MetroPCS has one of the longest, not to mention strongest reputations of any prepaid, low-cost carrier on the globe. The company was founded in 1994 under General Wireless where it grew to the fifth largest mobile telecommunications network in the United States using code division multiple access.

In 2013, the success of MetroPCS got the attention of T-Mobile (which is considered one of the “Big Four” wireless carriers) and MetroPCS merged with T-Mobile, moving to the title “Metro by T-Mobile”.

Features

Because MetroPCS is a prepaid subsidiary of T-Mobile, users of MetroPCS gain access to one of the highest performing networks in the United States. T-Mobile has performed very well in independent studies through reputable agencies such as OpenSignal, Tom’s Guide and Ookla. Fittingly, MetroPCS customers get much of the same high speed performance yet are subject to depriorization.

Since MetroPCS is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) and does not have its own cellular network, but instead relies on another provider — it is subject to depriorization which basically means customers data and/or speeds are slowed down at a predestine mark.

It is the price customers have to pay for opting to go with a budget provider. However, if you are not a high data user (email, web surfing, video and music streaming, etc) than depirorization is not a huge deal.

T-Mobile, and its subsidiary MetroPCS, is also well regarded for its network performance in urban environments. It has ranked high in performance in several of the most populated cities in the U.S., and is something you should consider if you reside in a metropolitan area.

Smartphone selection from MetroPCS is actually quite good as one knock on many prepaid cellular providers is the lack of trending phones they offer. MetroPCS, meanwhile, offers the iPhone X and several other popular phones from Samsung, LG and Motorola. Several of them are also completely free of charge when you enroll in an unlimited plan.

With MetroPCS’ two higher priced plans (more info, below) — customers are also granted access to Google One and Amazon Prime. Google One provides 100GB of cloud storage as well as automatic mobile backup. It’s a terrific storage and backup platform from the leader in technological services.

Meanwhile, Amazon Prime (only available with the $60 p/ month plan) will get you connected with one of the more sought after entertainment and shopping apps in the world.

Like most budget providers, MetroPCS has absolutely no commitment. The major carriers traditionally require a contract with steep penalties if you back out of the agreement early. However, with MetroPCS there is not annual contracts or fees.

Rates

MetroPCS has four different plans to select from with three of them unlimited talk and text plans, and the fourth a budget friendly $30 p/ month option with 2GB of data. Their cheapest plan is fitting for those who use little to no data per month, as you can get great service at a very low cost.

The unlimited plans begin at $40 for 10GB of high speed data and max out at $60 with MetroPCS unlimited everything plan. All three plans feature unlimited music streaming which will not count against your data usage. That’s a very good deal.

Additionally, the $50 and $60 unlimited plans will provide extra data for hotspot mobile (5 and 15GB, respectively) along with Google One. The $60 p/ month option also hooks you up with Amazon Prime.

Plans allow for up to five lines, and the savings are increased for the more lines you add. For example, customers can save $20 p/ month that is added to the $50 p/ month plan while users of the $60 option save an impressive $30 per line.

Pros

MetroPCS is a very popular prepaid carrier for a number of reasons. They operate on the high performing T-Mobile network, yet you save quite a bit of money per month compared to T-Mobile. They also offer not only one, two, three but four quality plans to choose from depending on your individual needs.

Many infrequent cellphone users will be just fine with the $30 plan (especially if they rarely use data) while others will get plenty of data with the $50 plan.

Cons

While MetroPCS does provide high speed data as well as unlimited music streaming that doesn’t take away from your data usage, HD video streaming is not available. The major networks have this ability, so if you like watching YouTube on your phone you might want to shop elsewhere.

Conclusion

MetroPCS is one of the top ranked prepaid carriers in the country. They offer affordable rates through a variety of plans with a great selection of phones to select from.