Reach Mobile Pros and Cons: What You Need to Know

Reach Mobile, the “socially-conscious” mobile service that is all about making sure you can connect easily with the people you love from all over the world. Reach wants to do right by its customers, no misinformation, no tricks- they want to deliver you phone service you can afford with no catches. 

Reach’s CEO Harjot Saluja has worked in the industry for many years and has seen a number of things that he would do differently and that’s what he has been doing with Reach. With trust as its foundation, they began to dream big, they wanted to give back to those in need and that’s why when someone sets up a Reach Mobile plan, a plan is then set up for a woman and/or student in need from different places across the world. That way those who weren’t able to connect and learn information at a rate others do now can!

With their goals, they have big shoes to fill, and there’s been a lot of different feedback on how Reach has been in their endeavors. So before you look to sign up, read ahead on:

• How Reach Mobile works
• Reach Mobile’s pros and cons
• A step-by-step guide for signing up

How does Reach Mobile work? And what is a MVNO?

Reach Mobile is a MVNO, which means it functions a bit differently compared to national brands you know like Verizon and AT&T. But if you’re unfamiliar with that term then let us explain:

MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) is a small carrier that doesn’t have its own wireless network or cell tower. They instead will “piggyback” off of a major network’s service, like the big three: Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. 

Why does this happen you ask?

Well a lot of the time when you see these smaller mobile plans like Reach, it will come with some benefits like low-costing plans. Because MVNOs will buy data in bulk, they can sell it back to the customers at lower prices, making those “low-cost” plans desired by many, but that comes with a caveat. Since MVNOs will be essentially “borrowing” or sharing in the same signal as these major networks you might find that the coverage you get might not be the best as these major networks will prioritize direct customers rather than through a MVNO.

While Reach runs on T-Mobile’s network, you can find that some other MVNOs will piggyback off of multiple major networks at the same time! 

And since Reach Mobile is a MVNO, you’ll find that their pricing is perfect for many who want to pay less, use their phone, and connect just like everyone else. 

Reach Mobile’s Pros and Cons: A Comprehensive List

Just like any other mobile plan, Reach has its pros and cons, things you need to be aware of before you sign up with them and the cost vs. benefits of switching over.

Let’s start with the Pros:

• Low Prices (Flexible Plan Payments)
• No Contract
• Excellent Customer Service
• Charitable Focuses

Low Prices (and their “Best Fit” plans)

At Reach Mobile, one of their main selling points is their “low-cost mobile plans with powerful 5G.” And their Best Fit™ Plans are built for exactly that.

Reach Mobile’s Best Fit™ Plans is essentially a postpaid service, and a postpaid service is when you pay for how much data you use and only how much data you use. So instead of paying a base amount every month, with a Best Fit™ Plan you can pay for what you use and not a penny more when you get your bill. How cool is that?

But how does it work?

First things first you’d select one of their Best Fit™ Plans for one line:

Then once you have everything set up, use your phone for the month, and if you use less data then the amount of the plan you’re paying for, you will only get charged for how much you use thanks to Best Fit™.

It’s a great program because not all phone plans work for everybody, there’s no “one size fits all” when it comes to phone and data usage. One month you might be out and about, constantly making calls and using your data, while the next you might be at home and use your phone and data dramatically less.

If you’re interested in unlimited data, then you would need to look into their Unlimited Data Plan for one line which features:

• Important to note: With Reach Mobile’s unlimited plan you will get 5G/4G LTE data up to 25GB, then uncapped 2G data. You will not be charged if you go over the 25GB limit, instead your speeds will slow to 2GB data speed.

Right now new customers can save $10 off for the first 3 months if you use promo code REACH103 at checkout. 

Does Reach Mobile have Family Plans? 

Reach Mobile doesn’t have a “Family Plan” name but they do offer plans that go up to 6 lines. We’ve discussed their one line plans, here are the rest:(Not including taxes and fees)

No Contract

One of the biggest draws of Reach Mobile is not having to sign a contract when you choose to switch over to them. They are all about transparency and are “Risk-free” which means if for some reason you are unhappy or want to switch to a different company, you can stop at any time during the billing cycle. There’s no cancellation fees and no penalties for transferring your number over. 

(You will not be afforded a refund for the month you paid for when you decide to switch over however).

