AT&T Prepaid vs. Astound Mobile: Which Carrier is Better?

AT&T is a major wireless carrier in the United States that provides fantastic cell phone coverage all throughout the country. There are three major wireless providers, including AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. These companies own and operate nationwide networks, working tirelessly to increase their network’s strength throughout the country. There are a lot of excellent cell phone plans from AT&T, both prepaid and postpaid.

Note: To purchase Astound Mobile cell phone plans, you must be an Astound Internet customer. 

Astound Mobile operates on T-Mobile’s reliable network, offering affordable plans with good coverage in urban and suburban areas. This MVNO focuses on budget-conscious customers, providing simple plans and added perks like hotspot options. With a straightforward approach to pricing, Astound Mobile is a great choice for light to moderate data users looking for a no-frills experience at an affordable price.

Coverage & Reception — Astound Mobile vs. AT&T Prepaid 

Astound Mobile is a mobile virtual network operator or MVNO. 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 lower price. Astound Mobile uses T-Mobile's major wireless network. 

For coverage and reception, we pit T-Mobile (Astound) against AT&T. Major wireless carriers have pretty comparable coverage nationwide. T-Mobile excels in urban and suburban coverage thanks to its extensive 5G network. It leads in cities with fast speeds and reliable service, offering a strong 5G experience across the country. T-Mobile's coverage is continuously improving, particularly after its merger with Sprint, but may still lag slightly in remote areas.

AT&T is known for its robust rural coverage, providing reliable service in areas with lower population density. While AT&T’s 5G network is growing, it offers dependable 4G LTE and 5G speeds, making it a solid choice for those in rural or less densely populated regions.

Make sure to check local coverage maps for more information about your area.  

The other major difference between the coverage and reception of these carriers is that AT&T customers have a far higher data priority than Astound Mobile’s customers. When there is more traffic on a network than it can handle, the owning company (AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon) will throttle the data of certain customers. To evade slowing everyone’s data speed at once, carriers have users divided into tiers with different data priorities. In the United States, that priority data is roughly divided into three tiers, with MVNOs always utilizing the lowest tier data.  

Plan Options — Astound Mobile vs. AT&T Prepaid 

AT&T Prepaid and Astound Mobile offer plans with varying amounts of high-speed data. Along with high-speed data, both carriers offer unlimited talk and text along with various features and add-ons. First up, let’s talk about Astound’s cell phone plans. 

Astound Mobile Plans and Pricing

Astound Mobile offers four plans, each with its own benefits and downsides. The four Astound Mobile phone plans are as follows: 

• $15 per month for 1.5 GB
• $25 per month for 3 GB
• $40 per month for Unlimited (20 GB)
• $50 per month for Unlimited + (20 GB)

1.5 GB

This plan is designed for users who only need mobile data for essentials, like occasional GPS navigation, checking email, or brief browsing sessions. With 1.5 GB of high-speed data, it’s perfect for those who primarily use Wi-Fi and just want reliable talk and text with minimal data on the go. This plan is the most cost-effective option in the lineup.

3 GB

While this plan won’t cover heavy usage, it’s a low-cost option for users who mostly rely on Wi-Fi but need some data for basic tasks on the go. Ideal for those who use limited data on social media or streaming apps away from home, it's a budget-friendly pick for minimal mobile data needs. There’s not much difference in how long 1.5 and 3 GBs of high-speed data will take you, but this plan is nice for those who want a little extra piece of mind while out and about. 

Unlimited

This plan offers 20 GB of high-speed data, which is suitable for moderate use, such as streaming music, occasional video, and browsing throughout the month. However, high-speed data users will consume this allocation quickly, so make sure to check your data usage before switching to this plan.

Unlimited +

Unlimited+ also offers 20 GB of high-speed data but also includes high-speed hotspot data and HD streaming while your data lasts. Once you hit the 20 GB cap, you are reduced to 3G data speeds, which will severely limit your usage. 

AT&T Prepaid Cell Phone Plans

AT&T Prepaid offers a range of flexible plans to suit different data needs. Here’s a breakdown of their key options:

• $30 per month for 5 GB
• $40 per month for 15 GB
• $50 per month for Unlimited (with 5G access)
• $65 per month for Unlimited Plus (with 5G access)

AT&T Prepaid 5 GB Plan

This entry-level plan is perfect for light users who mainly rely on WiFi. It offers 5 GB of high-speed data, after which your speeds are slowed down. This plan is best for those who don’t use much mobile data and prefer to limit usage to essential tasks like texting or occasional browsing.

AT&T Prepaid 15 GB Plan

With 15 GB of high-speed data, this plan offers more flexibility for moderate users. You’ll still need to monitor data usage to avoid throttling, but it’s a great option for people who want more room for activities like social media, music streaming, or browsing the web on the go.

AT&T Prepaid Unlimited Plan

The Unlimited plan offers high-speed data with 5G access. Once you hit a 22 GB data cap during a billing cycle, your speeds may be deprioritized during times of congestion. This plan is ideal for those who use a moderate to high amount of data each month, including streaming and gaming, but you’ll need to be mindful of congestion periods.

AT&T Prepaid Unlimited Plus Plan

AT&T’s Unlimited Plus plan offers the most data with high-speed access and 5G connectivity. It also includes HD streaming and 15 GB of hotspot data. After hitting the 22 GB cap, your speeds may be slowed, but overall, this plan is a great choice for heavy data users who need reliable service and want the flexibility to stream and work on the go.

