Astound Mobile vs. Verizon Prepaid: Which carrier is better?



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In this article, we plan to discuss the ins and outs of both carriers and what they offer. We’ll also cover:
- What the coverage of both carriers looks like
- How prices of their plans compare to how much data you get
- The features each carrier offers for their plans
Coverage & Reception - How do Astound Mobile and Verizon Prepaid Compare?
Astound Mobile is on the T-Mobile network, while Verizon and Verizon Prepaid is one of the major phone networks.
Astound Mobile is a mobile virtual network operator, or MVNOs. This means that they purchase service access wholesale from one of the three major networks that own infrastructure across the country – AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile – giving customers service at a much cheaper price. Astound Mobile is an MVNO of T-Mobile, while Verizon Prepaid is directly a part of Verizon itself.

MVNO - What Should You Know:
A common aspect of MVNOs you should know about is they are more likely to subject users to data deprioritization and throttled speeds. Data deprioritization is “the temporary slowing of data speeds for certain customers in order to give priority to other customers.” Which means that those who are direct customers of the “parent” company will get network priority when you’re in a high traffic area like a concert hall or sports stadium, or when there’s network congestion.
Throttling is also more likely to occur with MVNOs and “the dramatic slowing of your data speeds to the point that it becomes almost unusable.” This will happen when you go over a certain number of gigabytes of data for the month, which is referred to as a “data cap.” You’ll see this number displayed somewhere on your carrier’s website. Your normal speeds will slow down until the start of your next billing cycle.
Often, the quality of coverage comes down to your area. One carrier’s coverage may be better in New York, while another’s coverage may be better in California. It’s important to compare between providers on a coverage map of your specific city. Ookla’s coverage map allows you to see where cellular towers are located and which company owns them. This coverage map provides information about coverage from 2G to 5G for several providers.
Verizon has the most nation-wide 4G LTE coverage out of every wireless carrier in the country which is no small feat. Covering over 70% of the country, Verizon has had its footprints all over the map giving reliable coverage to even the most rural of areas when it comes to LTE.
However, T-Mobile’s 5G coverage and access is hailed as the best coverage overall. So you can expect some pretty solid 5G speeds from T-Mobile’s prepaid plans- (T-Mobile’s prepaid and postpaid both access the same network coverage). Their 4G LTE isn’t as widespread as their two major competitors, Verizon and AT&T, but it’s by no means a dealbreaker.
Another good way to look at your coverage options is to go directly to the source and see what the coverage maps look like from the websites themselves. You can see the Astound Mobile Coverage Map here and the Verizon Prepaid Coverage Map here.
Plan Options - A Close Look at Astound Mobile vs. Verizon Prepaid
Like most plans you’ll see on the market, both carriers offer unlimited talk and texting options with any plan you choose. Both companies also deprioritize data, which you know means you’ll have slower connection speeds in high traffic areas like concerts venues and sports arenas.
Astound Mobile Plans
Astound Mobile has four data plan options, two limited and two unlimited.
With Astound Mobile there a few stipulations up from:
- First, you can only get their mobile service in the states Astound operates in.
- Secondly, you have to be signed up for their Home Internet service too, like the other mobile and home internet provider Spectrum Mobile, you have to have their home internet in order to have access to their phone plans. This leads to their “bundle and save” options.
- And lastly, there is a “2-Year Internet Price Lock” that comes with each plan.
1.5GB Plan
This plan is the smallest one Astound Mobile offers, and it gives users 1.5GB of full speed data each month. It also offers hotspot access with all data. Once you reach the 1.5GB cap, your access to both data and hotspot stops completely. You’ll have to wait until the next month of service to get access again.
You also get a $300 gift card with an online order of Astound Internet or Internet and Mobile. 1 Free Month of Internet Service and 300* Mbps internet speeds (subject to Astound Mobile’s terms, location and rules apply).
This plan costs $20 per month. With this plan, you get 1.5GB per month for $13.33 per GB.
3GB Plan
This is the bigger of two limited data plans, this plan comes with 3GB of full speed data with included hotspot access. Once you reach 3GB, just like for the previous plan, your access to both data and hotspot stops completely.
You also get a $200 gift card with an online order of Astound Internet or Internet and Mobile. 1 Free Month of Internet Service and 600* Mbps internet speeds (subject to Astound Mobile’s terms, location and rules apply).
It costs $35 per month. With this plan, you get 3GB per month for $11.66 per GB.

Unlimited Plan
With Astound Mobile’s Unlimited plan, you get 20GB of full speed data with included hotspot access. Once you reach the 20GB cap, you lose hotspot access and your data speeds slow down to 3G speeds. At 3G speeds, you can still send emails and texts or scroll on the internet, but streaming video or playing games may be slower without WiFi.
You also get a $400 gift card with an online order of Astound Internet or Internet and Mobile. 1 Free Month of Internet Service and 1000* Mbps internet speeds (subject to Astound Mobile’s terms, location and rules apply).
This plan costs $45 per month, and you get 20GB for $2.25 per GB.
Unlimited Plus Plan
Just like the Unlimited base plan, you get 20GB of full speed data with included hotspot access with the Unlimited Plus plan. Once you reach the 20GB cap, you lose hotspot access and your data speeds slow down to 3G speeds.
You also get a $400 gift card with an online order of Astound Internet or Internet and Mobile. 1 Free Month of Internet Service and 1500* Mbps internet speeds (subject to Astound Mobile’s terms, location and rules apply).
This plan costs $55 per month, and you get 20GB for $2.75 per GB.
Verizon Prepaid Plans
Verizon offers three prepaid plans with varying amounts of data.
Verizon’s Prepaid section offers one limited data plan and two unlimited data plans. Their data plans include deprioritization, but their Unlimited Plus plan includes premium data. Premium data does not slow down, even in times of high network congestion and traffic.

