Does Pure Talk Have Good Coverage? All You Need to Know Before You Sign Up

Pure Talk is an awesome MVNO that operates on AT&T’s network. It offers a wide range of affordable plans for single- and multi-line accounts. Pure Talk phones work on AT&T’s 5G and 4G LTE networks, providing fantastic coverage around the continental United States. This is a cell phone company for people interested in affordable prices more than what you see with major wireless networks. 

Let’s talk about Pure Talk’s coverage, their services and features, and how they hold up to the competition. 

Pure Talk Coverage

Pure Talk uses AT&T’s networks to provide near-national coverage. As an MVNO, Pure Talk does not have a network of its own; instead, it rents bandwidth from AT&T’s network to its customers. That means you get almost the same coverage and data speeds that, say, AT&T’s customers do at a fraction of the price. As an MVNO, Pure Talk users have less stable data speeds, and no Pure Talk plan has unlimited high-speed data. Let’s dive into AT&T’s networks that Pure Talk users leverage for awesome high-speed coverage. 

AT&T’s Nationwide Networks

AT&T has two active networks. US Cellular prioritizes its own network for service, but they seamlessly transfer your device to AT&T’s networks when 

• 4G LTE: AT&T operates a nationwide 4G LTE network, which provides high-speed data services to its customers.
• 5G: AT&T also offers 5G service in many areas. The company uses both sub-6 GHz and millimeter wave spectrum bands to provide fast and efficient 5G service.

Pure Talk Plans

Pure Talk offers seven cell phone plans that give various amounts of high-speed data, between 3 and 60 GB of high-speed data, before they throttle your speeds down to 3G. All cell phone plans come with unlimited talk and text and start at $20 for 3 GB, up to $65 for their unlimited plus plan, which comes with 60 GB high-speed data and 30 GB hotspot data. They also have many in-between. These plans can be incredibly affordable for people who don’t rely on high-speed data every day. Let’s get into it. 

Pure Talk 3 and 5 GB

Every Pure Talk cell phone plan comes with an amount of hotspot data, which is a nice little addition. This plan has 3 GB high-speed data and 2 GB of hotspot data, starting at $20 a month, just enough to boot up your laptop at a park to check your email. 

Three GB of high-speed data is not very much. Cell phone processes, especially on 5G networks, use a ton of data. If you slip up and stream audio and video, you will quickly find your high-speed data allocation used up. We decided to include Pure Talk’s 5 GB cell phone plan with a 2 GB hotspot for $25 a month. The difference between 3 and 5 GB of high-speed data is pretty imperceptible, but if you use 4-5 GB of high-speed data each month, then this is the plan for you! 

Pure Talk 10 and 15 GB 

Next on the list are Pure Talk’s next two plans. Both plans come with 5 GB hotspot data, and their 10 GB plan is $30 a month, while their 15 GB plan is $35 a month. These mid-data plans are great for people who use some data each month but are not huge data users who need, in essence, unlimited data. 

Pure Talk 25 GB

Next up is Pure Talk’s 25 GB cell phone plan, which comes with a 5 GB hotspot and costs $45 a month. Now, 25 GB is a nice allocation that lets you be more flexible with where and when you use it. While there are a lot of Americans who need more than this, a plan like this one is perfect if you are interested in watching your data usage and rationing out your high-speed data throughout the month. 

Like with the rest of Pure Talk’s plans, if you do use up all your high-speed data, your data speeds are throttled down to around 3G speeds, but at least they don’t shut it off completely! 

Pure Talk Unlimited and Unlimited +

Pure Talk’s Unlimited options both come with 60 GB of high-speed data. The only difference is that Unlimited comes with a 20 GB hotspot, and Unlimited +  has 30 GB. Also, the Unlimited Plan is $55 a month, and Unlimited + is $60. Sixty GB is an impressive amount for an MVNO — many MVNO “unlimited” plans offer between 20 and 40 GB of high-speed data. With 60, you can really start using your phone for just about anything on mobile data. There is, certainly, still a risk of hitting that data cap and receiving slow data speeds for the rest of the month, but it is far less likely than with any other plan from Pure Talk. 

Pure Talk Multi-Line Savings

Pure Talk offers a simple option for multi-line savings. As you add more lines to your account, the additional lines are discounted. The first line is full price, the second is 10% off, the third 15%, and the fourth 20%. Pure Talk multi-line plans are mix-and-match, so everyone on your cell phone plan can pick the plan that suits them best. Also, if you are making a multi-line plan, make sure to save the more expensive plans for last! The higher savings are most valuable on the highest-cost cell phone plans. 

Pure Talk has great coverage. Customers have the same access to high-speed data as major wireless customers as long as there is no congestion in their area. Unfortunately, the same places where AT&T has deployed its 5G network are the places where Pure Talk’s data is slowed down the most. Let’s break down how data deprioritization affects Pure Talk’s coverage.

Data Deprioritization

As an MVNO, Pure Talk customers receive data slowdowns whenever there is congestion on the network to ensure that the major wireless customers in that area have high-speed data as long as possible. There are, in general, three tiers of data priority. The three-tier data priority breakdown is as follows: 

• Tier 1 Data has the maximum data speeds at all times. If tier-one data is ever slowed down, it means there are no customers on the network that 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 have their data slowed down. This is excellent in all but the busiest occasions where MVNO customers are slowed down but get slowed down before tier-one data is slowed down. This tier of data keeps high speeds in almost all situations, but you may notice slowdowns in bigger cities where there are a lot of residents and commuters. 
• Tier 3 Data, or MVNO data, is always the first tier of data to receive slowdowns. Pure Talk utilizes MVNO data and is an excellent way to use AT&T’s network with affordable plan pricing. 

