Who Owns Ultra Mobile & What Network Do They Use?

When you’re shopping for a new wireless carrier there are a lot of things to look out for, including but not limited to: price, how much data you get per month, coverage, benefits like international calling, streaming services, and cloud storage, and how the company is as a whole. Some of these aspects might make or break a potential provider for you, so knowing everything upfront can save you the trouble of falling for a bad match. Today we’re taking a look at Ultra Mobile, a prepaid carrier that has versatile plan options perfect for any kind of phone user. But who owns Ultra Mobile and what network do they use for your coverage? Let’s talk about it!

In this article, we plan to discuss the ins and outs of Ultra Mobile while also diving into:

• A Quick Summary on Ultra Mobile
• Who Owns the Carrier
• What Network Does Ultra Mobile Use? Is it a MVNO or MNO?
• Plans, Prices, and Features
• A Few FAQs

A Quick Summary on Ultra Mobile

Ultra Mobile is a wireless carrier we like to call “flexible.” Why? Well, they lay it all out themselves with their options of having 1, 3, 6, & 12-month plans, data options ranging from as little as 250MB to Unlimited, and free international benefits which means more connection worldwide. The choice is in the user's hand, so if you’re someone that knows how much time they spend on their phone and how much data they use a month, Ultra Mobile might be something to look at.

Who owns Ultra Mobile?

Ultra Mobile has had quite the journey over the years, founded by CEO David Glickman in 2011. They had quite a widespread reach, as by 2016 over 25,000 of their products were being sold in famous retail stores nationwide. As they grew in popularity, they decided to start branching out on their own as Ultra launched Mint Mobile (which we know as the Ryan Renyolds famed wireless carrier). They saw success and then a little over 7 years later, T-Mobile acquired both Ultra and Mint Mobile.

What Network does Ultra Mobile use?

Since Ultra Mobile was acquired by T-Mobile two years ago, they use T-Mobile to provide coverage for customers.

When you’re shopping for a new cell phone plan one of the first things you do is look to see what type of network connection you’ll have. Traditionally there are two major options in the US: MNOs (Mobile Network Operators) like Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T, and MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators). MVNOs purchase service access wholesale from one of the MNOs that own infrastructure across the country, which gives customers service at a much lower price. Ultra Mobile is a MVNO of T-Mobile.

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.

T-Mobile is the leader in 5G coverage which is a huge feat considering more and more people are upgrading to 5G capable phones, and 5G is our current best system for wireless communication. T-Mobile offers consistent speeds and widespread coverage which is nice to see as we look into further 5G technologies like  5G+, 5G Advanced, Ultra Wide-Band, and more.

Their 4G LTE isn’t as widespread as their two major competitors, Verizon and AT&T, but it’s by no means a dealbreaker. (Always check with the website and coverage map to see what the network looks like in your area so you can see if you are also in for that lovely 5G).

One feature you’ll find on most provider’s websites is a “Coverage” or “Coverage Map” tab, this shows off the network’s coverage all throughout the country and subsequent regions. Here is a look Ultra Mobile’s Coverage Map:

To get the most accurate account of what coverage is like in your area you will need to enter your location when you go onto their coverage map page.

You can also get a different view via Ookla’s coverage map which 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.

Ultra Mobile’s Plans, Prices, and Features

Now that we have some background, let’s take a look at the plan(s), prices, and features of the carrier:

Ultra Mobile Plans

Ultra Mobile offers seven plans, with five being limited, and two being unlimited. Their plans range from 250MB per month to 15GB per month for their limited options and comes with no data cap for your unlimited options. Your plan is also deprioritized, which you know means that you’ll experience slower speeds during high traffic. As a T-Mobile MVNO, Ultra Mobile’s QCI tier is 7. 

Users have the option to choose from monthly, 3 month, 6 month, or 12 month lengths of service at a time. No matter what option you choose, you pay before receiving service and data is renewed monthly.

An Ultra Mobile plan can have up to four lines. If you purchase your phone from Ultra Mobile, your device will be locked for 12 months after activation. Taxes and fees are not included with the advertised price.

Plan One: Talk and Text 

This plan offers one quarter GB per month.

This plan has 250MB data per month. Data stops after this cap and renews at the start of your next billing cycle. You can use all plan data as hotspot data, but access stops at 250MB.

The plan costs $15 per month. At the base-line “1-Month” rate, you get 250MB at $0.06 per MB. The plan also offers deals for $13 per month for 3 months and $11 per month for 6 months. The best deal (money wise) is $10 per month for 12 months. 

Plan Two: 3GB

This plan gives you 3GB, then slows down. 

Ultra Mobile gives you 3GB with this plan per month, including hotspot access with all data. However, data speeds slow down to 2G speeds after the cap. Sending emails and texts with 2G speeds is still possible, as well as scrolling through the internet. However, streaming video or playing games will be difficult. Hotspot access stops after 3GB.

The plan costs $19 per month. At the base-line “1-Month” rate, you get 3GB at $6.34 per GB. Normally for this plan you have deals for $16 per month for 3 months and $15 per month for 6 months. The best (and new) deal for the money is $11.20 per month for 12 months. 

Right now as of writing this, Ultra Mobile is having a “New Years Sale” where their 3, 6, and 12 month(s) plans are only $10/mo.

Plan Three: 5GB

This plan gives you 5GB per month to use, as well as hotspot access with all plan data. After the cap, speeds slow again to 2G speeds for the remainder of the month. Hotspot access stops after 5GB.

