Major US Mobile Updates
US Mobile, a carrier running over Verizon and T-Mobile’s networks, just released a huge update. Full details can be found in an announcement on Reddit. Here are the aspects I found most interesting:
A new (and very appealing) Unlimited Flex plan
Added support for two-factor authentication via authenticator apps
Enhanced network transfer options
Hints about an upcoming AT&T-based service
Unlimited Flex Plan
The new Unlimited Flex plan includes unlimited calls and texts plus 10GB of full-speed data each month. After 10GB of data use, subscribers can continue to use data while throttled to a max speed of 1Mbps per second. That’s a much higher speed than some other carriers use when throttling heavy data users. Throttles to speeds like 1Mbps don’t necessarily degrade the user experience much.
When a year of service is purchased upfront, the Unlimited Flex plan costs only $180 ($15 per month). A monthly billing option for $20 per month is slotted to come out in a few weeks. With the aggressive pricing, the Unlimited Flex plan is potentially the best-value plan on the market.
One caveat to be aware of—hotspot data is not included. On the annual plan, 5GB per month of hotspot data can be added for $30 per year.
Network Transfer Upgrades
According to the announcement, US Mobile subscribers on most plans can now switch between US Mobile’s Verizon-based service and its T-Mobile-based service with just a few clicks. I haven’t tested how well this works, but the prospect of nearly seamlessly switching between networks is awesome. High-quality video won’t stream at 1Mbps, but music streaming or standard browsing should be fine.
AT&T-Based Service
US Mobile’s CEO shared an update about an upcoming service running over AT&T’s network:
And last but not least, we’re well underway in integrating our newest carrier partner into our platform and offerings. From day one, you will be able to access all plans and all activation methods (eSIM and physical SIM) and all of the above features – including network transfer! We will have prioritized data (QCI8), international roaming, and other add-ons as well. We know there is lots of interest in beta testing and the timeline for that will likely be the end of May. Please note that we will not be able to include everyone but will do our best.
