When you’re looking for a new wireless cellular service provider, there are several questions that you’ll need to ask yourself. For instance, is coverage area your main concern? Are you more focused on price? Are you looking for some great perks, or are you more interested in their customer service? Maybe you want a company that has the most physical store locations that are close to you.
Boost Mobile and AT&T are two of the more popular options for most of the country, but which of these two is going to be the best way for you to go? That is what we shall endeavor to answer in this article. We’ll start by listing some bullet points as to what you can expect from these two.
Boost Mobile
- Sprint owns Boost Mobile, so it uses their wireless network, which is fourth-best in the nation; at 27% coverage, it ranks behind Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T
- They offer prepaid and no-contract plans; the cheapest ones can go for as little as $25 if you get multiple lines for yourself and your family
- Individual plans go for $35, $50, $60, and $80, respectively; some of the perks include such things as Tidal streaming music service and hotspot capabilities
- You can choose from many different phones models when you sign up with them, including the latest Samsung Galaxies and iPhones, among others
AT&T
- Their wireless coverage network is the third-best in the nation, behind Verizon and T-Mobile; they cover 58% of the United States
- They are a massive conglomerate with many other subdivisions besides their cellular service, including DIRECTV
- Their unlimited data plans are $65, $75, and $85 per month for individuals, but you save significant money if you sign up with your family; those prices go down to $35, $45, and $55 if you get four lines
- They offer many enticing deals if you sign up with them or switch over from another company, and they can provide you with many of the latest and most popular phone models as well
Boost Mobile’s History
Boost Mobile has a presence in both Australia, where it got its start, and here in the US. Peter Adderton founded it in 2000. As a wireless telecommunications brand, they have experienced peaks and valleys since their inception. In 2012, the Australian branch of the company entered into a deal with Telstra, and all customers were converted to their Optus network.
In the US, Boost Mobile was introduced by Peter Adderton and his partners in 2001. It was a joint venture with Nextel Communications. They initially offered the “push-to-talk” concept for $1 per day. This was at a time when unlimited cell phone plans were relatively rare. Most of their marketing at this point was aimed at California and Nevada, and lots of urban slang was used in their ads.
Later, the brand tried to market themselves as urban-chic, aimed at the younger crowd of college and high school students. In 2007, they came out with a commercial that featured Mickey Avalon, Jermaine Dupree, and Young Jeezy. Some of their ads from that time and after featured Fat Joe, Ludacris, Kanye West, Travis Barker, and others. Their slogan “where you at” become a part of the hip-hop lexicon.
AT&T History
AT&T stands for American Telephone and Telegraph, and it was founded in 1885. The current version, though, is officially known as AT&T Inc. They are a multinational conglomerate holding company. Their headquarters is the Whitaker Tower in Dallas, TX. They are the largest telecommunications company in the world, and their circular logo is one of the most easily recognizable.
At one point, AT&T had several “Ma Bell” subsidiaries, but they all broke off from one another following an antitrust lawsuit in 1982. The current structure of AT&T is the reconstituted former Bell Telephone system. It includes 10 of the original 22 Bell Operating Companies, and what was the original long-distance division.
AT&T is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. They offer many different cellular wireless plans, and also DIRECTV and other products. They are incredibly diversified. Recently, they formed partnerships with healthcare providers with the intent of developing mobile health-related connective devices to help with patient care. This is a clear demonstration that the company is intent on pursuing previously-unexplored opportunities as we enter a new decade.
Does AT&T Have Better Coverage Than Boost Mobile?
Coverage area is certainly something that you’ll want to examine as you’re trying to decide which cellular service provider makes the most sense for you and your family. In this area, AT&T seems to have a clear advantage. Their coverage is third-best in the nation, behind Verizon and T-Mobile. Verizon’s coverage is 70%. T-Mobile’s is 59%, and AT&T’s is 58%. Boost Mobile runs on Sprint’s network, as that is their parent company. Their coverage is only 27%.
This might be more or less of a concern for you, depending on where you live. In heavily-populated areas, you might be okay with Boost Mobile’s coverage. If you live in a rural area, though, it seems likely that AT&T is going to be the better choice for you.
It’s also worth mentioning that AT&T is spearheading the movement toward a better 5G network and away from a 4G one. Along with Verizon, their intention is to get a 5G network running nationwide that promises faster streaming data for a smoother online browsing experience.
