AT&T vs. Consumer Cellular: Which Carrier is Better?

AT&T is one of the three major wireless networks popular in the United States, and 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.

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 is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). This means 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 lower price. Consumer Cellular uses T-Mobile and AT&T networks. 

Consumer Cellular beats AT&T for coverage and reception for the simple reason that it uses AT&T and T-Mobile’s networks. The big difference comes in data speeds. Major wireless carriers have comparable coverage nationwide, with AT&T 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 AT&T customers have a far higher data priority than Consumer Cellular’s customers. When there is more traffic on a network than it can handle, the owning company (AT&T, 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 network customers can access 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. US Mobile utilizes MVNO data, which is an excellent way to use major wireless networks with affordable plan pricing. 

So, AT&T offers plans that have either tier 1 or tier 2 data, and Consumer Cellular 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

AT&T offers various plans that provide unlimited data, while Consumer Cellular offers a quartet of 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 AT&T’s cell phone plans. 

AT&T Cell Phone Plans

AT&T offers three unlimited plans at various price points, with each one offering various add-ons, high-speed data, and more. All plans have immense multi-line savings between two and five lines. If you open an account with friends and family, everyone will save big on their cell phone service. Let’s outline AT&T’s cell phone plans. 

• AT&T Unlimited Starter Plan
• AT&T Unlimited Extra Plan
• AT&T Unlimited Premium Plan

Each of AT&T’s cell phone plans is a great option for people who want unlimited high-speed data, with their starter plan offering unlimited high-speed data and the two premium plans offering premium data, extra hotspot data, and more. Let’s break it down. 

AT&T Unlimited Starter Plan 

AT&T’s Unlimited Starter plan offers unlimited high-speed data, 5 GB of hotspot data, AT&T’s Active Armor cell phone security. Along with this, AT&T limits phone streaming on mobile data to standard definition. A single-line account here costs $65 per month, lowering down to $30 a month for a five-line account. One thing you will notice among major wireless providers — they all have incredible multi-line savings. This makes these high-cost plans most valuable for customers who plan on adding multiple lines to their accounts. 

AT&T Unlimited Extra

AT&T’s Unlimited Extra offers 75 GB of premium data, which will never get slowed down unless the network is maximally congested (think NFL game), as well as 30 GB of high-speed hotspot data, which is a great addition to the plan for those who use their laptops on the go. AT&T still only offers standard definition streaming on their Unlimited Extra plan. 

AT&T Unlimited Premium

AT&T’s most expensive plan, Unlimited Premium, comes with 60 GB high-speed hotspot data, unlimited premium data, and 4K UHD streaming. This plan is very expensive, and we only recommend it for people who will get the most out of it. This high-powered plan is excellent for those who use their phones and other devices routinely while on the move. 

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. 

Major Wireless Network vs. MVNO

One of the biggest differences between AT&T and Consumer Cellular is that AT&T is a major wireless network, while Consumer Cellular 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 next month, you will get a new data allocation and return it to high speeds. 

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

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

Customer Service 

AT&T has physical locations and robust online customer service offerings, while Consumer Cellular only has online customer service. You can call AT&T’s customer service line at this number: 844-931-0552. You can also reach AT&T’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

Due to data deprioritization and data throttling, Consumer Cellular is best for people who don’t rely on high-speed data when they are out and about. With a maximum of 50 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. 

Overall, we recommend AT&T over Consumer Cellular. 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.

Want to compare other carriers?

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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 Consumer Cellular use for mobile?

Consumer Cellular has agreements with AT&T and T-Mobile to provide high-speed data coverage nationwide. 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 AT&T faster than T-Mobile?

In many areas, AT&T 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.

Who provides better coverage, AT&T or Consumer Cellular?

AT&T provides faster and more reliable data speeds, but Consumer Cellular has comparable coverage, as they use AT&T and T-Mobile’s networks. The exact coverage is dependent on your area. If you live in a major metropolitan area, you will experience much more data deprioritization using Consumer Cellular than you would in, say, a rural area. 

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.