UScellular vs. Tello: Which carrier is better?

UScellular and Tello are popular MVNOs that offer unique plans. Each carrier has its positives and negatives, but which offers better phone plans? Let’s put them head to head and see which brand comes out on top. 

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 

Unsure of what you need out of a plan? Check out our guide on how to choose the best phone plan. 

Coverage & Reception

Tello is on the T-Mobile network, while UScellular is on all networks – including their own!

UScellular and Tello are mobile virtual network operators, 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. Tello is an MVNO of T-Mobile, and UScellular uses infrastructure from all three big networks. They also have their own towers in select areas. 

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.

However, T-Mobile’s 5G coverage and access is hailed as the best coverage overall. 

Plan Options

Tello offers customizable plans, and UScellular offers premium data. 

Like most plans you’ll see on the market, both carriers offer unlimited talk and texting options. However, Tello offers several options for limited calling minutes to customize with the amount of data you need. UScellular offers premium data, which does not slow down no matter the amount of network traffic. UScellular and Tello also deprioritize data, meaning you’ll have slower connection speeds in high traffic areas like concerts venues and sports arenas. UScellular only deprioritizes data on certain plans.

UScellular Plans

UScellular offers several plans to choose from, with some including premium data and the option to bring your own device.

UScellular is unique, as it offers prepaid and postpaid plans. All except one of their prepaid plans include limited data. Otherwise, UScellular plans are postpaid. They all feature premium data as well. 

They offer two versions of their postpaid plans – promotional unlimited and unlimited evolved. Their promotional plans offer an option to bring your own device and a $10 Autopay discount, while their Evolved line offers a $5 Autopay discount and allow you to purchase devices with them. They encourage users to go with the Unlimited Evolved plan to save more money if there are multiple users on the account. 

If you purchase your phone from UScellular, your device will be locked for 120 days after activation. The plans they offer renew monthly, and taxes and fees are not included with the advertised price. 

Prepaid 2GB

This is the smallest plan US Cellular offers, and it gives you 2GB of premium data each month with included hotspot access. Once you run out of data, speeds slow to 2G and hotspot access stops completely. 

The Prepaid 2GB plan costs $25 per month. With this plan, you get 2GB per month for $12.50 per GB. 

Prepaid 5GB

This plan comes with 5GB of premium data as well as included hotspot access. After the cap, users get 2G speeds and hotspot access stops completely. 

This plan costs $30 per month, and you get 5GB per month for $6 per GB. 

Prepaid 8GB

This plan comes with 8GB of premium data as well as hotspot access. Once you use up the 8GB, speeds slow to 2G and you lose hotspot access. 

This plan costs $35 per month, and you get 8GB per month for $4.38 per GB. 

Prepaid Unlimited 

This is the smallest unlimited plan that US Cellular offers. It gives you 15GB of premium data each month with hotspot access included. Once you use 15GB, speeds slow to 2G and hotspot access stops. 

Prepaid Unlimited costs $40 per month. With this plan, you get 15GB per month for $2.67 per GB. 

Prepaid Unlimited Plus

As the biggest prepaid plan US Cellular offers, this plan gives you 35GB of premium data each month. It slows to 2G speeds after that limit. At 2G speeds, users can expect to still be able to send texts and emails or browse the internet, but playing games or streaming video will be difficult without WiFi. It also offers hotspot access that stops at the same cap. 

With this plan, you get 35GB per month for $1.57 per GB. 

Basic Unlimited (BYOD)

With this version, the plan also comes with 100GB of deprioritized data. It slows down to 3G speeds after the cap. This plan comes with 100GB of deprioritized data and is the smallest postpaid plan US Cellular offers. It doesn’t include hotspot access. Once you use up the 100GB, the plan slows down to 3G speeds. At this speed, users can still send texts and emails or browse social media, but playing games and streaming video may be slower without WiFi. 

This version of the plan allows you to bring your own device, and you can also purchase a hotspot add-on.

The BYOD version of this plan costs $40 before the $10 Autopay discount. With this plan, you get 100GB per month for $0.40 per GB. 

Basic Unlimited

With this version, the plan also comes with 100GB of deprioritized data. It slows down to 3G speeds after the cap. 

The plan costs $35 before the $5 Autopay discount.  With this plan, you get 100GB per month for $0.35 per GB. 

Everyday Unlimited (BYOD)

With Everyday Unlimited, users get 50GB of premium data each month. After 50GB, speeds slow to 3G speeds. This plan also comes with 25GB of hotspot data, and access stops at that cap. This version of the plan allows you to bring your own device. 

The BYOD version of this plan costs $50 before the $10 Autopay discount, and $40 after. At full price, you get 75GB per month for $0.67 per GB. 

Everyday Unlimited

This plan is the same as the other Everyday Unlimited plan, as it offers 50GB of premium data and 25GB of hotspot data. Speeds slow down to 3G after the 50GB cap, and hotspot access stops once you use that allotment. 

This plan costs $45 per month before the $5 Autopay discount. At full price, you get 75GB per month for $0.60 per GB. 

Even Better Unlimited (BYOD)

This is the biggest plan US Cellular has to offer. It gives its users unlimited premium data and 50GB of hotspot data. Once you reach the hotspot cap, your access stops completely. This version of the plan allows you to bring your own device. 

The BYOD version of this plan costs $60 before the $10 Autopay discount. 

Even Better Unlimited

This is the same plan as the BYOD version of Even Better Unlimited. It offers unlimited premium data and 50GB of hotspot data that stops at the cap. 

This plan costs $55 per month before the $5 Autopay discount. 

Tello Plans

Tello offers customizable plans with their service.