Pure Talk users have high-speed data whenever there isn’t congestion in AT&T’s network. Unfortunately, this is hard to predict. 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 maximum congestion, no one can load anything on their device, but major wireless customers have high-speed data in most instances. If you don’t sign a device or plan contract, users can test Pure Talk for a couple of months to gauge how well the service works for them. 

Pure Talk At a Glance

Pure Talk offers a full suite of phenomenal deals that attract customers who want a no-contract plan that’s very affordable while not providing a ton of data. Pure Talk rents bandwidth on AT&T’s network, giving all Pure Talk’s customers access to high-speed nationwide coverage at a fraction of the usual cost. Their plans come at a variety of price points, and they offer multi-line savings for all their cell phone plans at a flat percentage discount. 

What Sets Pure Talk Apart? 

The affordable and varied set of cell phone plans sets Pure Talk apart from the competition. They offer a plan with as little as 3 GB high-speed data and as much as 60 GB. This, plus their mix-and-match system, means that almost anyone can find a cell phone plan that makes them happy on Pure Talk. Three GBs is perfect for people who use WiFi almost all day and enjoy the low price tag, while 60 GBs means you can put in a lot of work without worrying about going over your data allocation. 

The average monthly phone bill of U.S. citizens is over $125 a month. That’s so much! Pure Talk’s most expensive plan is only $65 a month. There are countless ways, as a Pure Talk customer, to bring your monthly and yearly phone bill way down. 

MVNOs offer excellent, affordable service, and Pure Talk goes one step further with a phenomenal set of available plans. 

What Kinds of Plans does Pure Talk offer?

Pure Talk offers a wide variety of plans at different price points. All of their plans offer unlimited talk and text with limited high-speed data. From here, you can pick out the amount of GB you want before your line is throttled down to 3G data. 

Also, since Pure Talk offers a mix-and-match on their multi-line plans, you never have to worry about sharing data from a communal pool. Everyone gets their own allocation at Pure Talk!

What Network does Pure Talk Use?

Pure Talk uses AT&T’s nationwide network to deliver fantastic nationwide coverage to all its customers. 

Can You Bring Your Own Cell Phone?

Yes! If your device is compatible and unlocked you can activate it with one of their SIM cards, pick a plan, and you are good to go! 

Pure Talk vs. Competitors

Pure Talk vs. AT&T

AT&T is the clear winner when it comes to data speeds and plan add-ons, but their plans come at a serious premium. If you are willing to weather periods of low data speeds due to high-volume use, Pure Talk is the big winner. AT&T customers can rest easy knowing that congestion is only seen in times of serious data use. Unless you live in a bustling city, you may only experience congestion at major events. 

AT&T also offers unlimited high-speed data on their cell phone plans. If you easily clear 60 GB of data usage each month, we recommend considering AT&T for its unlimited data over Pure Talk. That being said, one of the huge benefits of Pure Talk is that you can save big on your cell phone plan without making too many sacrifices in the data department. 

Pure Talk vs. Visible Wireless

Visible uses Verizon’s network and its chief difference from Pure Talk is that Visible only offers two unlimited plans (a basic and a premium). They come with unlimited high-speed data and are priced competitively with other unlimited MVNO plans while much cheaper than Verizon’s options. If you know you want an unlimited plan, Visible Wireless has the edge, but if you are interested in the ability to switch to low-data plans then Pure Talk is the way to go. 

Pure Talk vs. Spectrum Mobile

Spectrum Mobile also runs on Verizon’s network, but they come with one big catch. Only Spectrum Internet users have access to their mobile coverage. Spectrum’s mobile and internet bundle is a fantastic deal, and if you have Spectrum Internet, we recommend switching to Spectrum Mobile as well. Their unlimited plan is competitively priced and lets you get a big discount on your internet service as well. Unfortunately, Spectrum Internet is only offered in a few spots in this country, and if you don’t live in one of those spots well, Pure Talk is the way to go! 

Pure Talk FAQ

What is my phone’s IMEI number?

Your IMEI number is a string of 15 digits that identifies your wireless device. It is important when you are interested in bringing your phone to a new carrier like Pure Talk because, with that number, you are able to check if your phone is eligible for a switch and whether or not it will work on Pure Talk’s network. 

How do I decide what plan is right for me?

Pure Talk customers have the ability to switch their plan from the available options at any time, so if you choose the wrong plan in the beginning, it is easy to switch after that! If you aren’t sure how much data you need, we recommend starting high, as running out of data in the middle of the month is very frustrating. From there, you should have a much better idea about how much data you need and can decide on the right plan from there. 

Does Pure Talk have shared or family plans?

Yes! Pure Talk offers discounts on all additional lines added to an account, letting you save as much as 20% on your cell phone line. On shared plans, each person can pick their own plan and receive a private data allocation, meaning you’ll never have to worry about sharing data among family plan members. 

Does Pure Talk have good coverage? 

Heck yeah, it does! Pure Talk leverages every major wireless network to provide fantastic coverage across the continental United States. We hope that this article has answered all your questions regarding Pure Talk’s coverage, and whether or not they are the right carrier for you. There is an abundance of options when choosing your cell phone carrier, and it is all too easy to get paralyzed when staring at dozens of cell phone plans from various providers, all offering similar amounts of data at similar price points. 

If you want more information regarding cell phone plans in your area you can compare cell phone plans here at Really! This is a great way to slice through the plans that aren’t a great fit and land on one that you’ll be happy with. It is a hassle to change cell phone providers, but many MVNOs offer no-contract cell phone plans, Pure Talk included, so you can jump to another cell phone provider if you notice any particular problems with Pure Talk’s service.