They also offer a “Talk & Text” only plan which is their no data plan option:

A Verizon Prepaid plan can have up to 10 lines. And because you’re buying directly from Verizon itself, if you purchase a phone from them, your device will be locked for 60 days after activation. The plans they offer renew monthly, and taxes and fees are not included with the advertised price. All plans come with an Auto Pay discount that is applied after the first month.
No Data Plan
This plan is Verizon’s most basic plan as it includes unlimited talking and texting, but does not include data or hotspot access.
The plan costs $35 per month normally, and $30 per month with the Auto Pay discount.
15GB Plan
This plan gives users 15GB of data which slows down to 2G speeds after this cap. You will still be able to send texts and emails or browse the internet, but streaming video or playing video games will be very difficult, even slower than 3G. This plan also gives you mobile hotspot access with the 15GB, which stops after the 15GB cap.
The plan costs $45 per month normally, and $35 per month with the Auto Pay discount. At this rate, you get 15GB at $2.33 per GB with the Auto Pay discount and $3.00 per GB at full price.
Unlimited Plan
This plan offers unlimited data without a cap, which means your data will not slow down because of the amount you use. However, this plan is deprioritized and will face slower speeds during high network connection or with excessive use. This plan also gives you 5GB of full speed data for hotspot access, which is then slowed to 600kbps, or 3G, speeds after this cap.
The plan costs $60 per month normally, and $50 per month with the Auto Pay discount.

Unlimited Plus Plan
This is Verizon Prepaid’s biggest most lucrative plan, it offers 50GB of premium data. After the 50GB cap, you still get unlimited data but is deprioritized. This plan also offers 25GB of premium hotspot data, which is also deprioritized after the cap.
The plan costs $70 per month normally, and $60 per month with the Auto Pay discount. At this rate, you get 50GB of premium data at $1.20 per GB with the Auto Pay discount and $1.40 per GB at full price.
Features - Astound Mobile vs. Verizon Prepaid
While both carriers offer pretty good deals for their customers, there are some differences in the features and benefits that may entice you to pick one over the other. If you’re a frequent traveler, talk to your international friends and family a lot, or are looking for a bit more “perk” with your plan then this section will break down all of that juicy info so you can know what you’re potentially gonna get.
Domestic Roaming Data
Astound Mobile offers standard domestic roaming rates which are $0.30 per mb, $0.00 per minute, and $0.01 per SMS. Verizon Prepaid offers domestic roaming with all of their plans.
Mexico & Canada Connection
Astound Mobile offers pay-per-use rates for connection in Mexico and Canada. Verizon Prepaid plans include talk, text, and data in Mexico and Canada. However, their Talk & Text only plan requires users to pay $5 per day to use this feature.
International Connection
Astound Mobile offers international roaming and you only pay for what you use via their rates found here. All Verizon Prepaid plans have international text included.
Video Streaming Quality
Astound Mobile’s plans stream at 4k Ultra HD resolution, 480p SD resolution on Unlimited. Verizon Prepaid’s 15GB and Unlimited Plan stream at 480p Standard Definition, and their Unlimited Plus plan streams at 4k Ultra High Definition. Their Talk & Text only plan requires WiFi to stream video.
Streaming Services
Astound Mobile and Verizon Prepaid do not offer this feature.

Cloud Storage
Astound Mobile and Verizon Prepaid do not offer this feature.
Device Financing
Astound Mobile has partnered with Affirm which is a financial company and through them you can “Buy Now and Pay Later” with select phones and Smartwatches. You can get APR financing through Astound’s deal with Affirm- (note that you may need to make a down payment, so be aware of that before you look into the program). Then once you’re done paying off said loan, the device(s) are yours. More information you need on Astound Mobile and Affirm can be found in checkout.
And if you buy a phone from Verizon, they allow you to pay for your device in installments over time.
WiFi Calling
Both carriers offer WiFi calling, which allows you to send and receive phone calls over a WiFi connection rather than cellular reception.
Spam Protection
Astound Mobile does not offer this feature. Verizon Prepaid offers protection from spam and fraud calls with the app Digital Secure.
Free Trial
Astound Mobile and Verizon Prepaid do not offer this feature.
Customer Service
Astound Mobile only has a few physical locations and Verizon has thousands of stores across the country, as well as online customer support.
Astound offers a few store locations across the country, which can be found with their store locator. However, most Astound Mobile users would likely contact customer service online or over the phone. Their support number is 1 (800) 746-4726. Verizon offers thousands of locations across the country, and you can find the closest store to you with their store locator. For support over the phone, call 1-800-837-4966 or 1-800-VERIZON. Customer support is also available over chat on their website and through Facebook Messenger.
The Verdict
Verizon Prepaid offers the best plans for the features you get.
Astound’s price(s) and mandatory Home Internet use make Verizon Prepaid the winner today. Not only is Astound Mobile only available in select areas in the country, but not many are looking to switch their home internet and if you aren’t that means you can’t use Astound’s phone service, also for only 20GB of high speed data a month on their unlimited plans before throttled speeds for $45 and $55 a month, it’s not worth it, especially when average phone users trend higher. We always recommend checking your data usage before committing to a plan. Verizon Prepaid’s biggest plan gets you 50GB of premium data which is huge considering it is prepaid and most prepaid options don’t have this available.
Want to compare other carriers?
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And if you want to compare and contrast Astound Mobile and Verizon Prepaid to over 1,200 other phone plans so you know you’re getting the service that’s right for you, then make sure to check out the REALLY compare page which allows you to look at pricing, coverage, what phone plans are available, current deals and steals, and how you can make the most of your potential phone bill.