Mint Mobile, known for its low-cost phone plans, is expanding into home internet with a new service called MINTernet. It runs on T-Mobile’s 5G network and is functionally similar to T-Mobile’s own 5G Home Internet. Availability MINTernet is available across most of the U.S., though not every household covered by T-Mobile’s network will qualify. Mint […]
Last month, Helium Mobile launched its Zero plan. While the plan may not be around forever, it’s genuinely free and not just a short-term trial. The Zero plan includes: 3GB of data 100 minutes 300 texts Helium Mobile markets this as “invite-only” with a waitlist, but this appears to be mostly a marketing tactic. Invite […]
T-Mobile recently launched a service for first responders called T-Priority. The service involves a combination of priority access, preemption capabilities, and a dedicated network slice. Network Slicing – Finally Real Network slicing received significant attention during 5G’s launch, but T-Priority is one of the first major offerings actually implementing the technology. With network slicing, a […]
I’m on the waitlist for T-Mobile’s Starlink beta program and just received a status update email. For those interested, I’ve reproduced the relevant portion below. An update on the T‑Mobile Starlink beta Demand is high, and we’re adding thousands of people to T‑Mobile Starlink beta every day. We know you’re eager to try out satellite-powered […]
Update: Coverage Critic is no longer partnering with Roam. This post remains available for historical purposes. Traditionally, companies crowdsource data on cell network performance by sneaking code into unrelated apps. A company following the traditional model might pay the developer of a mobile game or a note-taking app to wedge information-gathering code into their apps. […]
AT&T is now offering a free trial. Subscribers get 30 days of service with 100GB of data and 25GB of hotspot data. Only iPhone users with eSIM-capable devices are eligible at the moment, but I expect the trial will expand to Android users in the coming months. While a trial running over AT&T’s network was […]
Last week, Nancy Clark, President of Verizon Value Markets, wrote on LinkedIn about one of the most aggressive promotions I’ve seen in this industry: Visible’s $15 per month pricing is awfully competitive, but the 5-year guarantee is more unusual. Was Mint being as deceptive as Clark suggests? T-Mobile’s press release about Mint’s promo opens audaciously […]
REALLY Wireless is a new cell carrier backed by significant venture capital funding. The carrier aggressively touts its focus on privacy. One of the first visuals on REALLY’s homepage makes the pitch: Trackers, Trackers Everywhere On that same homepage, I find a bunch of trackers from companies like: Fullstory Google Facebook LinkedIn Not only is […]
I just released a minor update to the coverage map. Sharable map links are now available Users can now enter locations using coordinates (format as signed decimal degrees; e.g., 38.897700, -77.036500) The new share options appear in two places. From the main user interface, you can click the share icon to get a link that […]
Today, Verizon and AST SpaceMobile announced a partnership. All three of the largest US networks now have plans to reduce dead zones with the help of cell signals transmitted from constellations of satellites. AT&T has been publicly working alongside SpaceMobile for a while, but the company only locked in a formal deal earlier this month. […]