Cell phone plans: how slow is the slow down

When a mobile phone plan “deprioritizes” you and slows down your data, it can be important to know how slow will it then be. It’s often impossible to get that information.

I use most of my data streaming music, which uses about one gig an hour. I was looking at the Boost Infinity plan with 25 gigs 5k, (which I would use up in a week), at which time it would slow down .

So I asked customer service “how slow would it go” hoping at least 4k which has been fine for me streaming music.

The answer was 2-3k, where she said it would not be adequate to stream music, just good enough for email and surfing the web.

To me it is the most important number no one talks about. I wish reviewers here would start to ask and report that number for all the plans they review.

By the way, I am still on Visible on their 4k unlimited plan that works well for music streaming in the New Orleans area, despite the fact that THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE STINKS (almost always an hour + wait to chat).

I always figured if you’re a heavy data user, you have to go with one of the big carriers. The MVNOs are cheaper, but you can get deprioritized.
I guess you get what you pay for.

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I signed up for Boost Infinity after seeing it in the newsletter. It was a huge mistake! I’ve been using the Verizon mvno Twigby successfully for a few months. I do not have a cell signal at home but it allowed me to text via wifi. I asked Boost if I could do that and also if I could make wifi calls [which is something I wish Clark’s reviews would address for us poor forgotten rural dwellers and something Twigby doesn’t support!]. That did not turn out to be true. After receiving my SIM card 4 days late and having to call and argue that I shouldn’t be billed for those 4 days [to no avail], I wanted to disconnect but had to call yet again (can’t on app or website) and wait on hold over 30 minutes to do. I was told that I would still be billed despite that I had the SIM for only 1/2 day and it didn’t perform as promised [not even allowing me to text like the cheaper option Twigby did]. Further, before I signed up, they told me via phone that there was a 14 day no-risk trial period, which they refused to honor.

Understand that Clark Howard and his staff are generally not reviewers or critics of products and services such as phone plans. They are merely shoppers who pass along information from the sellers, often without questioning truth, reliability or quality. Just look at their story that guided you to Boost Mobile. Not an inkling of the troubles you’ve had, nor that I foresaw.

I dismissed Boost when I learned it was owned by Dish Network, pioneers in bad customer service and keeping customers money in the tv satellite industry. Btw, i tried Dish over 20 years ago, because Howard said it was a good deal. (Stinkaroni advice).

Btw, just look at what Howard and his people say about customer service at Visible and what the community replied in comments. Howard has lost touch.

Jane, as I-understand it, you should have no contract with Boost, and can get out of their plan — make sure you follow their rules for termination. Hopefully you phone is unlocked. Good luck.

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