The plan costs $24 per month. At the base-line “1-Month” rate, you get 5GB at $4.80 per GB. This plan also offers a few new deals for $19 per month for 3 months and $17 per month for 6 months. The best deal for the money is $16 per month for 12 months. 

Plan Four: 10GB

Ultra Mobile gives 10GB of data with this plan before slowing down speeds to 2G. You can also use all data as hotspot data, but it stops after that 10GB cap. 

The plan costs $29 per month. At the base-line “1-Month” rate, you get 10GB per month at $2.90 per GB. This plan also offers a few new deals for $24 per month for 3 months and $22 per month for 6 months. The best deal for the money is $19 per month for 12 months. 

Plan Five: 15GB

Ultra Mobile gives 15GB of data with this plan before slowing down speeds to 2G once you hit the cap. You can also use all data as hotspot data, but it stops after 15GB. 

The plan costs $39 per month. At the base-line “1-Month” rate, you get 15GB per month at $2.60 per GB. This plan also offers a few new deals for $30 per month for 3 months and $28 per month for 6 months. The best deal for the price is $23 per month for 12 months. 

Plan Six: Ultra Unlimited Plan & SIM Kit

With Ultra Mobile’s Unlimited Plan & SIM Kit, This plan gives you 35GB of high-speed data before speeds start to slow down. You also get hotspot access with this plan, which stops after 10GB.

The plan costs $49 per month. At the base-line “1-Month” rate, you get 40GB per month at $1.23 per GB. This plan also offers the new deals for $38 per month for 3 months and $36 per month for 6 months. The best deal for the price is $20 per month for 12 months. 

Plan Six: Ultra Unlimited+ Plan & SIM Kit

This plan gives you 60GB. 

With Ultra Mobile’s Unlimited+ Plan & SIM Kit, This plan also gives you 35GB of high-speed data before speeds start to slow down. You also get hotspot access with this plan, which stops after 20GB.

The plan costs $59 per month. At the base-line “1-Month” rate, you get 40GB per month at 98 cents per GB. This plan also offers the new deals for $46 per month for 3 months and $43 per month for 6 months. The best deal for the money is $37 per month for 12 months.

The Features:

While Ultra Mobile offers a wide range of plans and new deals constantly, it’s good to take a look at their features. If you’re someone who considers themselves to be a 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

• Ultra Mobile offers domestic roaming data with their plans.

• Mexico & Canada Connection

• Ultra Mobile’s plans come with Free Talk & Text in Mexico and Canada on 3GB plans and higher. You can also get the “5 Go Roam Mexico Data Pass” which gives the user 5GB of High-Speed data for 30 days. This is an add-on you can get for your account.

• International Connection

Ultra Mobile includes “Unlimited Talk & Text to 90+ International Destinations”. You also get a $1.50 INTL Call Credit each month and a one-time $5 INTL Roaming Credit with every plan except 250MB. There’s also additional International Calling Credits:

Video Streaming Quality

• All Ultra Mobile plans stream at 480p Standard Definition. 

• Streaming Services and Cloud Storage

• Ultra Mobile does not offer these features.

• Device Financing

• Ultra Mobile has partnered with Affirm which is a financial company and through them you can “Buy Now and Pay Later” with select phones. You may need to qualify to benefit from this program.

• WiFi Calling

• Ultra Mobile offers WiFi calling, which allows you to send and receive phone calls over a WiFi connection rather than cellular reception.

• Spam Protection and Free Trial

• Ultra Mobile does not offer these features.

A Few FAQs - What You Need to Know about Ultra Mobile

You’ve read a lot about the carrier, but you still might have a few questions regarding specific things and this section is all about answering them.

• Does the carrier support dual SIM, allowing you to use more than one plan on the device?

Yes! Ultra Mobile supports dualSIM and eSIM capable devices. In fact with an eSIM specifically you can activate your new Ultra Mobile plan in mere minutes.

• Is the network GSM or CDMA?

“GSM” and “CDMA” are two slightly outdated terms and technologies describing wireless networks. GSM means Global System for Mobile Communications and that’s a phone that uses a SIM to connect, while CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) does not require a SIM card to connect. A “locked phone” can’t necessarily be used on certain networks because it is CDMA only. Check your device’s compatibility with the carrier’s website to make sure your phone works.

However, we have steadily moved along from these technologies and nowadays it’s VoLTE or 5G. As long as your phone is unlocked, you should be able to use any device with Ultra Mobile.

• What are some MVNOs that leverage the same towers?

Since Ultra Mobile uses T-Mobile to provide network coverage to its customers you will be on the same network as these other popular MVNOs:

-Mint Mobile

-Google Fi Wireless

-Metro by T-Mobile

-Boost Mobile

-Consumer Cellular

-US Mobile

• What if I have a question and need help? What is the best way to reach them?

Ultra Mobile has many retail stores all over the country where you can get in-person help, to find a store near you, use their store locator. For online support or support over the phone you can contact them at 1-888-777-0446 or dial 611 from your Ultra Mobile phone. They are available every day from 6 am to 6 pm PST.

Wrapping Up

Travelers who are looking to save a few bucks may be enticed by Ultra Mobile’s international benefits. And data users who consider themselves “light” may also like their limited data plans. Sign up for their “monthly” plan first before committing long-term to make sure the service works for you in your area. Also, we will say for heavier data users we would recommend looking somewhere else as you only get 35GB at high speeds with both of their Unlimited plans. You can go by checking your data usage before committing to a plan or carrier.

Want to compare other carriers?

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

And if you want to compare and contrast Ultra Mobile 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.