Verizon vs. Gen Mobile: Which Carrier is Better?

Verizon is one of the three major wireless networks popular in the United States, and Gen Mobile is a small MVNO that operates on AT&T’s network, delivering affordable cell phone plans to all its customers. They are an MVNO with a wide variety of data allocations and something for everyone.

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

Gen Mobile is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). This means that it purchases service access wholesale from one of the three major networks that own infrastructure across the country—Verizon, Verizon, and T-Mobile—giving customers service at a much lower price. Gen Mobile uses AT&T’s major wireless network. 

For coverage and reception, we pit AT&T (Gen) against Verizon. Major wireless carriers have pretty comparable coverage nationwide, with Verizon having better coverage in certain areas and T-Mobile having better coverage in others. 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 Verizon customers have a far higher data priority than Gen Mobile’s customers. When there is more traffic on a network than it can handle, the owning company (Verizon, 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, like so: 

• Tier 1 Data has the maximum data speeds at all times. If tier-one data is ever slowed down, it means no customers on the network have access to high-speed data. This may occur at sporting events, concerts, or other large congregations of people.
• Tier 2 Data retains maximum speeds after MVNO customers' data is slowed down. This is excellent on all but the busiest occasions. If congestion returns after MVNOs are slowed down, then T2 gets slowed to make room for Tier 1 Data, which this plan offers, to stay at max speeds. With T2 data, you may notice slowdowns in bigger cities where there are many residents and commuters. 
• Tier 3 Data, or MVNO data, is always the first tier of data to receive slowdowns. Gen Mobile utilizes MVNO data, which is an excellent way to use major wireless networks with affordable plan pricing. 

So, Verizon offers plans that have either tier 1 or tier 2 data, and Gen Mobile offers plans that are on tier 3 data. If you live in a major metropolitan area, you will notice far more slowdowns due to data deprioritization than if you live in a suburban or rural area. 

Plan Options

Verizon offers various plans that provide unlimited data, while Gen offers five data 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 Verizon’s cell phone plans. 

Verizon Cell Phone Plans

Verizon offers three cell phone plans, keeping their offerings simple and efficient. The price of these cell phone plans varies tremendously based on how many lines are on your account. We recommend at least three lines on this major provider, as it saves $30 on each line each month. These are Verizon’s cell phone plans: 

• Welcome Unlimited, priced at $65/55/40/30 a month per line
• Unlimited Plus, priced at $80/70/55/45 a month per line
• Unlimited Ultimate, priced at $90/80/65/55 a month per line

The Unlimited Plus plan is a little more expensive and comes with the following perks: 

• 30 GB mobile hotspot
• Device savings
• Price Guarantee
• Premium data

Regardless of the number of lines, the Unlimited Plus plan is $15 more per line on your account. This is a lot, but the premium data is handy in spaces with high data usage. It is hard to gauge how important premium data is. There are many areas around the country where Verizon’s network is strong enough to keep everyone using full-speed data.

Unlimited Ultimate doubles the hotspot data and opens up some new customer deals. This is an excellent choice for people who are willing to pay a premium for their cell phone service in order to get all the bells and whistles on their cell phone plan. 60 GBs of high-speed hotspot data is excellent for those who need to use data on laptops or tablets on the go. 

Premium data is most valuable for those in big cities. There is a lot of congestion in big cities, and Data is frequently slowed down in other areas, especially in big cities. We recommend starting on the less expensive plan and checking your data speeds for a month or two. If you notice slow data, we recommend switching to a more expensive plan if you have the budget for it. 

Alongside the base plans, Verizon offers a package of optional add-ons that each add $10 to your cell phone bill. The best part is that you can skip them entirely and stick to the base plan price, but if you find any Verizon add-ons you like, adding them to your plan always saves a few dollars on the service. 

