There are just three US networks that offer postpaid phone service, right? Actually, wrong. Verizon, , and T-Mobile have massive subscribers and the largest national footprints, but it doesn’t mean they are alone. Today we take a look at the sixth largest US carrier, C Spire.
What is C Spire, and why have you never heard of it?
Let’s be clear on what C Spire isn’t. This is not an MVNO that runs on an existing network. It has its own towers and equipment; it just has a much smaller footprint than any of the better-known carriers. C Spire Wireless also has over 1,200 cell sites and over 9,000 miles of fiber optic cable. Like Verizon, this carrier was originally built around CMDA technology instead of the more common GSM standard used by T-Mobile and AT&T.
Formerly known as Cellular South, this privately owned tech company is based in Ridgeland, Mississippi, and offers fiber internet and phone service.
Where is their service offered?
Service is offered in Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, and the Florida panhandle. Don’t worry; that doesn’t mean you won’t get phone service outside of these states! Thanks to an agreement with T-Mobile, all C Spire phones can roam onto the uncarrier at no additional cost. Check out the C Spire coverage map for more details.
Best C Spire plans
| Connect & Protect | Everyday Deal Plus | Everybody Deal All-in | Prepaid 10-90GB plans | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Cost | Connect & Protect $30/m per line | Everyday Deal Plus $70/m per line for 1 | Everybody Deal All-in $80/m per line for 1 | Prepaid 10-90GB plans 10GB: $25/m with autopay |
Talk & Text | Connect & Protect Unlimited | Everyday Deal Plus Unlimited | Everybody Deal All-in Unlimited | Prepaid 10-90GB plans Unlimited |
Data | Connect & Protect No data | Everyday Deal Plus 75GB | Everybody Deal All-in 100GB | Prepaid 10-90GB plans 10-90GB data |
Hotspot | Connect & Protect No | Everyday Deal Plus Unlimited | Everybody Deal All-in Unlimited | Prepaid 10-90GB plans Hotspot up to plan limit |
International | Connect & Protect N/A | Everyday Deal Plus Calls to Canada and Mexico from the U.S. are included | Everybody Deal All-in Calls to Canada and Mexico from the U.S. are included | Prepaid 10-90GB plans N/A |
Extras | Connect & Protect - Free Apple and Bark Jr parental control | Everyday Deal Plus N/A | Everybody Deal All-in N/A | Prepaid 10-90GB plans N/A |
There are only two plans for C Spire postpaid customers to pick from, but there’s also a special option called Connect & Protect for kids. On the prepaid side, there are a variety of plans, but the only difference between them is the amount of high-speed data included.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what to expect from each:
- Connect & Protect is designed with your younger kids in mind. This particular plan is designed for younger ones, giving you unlimited talk and text. There’s no data here, but there are free parental control apps and GPS tracking. This plans starts at $30 a month and is best for kids under 12.
- Everybody Deal Plus is the best plan for most. One thing I appreciate about this carrier is it is upfront about how much data you actually get from an unlimited plan. Many carriers say they offer unlimited, but the fine print makes it clear high-speed access typically cuts out around 20-50GB typically. C Spire Everyday Deal Plus gives you 75GB of high-speed data and then unlimited slower speeds. There are also calls to Canada and Mexico for free. While a single line starts at $70, you can get it down to as cheap as $20 per line for four lines.
- Everybody Deal All-In is for those who use a lot of data. Starting at $10 more than C Spire’s basic unlimited plan($80 a month), you get an extra 25GB of data over the Everyday Deal Plus plan. Beyond this, it’s pretty much the same plan. Multi-line discounts can bring things down to as little as $30 per line for four.
- C Spire Prepaid offers 10-90GB packages. Don’t want to go the postpaid route? C Spire Prepaid starts at $25 for 10GB but goes as high as $60 monthly for 90GB. You also get hotspot access up to the plan limit.
Should you consider C Spire over the big three if it’s available to you?
If you live in a C Spire coverage zone, should you consider it over one of the big three carriers? The answer really depends.
We recommend closely examining the coverage maps for Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. Are there any dead spots that are only covered by C Spire? Due to its regional nature, C Spire tends to have towers in extremely remote places that might see limited coverage from the competition.
This will likely be less of an issue if you live in a city or a larger town where the big networks are more likely to have set up shop already. If you live in a smaller town or the middle of nowhere, C Spire might be a good fit or maybe even your only reliable option.
As for pricing and value? We’ll dive more into that in the next section.