Boost Mobile vs. AT&T: Service Plans
When you’re looking at service plans, price is probably going to be the most vital thing for you to consider. Boost Mobile has plans where you can get 3GB of 4G LTE streaming data per month for $35. With that plan, you get unlimited talk and text. You get SD video streaming, and you can add more 4G LTE any time you like, though that will cost you more. You get unlimited music streaming, which is a nice feature.
You can also get unlimited plans for $50, $60, and $80 per month. Each of them comes with unique features. The more you pay, the more you get. With the $80 plan, for instance, you’ll receive 50GB of hotspot data and priority customer care services.
Where you start to save money with Boost Mobile is when you sign up with friends or family. If you get a minimum of four lines, then you can get them as cheaply as $25 per month for the most basic package. That’s worth considering if you don’t feel like your family needs all the bells and whistles.
With AT&T, you can get single unlimited data plans for $65, $75, and $85 per month. Taxes and fees are extra. There’s no denying that’s on the pricier side, so you’ll do a lot better if you can sign up with family or friends and get multiple lines. If you sign up for four lines, you can get each one for $35, $40, or $50, respectively, depending on what features you want.
Boost Mobile can give you slightly lower prices for unlimited plans for both individuals and families. You will want to take that into account if the price is your primary area of focus.
Which Carrier Has the Better Perks?
Some consumers pay attention to perks more than anything else when it comes to phone plans. In this area, Boost Mobile isn’t exactly leading the charge. We already mentioned their music streaming, which is called Tidal. It comes with all of their plans, so that might be a selling point for you if you like streaming music and listening to it often. Other than that, you can get unlimited access to HD streaming movies and shows, but it will cost you an extra $20 per month.
AT&T offers quite a bit more, especially if you get one of their more expensive plans for yourself and your family. If you get four lines for $50 each, you get unlimited talk and text not only in the US but also in Mexico and Canada. If you have relatives that live in either of those countries, that’s probably going to be enticing for you. You will also get 5G access wherever it is available in the US through AT&T’s ever-expanding network.
You get HBO included for no additional charge, and that’s excellent news if you have kids or travel a lot. On car trips, you’ll know that you have something to occupy the younger family members. You’ll probably enjoy it just as much yourself, with shows like Watchmen and His Dark Materials now available.
Limitations of AT&T and Boost Mobile
The most significant limitation for Boost Mobile has to be the lack of coverage that we already mentioned. There are some parts of the country where it’s simply difficult to get reliable service through them. It’s also true that there are some phone models that are not supported on Boost Mobile’s network. If you have your own phone that you plan on bringing when you sign up with them, you’ll need to check their website first to see if that model is acceptable.
There are no significant limitations with AT&T that we uncovered. In rare cases, you might have a phone model that is not supported on their network either, but if you have a well-known brand like the iPhone or Galaxy, you should be fine.
What Phones Can You Use on Either Network?
Speaking of phones, there’s a wide variety that each one of these providers will give you when you sign up with them. You can get the latest iPhones, Galaxies, and also Google and LG models. With AT&T, you can get an Apple iPhone 11 for as little as $23.34 per month. You can get the Pro Max version for $36.67 per month.
Of course, with either company, you can get older models that are not going to cost you as much. In some cases, they will charge you nothing as part of the incentive to sign you up. For a limited time, you can grab a free Samsung Galaxy A10e from AT&T when you make the switch from another provider.
If you want a high-end, newer model phone, then if you put more money down for it when you sign up with either company, it will cost you less on your bill each month. You can also buy the new phone outright when you sign up with the company if you have the money to do so.
Which Has The Better Customer Service?
Both of these companies seem to have adequate customer service. You can get in touch with someone via the helpline for both of them, or you can Live Chat with someone on their websites. You can also go to one of Boost Mobile’s brick-and-mortar locations. They have 8,000 in the United States. AT&T, though, has more than 16,000 retail locations in the US, so they would seem to have the edge in this area.
Which One of These is the Better Choice?
When it comes to deciding between these two carriers, it seems to be the classic choice of paying less and getting less or paying more and getting more. With Boost Mobile, you get slightly lower prices for individual and family plans. You don’t get as much network coverage, and you also don’t get the perks that come along with AT&T.
AT&T offers you superior network coverage, including its emerging 5G network. You get things like HBO, which doesn’t come with Boost Mobile’s plans. On the other hand, their plans are more expensive across the board.
You’ll need to make a choice based on the details we’ve laid out for both companies. If you are intent on saving a little money, then you’ll likely go with Boost Mobile. If you’re willing to spend more, but you want more in return, then AT&T seems like the logical fit for you.