AT&T Prepaid offers solid options for users who want reliable coverage and flexibility without a long-term commitment. For light to moderate users, the 5 GB and 15 GB plans are great values, while the Unlimited and Unlimited Plus plans cater to those who need more data and higher speeds.

Major Wireless Network vs. MVNO

One of the biggest differences between AT&T and Astound Mobile is that AT&T is a major wireless network, while Astound Mobile is an MVNO. There are several key differences between these kinds of carriers. Let’s get into it.

Two key differences between major wireless networks and MVNOs are data throttling and deprioritization. 

Deprioritization

Data deprioritization occurs when a network is too “busy” to handle the current level of traffic. This happens all the time across the country, but the frequency of deprioritization is hard to quantify. You may use an MVNO like Astound and never notice the difference in speeds, or you might feel that deprioritization slows you down multiple times each week. You can prepare in some ways, including gauging the population density of your area. In your day-to-day, living in a major metropolitan area means there’s a lot of people using the network. US networks are rushing to strengthen city bandwidth, but reports remain of congestion in the cities even for people using a major network like AT&T. 

Regardless of your current congestion, major networks always have less relative to MVNOs. It is harder to predict the congestion in less populated cities and rural areas around the country. Festivals, concerts, and sporting events are common times when a lot of congestion hits the area. If you’ve ever been to a football game and tried to access your phone for just about anything, we are certain that you’ve seen what it feels like to try to use data with congestion. 

Throttling

Data throttling occurs when you are on a limited data plan and use up all your data for the month. This is completely separate from network congestion. This is the dramatic slowing of data, where speeds will be a lot slower than those who’ve just been deprioritized. At the beginning of the next month, you get a new data allocation and return to high speeds. 

AT&T Prepaid has a mixture of plans with limited and unlimited high-speed data. AT&T Prepaid’s 5 and 15 GB plans throttle your speeds when you hit your data cap, leaving you with 3G speeds that make most cell phone activities next to impossible. AT&T’s Prepaid plans are quite expensive for the data you receive, especially compared to budget MVNOs like Mint or Tello. They are, however, the cheapest way to continue AT&T service if you want to stick with a major wireless provider but dip to low-data plans for a little. We do not recommend planning a long-term account around AT&T’s limited data plans. 

Customer Service 

AT&T has physical locations and robust online customer service offerings, while Astound Mobile only has online customer service. You can call AT&T’s customer service line on this number: 844-931-0552. You can also reach AT&T’s help pages following this link, which have answers to frequently asked questions, the option to chat, and more. 

For Astound Mobile, you can contact them here: (800) 746-4726 or access their help page here. 

The Verdict

There’s a lot to like about Astound Mobile. Excellent network, affordable plans, and a well-stocked store. Of course, it’s not all good, but Astound Mobile has its strengths. Just be careful, though, because Astound’s cell phone plans, on their own, are more expensive than the competition. Low-data cell phone plans (say, less than 10 GB) are available for very low prices in some other carriers like Ting and Freedom Pop. The best part of Astound Mobile is the bundle with Astound Internet. Check out the bundles to see if one is right for you. If you want more information regarding cell phone plans in your area, you can check out Really’s comparison tool for all the information you need! 

Remember, you must be an Astound Internet customer to purchase any cell phone plans from Astound Mobile. If you are not an Astound Internet customer, then AT&T is the winner. 

Due to data deprioritization and data throttling, Astound Mobile is best for people who don’t rely on high-speed data when they are out and about. With a maximum of 20 GB of high-speed data on their cell phone plans, any high-data users will quickly cut through their high-speed data allocation and then be stuck with slow data speeds for the rest of the month. 

If you have Astound Internet, we recommend Astound over AT&T Prepaid. AT&T Prepaid’s plans are too expensive for us to recommend them, even though they are from a major wireless carrier. If you want the bells and whistles of a big carrier, we recommend AT&T’s post-paid plans over their prepaid plans, as the post-paid plans have great add-ons and awesome multi-line savings. 

We’d recommend checking your data usage before committing to a plan.

Want to compare other carriers?

Really.com helps users compare between features, coverage, price, reviews, and more!

Are you still unsure which carrier to choose or which phone plan to pick? Use really.com to compare your top choices and find the best deal to fit your needs. Really allows you to compare and sort between most phone plans on the market without the hassle!

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I choose the right cell phone provider? 

Choosing the right provider depends on your location, budget, and data usage. Research the coverage maps of major providers in your area to determine which one has the best coverage for you. Also, consider customer reviews for each provider's service quality and customer support.

How can I choose the right cell phone plan?

To choose the right plan, assess your usage habits—how much data, talk time, and texts you need. Look for plans that fit your requirements and budget. Compare different providers' offerings and check for additional features like international roaming, hotspot data, or family plans.

Who does Astound use for mobile?

Astound typically partners with major carriers to offer mobile services. Check their website or contact customer service to confirm which major carrier they currently use for their mobile services, as this may vary by region.

Is AT&T faster than T-Mobile?

In many areas, AT&T and T-Mobile offer competitive speeds. Performance can vary depending on your location, network congestion, and the quality of service. Check your specific area's speed test data and coverage maps to determine which provider offers faster speeds.

Who provides better internet, AT&T or Astound Broadband?

AT&T offers fiber optic and DSL services, while Astound provides cable and fiber internet. Compare speeds, prices, and customer reviews in your area to decide which suits you best.

Should I use an MVNO or a major wireless provider?

It depends on your priorities. MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) often offer more affordable plans with similar coverage since they use the same network that major providers use. However, major providers may offer better perks, such as higher data speeds, broader coverage, and more premium features. Evaluate your budget and needs to make the right choice.