Tello, the MVNO that is powered by the Sprint network has lowered its plan prices for the second time in as many months. Prices have dropped by as much as $6.
Tello's Updated Pricing
Tello is a fairly unique MVNO in that it offers subscribers the ability to custom build their own phone plans. Subscribers can build their own plan by pairing up to 6 different allotments of talk with 7 different options for data. Talk and data only plan options are also available. All plans with talk get unlimited texting.
Tello is highlighting the new prices using the following plan combinations as examples:
- Unlimited talk & text & 3GB was $35, now $29
- Unlimited talk & text & 2GB was $29, now $25
- Unlimited talk & text & 1GB was $22, now $19
- 200 minutes, unlimited text & 3GB was $31, now $26
- 100 minutes, unlimited text & 2GB was $24, now $21
All voice containing plans include calling to Mexico and Canada. Data is unlimited with each plan. Speeds get reduced to 64 Kbps once the plans high speed data allotment gets used up. Data containing plans come with mobile hotspot/tethering at no extra charge. Unlike many other providers, Tello allows its subscribers to upgrade or downgrade their plan at any time with no extra fees and remaining balances roll over for 30 days. Taxes are in addition to the prices shown.
Market Comparison
Tello's updated plans make them competitively priced compared to other Sprint MVNO plans. In some cases they match the cheapest providers around and in others they are flat out the cheapest provider. For instance, Tello's $25 unlimited everything plan is the cheapest Sprint MVNO plan to offer unlimited everything with at least 2GB of high speed data. The company is also offering a data only plan with 10GB of data for $34, making it the cheapest Sprint based data only cell phone plan that I'm aware of.
Tello's new plans may begin to put pressure on some of its competitors. Ting for instance also uses a custom build your own phone plan model. Like Tello, it uses the Sprint network for service, although service on T-Mobile's network is also available.
Ting has not had a major update to its plan prices in over a year. Their plan prices are nowhere near the ballpark of Tello's. For instance, a plan with 2GB of high speed data, 2,100 minutes and 4,800 text messages would cost a customer a whopping $72/month with Ting. Unlimited plan options aren't even available. Ting's plans do include global minutes and text messaging, but that does not make up the nearly 3 fold difference in price compared to a similar plan from Tello.
I was a Tello customer for a couple of months when RingPlus went belly-up, and at that time was paying Tello $16/month for 100 voice minutes + 1GB data/month, with minimal texting covered by a $5 paygo balance. Twigby was the closest competitor then, at $19/month for similar voice & data buckets, but with unlimited texting built-in. I switched to Republic Wireless when they had a “pay for the first month, get the next 6 months free” promo for new GSM customers (which my universal unlocked Moto G4 Play allowed me to take advantage of); however, when that promo period ends soon, Tello may well be worth considering again, as for $15 I can get back on the same plan I used to have with them, but for $1 less per month & unlimited texting included.