Tello’s $25 Plan Gets Data Boost to 50GB

Tello Mobile has increased the data allotment of its $25/month plan (taxes extra) to 50GB up from 35GB. The hotspot allotment has also been increased from 5GB to 10GB.

A higher tier data allotment is something that Tello has been flirting with for awhile. Last December, Tello ran a promotion where it offered a 45GB plan with 10GB of hotspot for $35/month for life. Customers still on that plan should upgrade, as the new $25 plan provides more data for less money.

Tello seems to be updating its plans on a schedule of every 1.5 to 2 years. In December 2023, BestMVNO reported that Tello updated its plans with more high-speed data for less. Similarly, in May 2022, BestMVNO reported significant improvements to Tello's phone plans. Early 2020 also saw Tello refine its plans, but as a Sprint MVNO. Today, Tello Mobile operates exclusively as a T-Mobile MVNO.

Editor's Take

This is a highly competitive offering from Tello. It delivers one of the largest data allotments available for $25/month among T-Mobile-powered MVNOs, and it includes unlimited calling to more than 60 countries.

Among competitors, US Mobile is the only T-Mobile MVNO to top it, offering 70GB of 5G data and 10GB of hotspot for $25/month (taxes and fees included), though international calling costs an extra $3/month. Meanwhile, Metro by T-Mobile sells a $25/month bring-your-own-device plan with truly unlimited 5G data (taxes and fees included) but without hotspot or international calling.

Under the current market environment and regulations or lack thereof, MVNOs generally cannot compete with carrier owned prepaid brands as long as they continue to push the unlimited data plan barrier of entry down to the $25/month price point (and sometimes below) where MVNOs typically thrive. Most MVNOs face significant challenges because they aren't allowed by the carriers to profitably offer truly unlimited 5G data plans.