Gen Mobile Cell Phone Plans

Gen Mobile has five cell phone plans. These cell phone plans have different quantities of high-speed data ranging from 1 to 35 GBs of high-speed data and 0 to 20 GBs of mobile hotspot data. We will showcase Gen Mobile’s phone plans in this section to help you figure out which is best for you. Gen Mobile’s cell phone plans are as follows: 

• 1 GB for $10 a month
• 4 GB for $20 a month
• 7 GB for $30 a month
• 16 GB for $40 a month
• 35 GB for $50-$60 a month

Gen Mobile has five cell phone plans and lets you prepay for one or three months. The three-month contract reduces prices between 10% and 25%, making their affordable plans even more affordable! Gen Mobile’s low-data cell phone plans offer between one and seven GBs of data. This is not that much, so it’s for people who only need data on rare occasions. With low data, you can use your phones in emergencies, but if you regularly stream audio and video or browse the internet, you will quickly notice your data allocation disappear. 

Gen Mobile’s no/short contracts mean you can quickly switch between their cell phone plans. This is perfect for customers who aren’t sure how much data they need. You can always start on a higher-data plan and watch your data consumption to see which one is the best for you. There are lots of ways you can save data on your cell plan, like downloading songs and shows on WiFi, keeping background processes low, and prioritizing your daily phone activities like browsing social media from the comfort of a WiFi network! 

Gen Mobile’s 16 GB cell phone plan gives you more flexibility to use your phone when out and about, but heavy phone usage will quickly diminish your supply. Their two unlimited cell phone plans come with 35 GB of high-speed data, which really opens up your options. While serious cell phone usage will burn through 35 GB of high-speed data, you have a lot of flexibility when it comes to your cell phone usage during the month. This is a great place to start while you decide how much data you need, but be warned, if you take a few days of using your cell phone a lot, 35 GB of data won’t be enough for you. 

That’s where Verizon shines! If you use a lot of data, then chilling with unlimited high-speed data is essential. This means you can use your phone as much as you want, with no worry of data throttling. 

There are lots of cell phone plans in the United States. Make sure to do your research so you can pick out the right one!

Major Wireless Network vs. MVNO

One of the biggest differences between Verizon and Gen Mobile is that Verizon is a major wireless network, while Gen Mobile is an MVNO. There are several key differences between these kinds of carriers. Let’s get into it.

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

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. 

Certain plans from major wireless networks will also allocate an amount of data on the premium tier before deprioritizing your account for the rest of the month. This gives you a pool of congestion-free data each month; you have a higher risk of slowed-down data once you use it up.

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. 

As an MVNO, Gen Mobile’s data fluctuates far more than Verizon’s data, as Gen receives data deprioritization far more. This makes Gen Mobile, among other MVNOs, unreliable in terms of data speeds. Anytime there is a danger of congestion within T-Mobile’s network, the high-speed data given to Gen Mobile’s customers is slowed down to allocate more bandwidth to T-Mobile’s customers. 

This congestion is seen most in big cities around the United States. In those cities, the network is stronger but not strong enough to handle the city's residents and the commuters coming in for work. Places like New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Miami, to name a few, are all areas where MVNOs experience a lot of congestion. 

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. 

Verizon, a major network, does not throttle its customers' data (its plans have unlimited high-speed data) and sees less data deprioritization than Gen. Verizon’s customers have either tier 1 or tier 2 data, so MVNOs will always be deprioritized before major wireless networks. 

Customer Service 

Verizon has physical locations and robust online customer service offerings, while Gen Mobile only has online customer service. You can call Verizon’s customer service line on this number: 800-922-0204. You can also reach Verizon’s help pages following this link, which has answers to frequently asked questions, the option to chat, and more. 

For Gen Mobile, you can contact them here: 833-528-1380 or access their help page here. 

The Verdict

Due to data deprioritization and data throttling, Gen Mobile is best for people who don’t rely on high-speed data when they are out and about. With a maximum of 35 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. 

One big upside of Gen Mobile is the wide array of low-data plans from which you can choose. If you know you are a low-data user, or are actively trying to decrease your data consumption, then you can hop between cell phone plans as you get a better idea about how much data you need. Overall, we recommend Verizon over Gen Mobile. It is more expensive, but it comes with far more features that make it a better bet for the majority of users. 

We’d recommend checking 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. 

We hope this article has answered all your questions regarding Verizon vs. Gen Mobile! 

Want to compare other carriers?

Really.com helps users compare features, coverage, prices, 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 Gen use for mobile?

Gen 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 Verizon faster than T-Mobile?

In many areas, Verizon 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.

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. Remember, while it is a pain, you can switch providers as long as you don’t have a contract with them. Just make sure your cell phone is unlocked.