Tello offers plans that allow you to customize the amount of data and minutes you get included. No matter your plan, you do get unlimited text capabilities included. Your calling access stops on the limited plans once you hit the cap. Your QCI tier for this carrier is 7, as it’s on the T-Mobile network. 

If you purchase your phone from Tello, your device will be unlocked upon purchasing. The plans they offer renew monthly, and taxes and fees are not included with the advertised price. 

No Data Plan

This plan offers talk and text. 

Obviously, this is the smallest plan Tello offers. You don’t get any data, but still get unlimited texting. You can choose how many minutes you get each month, and you don’t get hotspot access. 

The plan costs $8 per month with unlimited minutes, $7 with 500 minutes, $6 with 300 minutes, and $5 with 100 minutes.

500MB

This plan gives you varying prices depending on what you buy. 

This plan offers 0.5GB per month, or 500MB. Data slows to 64 kilobits per second (kbps) after you hit the cap, which is practically unusable. You can use your data as hotspot access, and access stops at the cap. 

The plan costs $9 per month with unlimited minutes. At this rate, you get 500MB at $18 per GB. 

Here is the price breakdown for the varying minute allotments:

No minutes: $5, $10 per GB

100 minutes: $6, $12 per GB

300 minutes: $7, $14 per GB

500 minutes: $8, $16 per GB

1GB

This plan gives you varying prices depending on what you buy. 

You get 1GB with this plan, which slows to 64 kbps once you hit the cap. You also get hotspot access with this data until you run out. 

The plan costs $10 per month with unlimited minutes.

Here is the price breakdown for the varying minute allotments:

No minutes: $6

100 minutes: $7

300 minutes: $8

500 minutes: $9

2GB

This plan gives you varying prices depending on what you buy. 

Tello offers 2GB with this plan, and speeds slows to 64 kbps once you run out of that amount. You also get hotspot access until you hit the cap.

The plan costs $14 per month with unlimited minutes. At this rate, you get 2GB at $7 per GB. 

Here is the price breakdown for the varying minute allotments:

No minutes: $10, $5 per GB. 

100 minutes: $11, $5.50 per GB

300 minutes: $12, $6 per GB

500 minutes: $13, $6.50

5GB

This plan gives you varying prices depending on what you buy. 

This Tello plan offers 5GB of full speed data, then 64 kbps speeds. You also get hotspot access until you run out of data for the month. 

The plan costs $19 per month with unlimited minutes. At this rate, you get 5GB at $3.80 per GB. 

Here is the price breakdown for the varying minute allotments:

No minutes: $15, $3 per GB

100 minutes: $16, $3.20 per GB

300 minutes: $17, $3.40 per GB

500 minutes: $18, $3.60 per GB

10GB 

This plan gives you varying prices depending on what you buy. 

The 10GB plan is the biggest limited data allotment that Tello offers. Like the other plans, you get hotspot access until the cap and data speeds slow to 64 kbps when you run out of full speed data. 

The plan costs $24 per month with unlimited minutes. At the unlimited minutes rate, you get 10GB at $2.40 per GB. 

Here is the price breakdown for the varying minute allotments:

No minutes: $20, $2 per GB

100 minutes: $21, $2.10 per GB

300 minutes: $22, $2.20 per GB

500 minutes: $23, $2.30 per GB

Unlimited 

This plan gives you 25GB of full speed data. 

As the biggest plan Tello offers, this plan offers 25GB of full speed data before slowing to 64 kbps. You also get hotspot access that stops once you hit the full speed cap. 

The plan costs $29 per month, no matter if you choose unlimited minutes or a specific amount. At this rate, you get 25GB at $1.16 per GB.  

Features

UScellular offers several features on their plans, while Tello’s features are rather limited.  

If you’re looking for a plan with more included features, such as international connection or domestic roaming data, it’s best to compare carriers with what they offer. UScellular offers connection in Mexico and Canada and spam protection, while Tello features are limited.  

Domestic Roaming Data

UScellular offers domestic roaming data on their plans. Tello does not offer this feature. 

Mexico & Canada Connection

UScellular offers talk in Mexico and Canada on all plans except their Prepaid 2GB and 5GB plans as well as text and data on all unlimited plans. Tello does not offer this feature. 

International Connection

Tello plans include international calling, but not text and data. UScellular does not include this feature.  

Video Streaming Quality

UScellular includes 1080p HD resolution on Prepaid Unlimited Plus and Even Better Unlimited, 720p HD resolution on Prepaid Unlimited and Everyday Unlimited, and 480p SD resolution on all other plans. All Tello plans stream at 4k Ultra HD resolution. 

Streaming Services

UScellular and Tello do not offer this feature. 

Cloud Storage

UScellular and Tello do not offer this feature. 

Device Financing

If you buy a phone from UScellular, they allow you to pay for your device in installments over time. Tello does not offer this feature.

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

All UScellular plans offer spam protection included. Tello does not offer this feature.

Free Trial

Tello and UScellular do not include this feature.   

Customer Service 

Tello does not have physical stores, leaving all of their customer service to online support, while UScellular offers stores across the country. 

Tello is a digital-only carrier, meaning they only offer customer support online. You can call Tello’s customer service lines at 1 (866) 377-0294, and you can research answers to your questions on their help center page. UScellular offers several stores across the country, which can be found through the store locator. They also have chat and phone support at (888) 994-9400. Hours vary depending on your timezone. 

The Verdict

The better plan depends on what you need.

Overall, Tello and UScellular offer very different plans. If you’re looking for all that a phone plan can offer, UScellular is the best choice with their unlimited plans. However, if you don’t need that much data or minutes, Tello plans are the better option for you.

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!