Excellent Customer Service

If you’ve done any other research into Reach Mobile you might have seen how their company is praised by many because of their stellar customer service. And that’s because of their hardworking team. 

They have a ten step list of “guidelines” called The Reach 10. What is that? Well…

From Stephanie Walsh, Head of Marketing and Brand Strategy at Reach:

“The Reach 10 is our gut-check, our roadmap, our guiding principles.  We saw there was this massive void in the mobile service industry... where were the well-intentioned businesses that treat customers fairly? So instead of settling for the low bar, we went out and became the company we'd been hoping for.”

This list breaks down what is important to truly good customer service and what makes being a good employee. Detailing things like “treating the customer how they want to be treated” is a simple lesson we learn as kids that we sometimes forget as we enter adulthood, but at Reach they want to make sure that promise is at the top of their list.

• You can find the full Reach 10 list here.

If you have questions about your plan or come across any problems, the team at Reach Mobile is available to chat via their website. Through their “Contact Us” page you’ll be in touch with real people wanting to help make any problems go away and answer your burning questions.

Charitable Focuses

We talked a little about Reach Mobile’s charitable outreach at the beginning, but it’s important to note that they are one of the only mobile carriers that put charity at the front of their goal list, and that’s a huge pro.

Their “Get a Plan, Give a Plan” initiative is where Reach will donate free data plans to women and children in places where the internet/data plans are not as affordable or accessible. 

How does it work?

The data you pay for every month is yours, you don’t lose your data when you get a plan and give a plan. “Reach Mobile matches 10% of the value of your data plan and donates it to Gigs that Give on your behalf every month.”

Through this outreach you will be providing someone with access to learning and using information they might not have been able to have before. It allows for those to understand useful life skills that they wouldn’t have known without internet access, along with connecting to others all through the phone. 

You can actually see through the Get a Plan, Give a Plan information tab real stories from people affected by this amazing change. 

Now let’s move onto the Cons:

• Data deprioritization during peak times
• No free international calls
• No perks

Data Deprioritization

What is data deprioritization and why does it affect Reach Mobile? 

Data deprioritization can best be summed up as temporarily slowing your data speeds. Why does that happen? Remember when we talked about how Reach Mobile is a MVNO. Because of that, signing up under Reach and not a major mobile network, you may be subjected to slower speeds in specific instances- (high traffic areas, high usages from big crowds, or network congestion) to prioritize other subscribers that are paying for these major providers directly through the source. 

You’ll find that your speeds may slow down to 2GB data speeds when this happens. Again, this isn’t an “all the time” occurrence, but it is known to happen when signing up for a MVNO network which could hinder your usage if you are someone who is constantly on their phone out in the world.

No Free International Calls

If you are someone that finds themself traveling a lot for their job, then you might want to think about looking elsewhere if free international calls are important to you. You will have to buy an additional data pack to cover your trip abroad. And costs vary from country to country. SMS and Voice are charged as a “pay as you go” rate. 

You can find every country Reach Mobile supports and how much their fees are for each specific country here under their International Services tab.

No Special Perks

A lot of the time you’ll find that major networks and other MVNOs will offer perks, some MVNOs even offering some perks that entice more to leave their major network and sign with them. Digital services can be incredibly useful and the lack of any perks from Reach does put this MVNO at a bit of a disadvantage. 

A Step-by-Step Guide for Signing up with Reach

You’ll find that a lot of the time when it comes to trying to switch mobile plans or signing up for your first one things can get confusing quickly, especially from those networks that have contracts. But with Reach, you’ll find that the process for signing up is relatively easy:

1. First go onto the official Reach Mobile website and click on “Plans”
2. Select a plan that best fits your circumstances
3. You’ll then be prompted to enter your address so that way Reach can see how their Network Coverage is in your area
4. After that if you have an existing device it will ask you to Check your device compatibility and you’ll enter your IMEI- (don’t worry they tell you how to do that if you’re lost)
5. Then you will create your account and review the plan details

In just a few simple steps you’ll be able to sign up with Reach Mobile. And remember if you have any questions or run into any problems, the team will be more than happy to help you. 

Reach Mobile is a mobile network that’s focus is bringing connection back to everyone. And through their charitable programs and their low-cost monthly rates, you can expect to see Reach make their footprints well known.

If you want to compare and contrast Reach 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 phone bill.