep your phone, you can as long as you ensure it is compatible with the Verizon network. However, you may have to get Verizon’s UW tag to connect with the mmWave 5G network.
In contrast, Spectrum Mobile’s MVNO provides just as many flagship devices as Verizon. You can get anything from the Samsung Galaxy S22 and iPhone families to budget-friendly Motorola devices. Alternatively, you can visit Spectrum with your device and have them give you a SIM card.
Pros and Cons
Spectrum Mobile: Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Offers budget-friendly plans | Offers only two payment plans |
| Has extensive Wi-Fi coverage | Does not provide perks and promotions |
| Keeps data usage in check | Has limited 5G coverage |
| Offers an extensive selection of flagship devices |
Verizon: Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Offers numerous plans | Has more expensive plans |
| Offers US’s most comprehensive mobile internet plan available (Get More Unlimited) | Its 5G mmWave is limited |
| Its unlimited plans have great perks, including Disney Plus, ESPN Plus, Apple Music, and Hulu | |
| Its 4G LTE has over 70% coverage in the US | |
| Offers excellent promotions, including a $900 off for Google Pixel 7 Pro | |
| Offers an extensive array of device selection |
Spectrum Mobile vs Verizon: Which One is Better?
- For Faster Internet Speeds
Spectrum Mobile uses coaxial cable in network dispersal, while Verizon uses fiber optic cable. Because of the technological superiority of fiber optic cables, they ensure faster internet speeds, regardless of the number of users. For this reason, Verizon is the ideal option for faster internet speeds.
- For Affordable Mobile Data
Spectrum Mobile is, as mentioned earlier, the carrier with budget-friendly plan options. However, this is only the case if you are already a Spectrum subscriber. Therefore, if you have to switch to Spectrum, most of your internet plans will start at $50. Further, high gigabit speeds will probably double this cost, making it even more expensive. Therefore, consider carefully before making your decision.
- For a Complete Plan With Perks
Verizon is the ideal carrier for comprehensive plans with multiple perks. Even though expensive, Verizon’s unlimited plans offer unmatched streaming perks and product offers. With Verizon, you can enjoy video and music streaming services from companies like Disney Plus, ESPN Plus, Apple Music, and Hulu. Therefore, if you can afford expensive plans, Verizon is your best option.
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