Metro by T-Mobile vs. Consumer Cellular: Which Carrier is Better?

Consumer Cellular is an MVNO that operates on AT&T and T-Mobile’s networks, providing affordable plans with the caveat that you do not have unlimited high-speed data and have a higher chance for data deprioritization than major wireless providers.

Metro by T-Mobile is an MVNO that operates on T-Mobile’s network. It provides affordable plans with the caveat that it is more likely to experience data deprioritization than major wireless providers. Metro has a more expensive set of plans (relative to MVNOs) that come with a good data allocation, which is pretty high relative to other MVNOs. 

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 do the prices of their plans compare to how much data you get
• The features each carrier offers for their plans 

Coverage & Reception

Consumer Cellular and Metro by T-Mobile are both MVNOs. Metro uses T-Mobile’s network, while Consumer Cellular bounces between T-Mobile and AT&T, depending on which is stronger in your area.  Overall, the coverage and reception given by each major network is very similar. Each one has a wide-ranging 4G LTE network and powerful 5G networks centered around major metropolitan areas. In specific areas, however, one network is a clear winner. We recommend examining local coverage maps to see if one network stands out over the others. 

MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) experience less consistent data reception compared to major networks. MVNOs rent bandwidth from major wireless networks, but data consumption, especially in major metropolitan areas, often exceeds these networks' capacity. As a result, major networks have divided data priority into three tiers: premium major network data, basic major network data, and MVNO data.

MVNOs always use the lowest-priority data, meaning MVNO users experience slower data speeds during times of high network usage. This can be unpredictable, leading to potential data slowdowns throughout the day when using mobile data. To understand the quality of coverage in your area, we recommend checking local reviews for MVNO carriers, as users of these MVNOs can provide valuable insights about their experiences.

Interested in a detailed breakdown of major wireless networks and MVNOs? Check out our website!

Plan Options

Consumer Cellular and Metro by T-Mobile offer various plans with limited 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 Metro’s cell phone plans. 

Metro Mobile Cell Phone Plans

Metro by T-Mobile’s unlimited plan provides unlimited high-speed data, which separates them from other MVNOs. Few MVNO data plans offer the same. Metro Mobile has four cell phone plans. Three are unlimited plans, and the last is a 10 GB plan. Each plan comes with unlimited talk and text, as well as the same 5G and 4G LTE coverage that T-Mobile users get. The phone plans at Metro Mobile are competitively priced and come with a variety of benefits and shortcomings, just like their competitors. Their four major plans are:

MetroFlex Plus

Metro Mobile’s most expensive cell phone plan offers a huge selection of add-ons on top of their unlimited high-speed data. The difference between Metro Mobile’s three unlimited cell phone plans is the hotspot data and additional add-ons like international messages and subscription services. With MetroFlex Plus, you receive 25 GB of hotspot data, an Amazon Prime membership, a 1-year VIX Premium subscription, and a 100 GB Google One membership. That’s a lot of add-ons!

The downside, of course, is the price of this plan. A $70 MVNO is a steep price. The multi-line savings are great, but it is still around $44 a month per line. 

MetroFlex UP

This cell phone plan comes with 25 GB hotspot data, the Google One membership, the VIX subscription, and unlimited international texting. Along with unlimited high-speed data, this plan and all three unlimited plans have a soft cap of 35 GB. After you use 35 GB of data, you become further susceptible to data throttling in times of congestion. That means you will get slower data speeds than other Metro by T-Mobile customers as well as T-Mobile customers. 

MetroFlex Start

The basic unlimited plan from Metro still comes with 8 GB of hotspot data, as well as the Google One and VIX memberships. These are nice, but they add to the significant price tag of this unlimited plan. Paying $50 a month for an MVNO is still a hefty price tag, even if it does come with unlimited high-speed data. 

