“Hey, Kim, I’m thinking about switching to Consumer Cellular* to save money after hearing you talk about it, but I’m nervous. Will I lose my phone number or deal with spotty coverage? How can they use the same towers as the bigger cell companies?”
— Mark in Colorado
Mark, great question. And the answer explains the whole industry.
👉 Same signal, smaller bill
There are only three real cell networks in America: Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile. They own the towers, the antennas, the airwaves. Every other name you see advertising cell service is renting.
The industry calls them MVNOs, short for mobile virtual network operator. Fancy term that means reseller. They buy wholesale from a big carrier, then slap on their own name, customer service and price tag.
When a tower pings your phone, it has no idea if you’re paying $80 or $20. Same signal. Same speed. Different bills. So why the huge price gap?
The big three pay for Super Bowl ads, stadium names, retail stores on every corner. MVNOs skip that. You pocket the difference.
💌 My inbox tells the story
Don’t take my word only for it. Take theirs.
Since moving to Consumer Cellular, Jackie wrote in to tell me she’s saving $85 a month. Ralph saved $75 a month and says his coverage didn’t change a bit. Janelle knocked $65 a month off her bill.
Do the math. That’s $1,020, $900 and $780 a year. Per person. For the exact same signal they were already getting.
📞 What the FCC promises you
Now, your worries. Let’s knock them out.
You cannot lose your number. Federal law since 2003. Every carrier has to let you take your number. The transfer (called “porting”) usually takes a few hours.
This is a biggie. Do not cancel your old service first. If the old account closes before the number moves, your old carrier can release it. Gone. Instead, sign up with the new carrier and let them handle the port. Your old account closes automatically when the number lands.
Coverage matches the network. Because Consumer Cellular partners with the big cell carriers, the coverage is excellent. You can punch in your address here on their coverage map to see. They’re everywhere. Really.
🎯 Special offer for my listeners & readers
Stop paying for towers you’re already using.
Switch to Consumer Cellular and get your 2nd month FREE. Over 50? Get a single line with unlimited talk, text and data for just $35 a month. No contract. No games. No early termination fee to trap you.
This deal is only for my audience. That’s you. You’ve got the facts. You’ve got the math. Your move.