C Spire vs the competition
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
Curious how C Spire compares to T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T? Here’s a quick look at the best plan from all three major competitors:
| Go5G Plus | AT&T Unlimited Premium | Verizon Welcome Unlimited | |
|---|---|---|---|
Cost | Go5G Plus $90 for one line | AT&T Unlimited Premium $85 for one line | Verizon Welcome Unlimited $90 for one line |
Data | Go5G Plus Unlimited 4G/5G with 100GB premium data | AT&T Unlimited Premium 100GB of Premium 4G Data | Verizon Welcome Unlimited Unlimited 4G/5G |
Talk and Text | Go5G Plus Unlimited | AT&T Unlimited Premium Unlimited | Verizon Welcome Unlimited Unlimited |
Streaming | Go5G Plus HD Streaming | AT&T Unlimited Premium HD Streaming with Stream Saver | Verizon Welcome Unlimited 480p streaming |
Hotspot | Go5G Plus 15GB of 4G LTE/5G | AT&T Unlimited Premium 30GB of 4G LTE per line | Verizon Welcome Unlimited 30GB 5G/LTE access |
International | Go5G Plus Texting, 2G data | AT&T Unlimited Premium Texting to 120 countries | Verizon Welcome Unlimited Texting to 200 countries |
Extra Perks | Go5G Plus Netflix Standard | AT&T Unlimited Premium 5G Access | Verizon Welcome Unlimited Perks for $10 each |
Interestingly C Spire’s most expensive plan is still at least $5 cheaper than any of the big three’s more expensive plans. You’ll find similar pricing on C Spire with a discount of maybe a few bucks over the big three on most single-line plans, even when factoring in plans with lesser amounts of data.
Where it really stands out is on the multi-discount, as it’s most expensive plan drops down to just $30 per line for four lines. This is a much better deal than you’ll get from Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile’s highest-end plans by at least $20 a line! Of course, some of these plans have extras like better international calling options or even Netflix access, but it’s still not enough to justify the price gap.
Obviously, there are many more plans from each carrier. If you want to dive deeper, we recommend looking at our guides to the best T-Mobile plans, Verizon plans, and .
C Spire vs MVNOs
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
C Spire runs cheaper than any of the big three carriers while offering a similar experience. What about MNVOs? Most MVNOs will offer a better value than it but with worse speeds due to throttling and congestion.
Remember that no MVNOs use the C Spire network, so you’ll likely end up with a T-Mobile MVNO, AT&T MVNO, or Verizon MVNO. While these prepaid carriers will have stronger networks, they might have dead zones that could affect you if you live in remote areas where C Spire is the only reliable connection.
You can learn more about some of the best options in our prepaid phone plan guide, but here’s a quick TL;DR look at three of our recommended favorites:
- Google Fi Wireless: Google’s prepaid service runs on T-Mobile’s network and has a variety of plans including a Flex plan that gives you talk and text for $20 a month, with a $10 charge per gig used. There are also unlimited plans starting at $50 per month, though this price drops as low as $20 a month a line if you have six users on a plan. Fi Wireless also is a great choice for travellers, as it basically lets you use its $10 per gig data in almost any country.
- Visible: This Verizon-owned prepaid carrier uses Big Red’s network to deliver unlimited talk, text, and data for just $25 a month. Just be aware that Visible is known for spotty data connections with its base plans. A Visible Plus plan overcomes these hurdles for just $45 a month by giving you better prioritization, faster speeds, and a few additional perks. Still, even with the base plan you’ll typically see speeds of around 3-12Mbps on average and unlimited hotspot access at speeds of 5Mbps. This could still be a great fit for those usually on Wi-Fi for bigger downloads.
- Mint Mobile: This privately owned carrier runs on T-Mobile’s network and is currently owned by Ryan Reynolds. Mint works by offering its best deals for those that pay for a full year’s service at once. You can get 12 months of unlimited service for $360 (paid at once), or what works out to the equivalent of $30 a month. There are also plans for those who prefer limited data, which are also fairly aggressively priced.
C Spire phones
Ryan Whitwam / Android Authority
C Spire might be a smaller network than the big three, but does that translate to fewer phone options? Yes and no. There are only 49 devices to choose from, which is pretty small compared to the 75+ you’ll find with Verizon.
The good news is all the best options are here, including the iPhone 14 series, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Fold 5, and the Galaxy S24 family. You’ll also find some budget devices from Samsung, Apple, TCL, and a few others. One notable absence is the Pixel family. You can check out the entire C Spire phone collection on their website.
Be aware that C Spire isn’t the best carrier for those interested in buying an unlocked phone or an existing device. While it may technically be compatible with some unlocked devices, the network tends to be finicky about what it will activate unless they sell the same device directly.
Should you switch to C Spire?
The main reason to switch to C Spire is if you live in an area where it has a reliable connection, especially if you live in a rural area, as there may be some spots where this regional carrier is the only option. Thanks to its great multi-line discounts, C Spire can still be a solid choice even for those in urban areas with C Spire support. The good news is it will still play nice while traveling, thanks to a roaming agreement with T-Mobile.
If you don’t travel to any spots where C Spire is the only option, we’d strongly consider an MVNO if you’re looking to save even more cash. You won’t get quite as good of speeds, however.
What about C Spire vs Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile? Honestly, this carrier has great pricing and is probably a better value. Just be aware that the others have stronger and faster networks.
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