10 GB plan

Coming in at $40 a month with no multi-line savings, Metro’s limited-data plan is not very well priced compared to other MVNO plans that provide this amount of data. This means Metro is best for people who want unlimited high-speed data. If you are interested in limited-data plans where you can save big on your monthly phone bill, we recommend looking at providers like Tello Mobile, Mint Mobile, and Ting Mobile. 

Low-data providers have fantastically priced cell phone plans that provide single-digit GB of high-speed data. This data allocation does not give you a lot of wiggle room when it comes to data usage, but it is a fantastic way to get a phone number with unlimited talk and text, and, of course, you can use as much data as you want on WiFi. 

Consumer Cellular Cell Phone Plans

Consumer Cellular offers four plans, all of which offer various quantities of high-speed data. Consumer Cellular offers impressive multi-line savings. The four Consumer Cellular phone plans are as follows: 

• 1 GB High-Speed Data
• 5 GB High-Speed Data
• 10 GB High-Speed Data
• Unlimited (50 GB) High-Speed Data

Consumer Cellular’s array of cell phone plans is an excellent choice for people who are interested in low- or medium-data cell phone plans. Consumer Cellular is without contracts, making it easy to jump between plans as your data needs change. If you aren’t using many GB of data each day, an MVNO cell phone plan can save you a lot of money. 

Consumer Cellular 1 GB Plan

This is Consumer Cellular’s least expensive cell phone plan, offering 1 GB of high-speed data. Once you reach your data cap, Consumer Cellular completely shuts off your cell data until the next month. This plan is best for low-data users. There are numerous ways to limit your monthly data consumption, including downloading media before leaving the house, shutting down background processes, and sticking to WiFi networks wherever possible. 

Consumer Cellular 5 GB Plan

Consumer Cellular’s 5 GB plan offers a bit more high-speed data, but it is a small enough difference that the same rules apply. Using this cell phone plan, your goal should be to save these 5 GB for emergencies only. 

Consumer Cellular 10 GB Plan

Consumer Cellular offers another low-data plan with its 10 GB offering. You lose total access when you hit 10 GB during the month, so use your data wisely. Ten GB opens up more opportunities for routine browsing, letting you check socials and browse the web, but you should always keep an eye on the data each process takes, as almost anything you can do on your phone nowadays will chew through your data. 

Consumer Cellular Unlimited Plan

Consumer Cellular’s Unlimited Plan is their most expensive cell phone plan, offering 50 GB of high-speed data and unlimited 3G data if you run out. If you are a big data user, you can work to limit your usage by downloading media beforehand and taking advantage of WiFi networks, using 50 GB of high-speed data when you have no other option.  

Consumer Cellular’s Unlimited plan provides 50 GB of data. This gives you a lot more leeway than their limited-data plans, but be careful, as 50 GB can still get used hastily. If you like streaming videos or browsing social media daily, AT&T’s plans with unlimited high-speed data are a better bet. 

We are big believers that it is important to have enough data for a whole month of your normal cell phone usage. Finding ways to limit usage is always good, but it is not worth picking a super low-data plan and losing high-speed data after a week or two. Using your cell phone on 3G data is painful when you are used to 4G LTE or 5G speeds. 

If you use more than 50 GB of high-speed data each month, we recommend a different provider, such as Metro or a major carrier with unlimited high-speed data. If you use a lot of data, unlimited high-speed data is essential. This means you can use your phone as much as you want without worrying about data throttling. 

Major Wireless Network vs. MVNO

This article covers two MVNOs. This kind of carrier has some critical differences from major wireless networks, and we will highlight some of those differences so you understand the pros and cons of MVNOs. 

Data Speeds

One big difference between MVNOs and major wireless networks comes is your overall data speeds. With a major wireless network, you always have high-speed data, no matter how much data you use each month. Major wireless customers also have a higher data priority, meaning they receive full data speeds as long as possible as the network becomes congested. 

There is always a certain amount of data usage that congests every single user on the network. In that case, no one can load anything until whatever is causing the intense congestion (sporting event, concert, etc.) clears out. 

These two ideas are known as data throttling and data deprioritization, and they both result in MVNO users having lower total data speeds. Throttling happens when you hit your cell phone plan's high-speed data maximums. It depends on the carrier, but data throttling normally reduces you to 3G data speeds. Some carriers shut off your data completely. 

Deprioritization, which is also common among MVNOs, happens when a network experiences high traffic. In these cases, the network starts slowing the data of low-priority users (tier 3) so their high-priority data users can continue enjoying high-speed data. 

MVNOs have much higher data speed fluctuations than major wireless networks. MVNO customers are more frequently subjected to data deprioritization because these carriers must yield bandwidth to the major wireless networks' direct customers during times of network congestion. 

Customer Service 

You can call Metro’s customer service line on this number: 888-8-METRO-8. You can reach Metro’s help pages following this link, which has answers to frequently asked questions, the option to chat, and more. 

Consumer Cellular's contact information is (877) 320-3493, or you can access its help page here. 

The Verdict

Metro is on the expensive side for MVNOs, providing pricing and multi-line savings that are very similar to what you see at T-Mobile. It is best for high-data users who use lots of data each month but don’t rely on the data priority that makes major networks so strong. We love unlimited high-speed data in MVNO plans, but Metro’s plans are very expensive. Consumer Cellular, on the other hand, provides a mixture of low and medium-data cell phone plans at decent prices. 

Due to Consumer Cellular’s pricing, we recommend Metro by T-Mobile. Metro offers expensive plans that come with a lot of data, perfect for high-data users interested in saving a little money each month with an MVNO. If you are a super low-data user, there are options better than Consumer Cellular, like Mint Mobile and Tello Mobile, which offer low-data plans at incredible prices. 

Make sure to check your data usage before committing to a plan. Being able to limit your data consumption opens up the option for far more low-data plans that are a fraction of the cost of major wireless unlimited high-speed data plans. The downside, of course, is that it is difficult to keep data consumption low. 

Want to compare other carriers?

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the #1 cell phone provider?

As of the latest data, Verizon is often considered the #1 cell phone provider in the United States based on coverage, network reliability, and subscriber count. However, rankings can vary depending on specific criteria such as customer satisfaction, plan pricing, and network performance.

What are the pros and cons of Consumer Cellular?

Consumer Cellular offers several pros, including affordable plans, no contracts, and a focus on customer service, particularly appealing to senior citizens with discounts and specialized support. It operates on AT&T and T-Mobile networks, providing good coverage and reliability. Additionally, it offers a range of phones, including options tailored for ease of use. However, the cons include limited high-speed data on lower-tier plans and overall higher costs compared to other MVNOs. The service also lacks some of the advanced features and perks found with major carriers.

What are data priority tiers, and how do they affect service?

Data priority tiers determine the order in which users experience slowdowns during network congestion. Major wireless networks offer Tier 1 and Tier 2 data, ensuring higher priority and faster speeds. MVNOs use Tier 3 data, which is the first to be slowed down in high-traffic situations, resulting in slower speeds for its users.

Depending on how much you rely on your cell phone, this data throttling can be incredibly annoying. It always feels like it happens at the worst times. 

Are T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile the same?

No, T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile are not the same. T-Mobile is a major wireless carrier, while Metro by T-Mobile is its prepaid subsidiary. T-Mobile offers a few prepaid cell phone plans that offer limited high-speed data, like these MVNOs, but those are still a part of T-Mobile proper, where users have a higher data priority and access T-Mobile’s robust support network. 

How much high-speed data does Metro by T-Mobile's plans provide?

Metro by T-Mobile offers several plans with different amounts of high-speed data:

1. $30/month plan: 5GB high-speed data.
2. $40/month plan: 10GB high-speed data.
3. $50/month plan: Unlimited high-speed data.
4. $60/month plan: Unlimited high-speed data with 15GB of hotspot data,

These plans may change, so it's always a good idea to check the latest details from Metro by T-Mobile