Cell phone plans offering free coverage aren't exactly new, but a free plan that actually includes a pretty nice chunk of data is a bit unusual — and sure to draw the attention of people on the hunt for the best cheap cell phone plan.
You can't get much cheaper than free, which is what Helium Mobile is offering customers via a new plan just announced today (February 4). Along with 100 minutes of talk time and 300 text messages each month, Helium will provide customers who sign up for its free plan with 3GB of data.
When you've used up 70% of your data with this free plan, Helium will send you an alert, with another notification coming at the 90% mark. Once you're out of free data, you can either purchase a data boost for $7.50/GB or upgrade to one of the other new options Helium is adding.
To that end, Helium has created a 10GB plan with unlimited talk and text for $15/month, while its unlimited data plan will cost $30 monthly. (The unlimited plan lets you use 36GB of data each month before your speeds are slowed — a common practice with the best unlimited data plans.) These are month-to-month rates, so you won't have to make a long-term commitment to Helium's wireless service.
Helium launched nearly two years ago, as a mobile virtual network operator, or MVNO. The bulk of Helium's coverage comes from T-Mobile's cell phone towers, which is encouraging as that carrier has the widest 5G reach and the fastest speeds depending on which third-part tracking firm is doing the tabulating.
Helium augments that coverage with a network of mini cell towers placed in customers' homes, allowing the carrier to tout itself as "a people-powered network." Helium says they've deployed 26,303 hotspots around the country.
"We believe in accessibility and flexibility," said Coco Tang, general manager of Helium Mobile subscribers. "We allow you to go month to month and upgrade [plans] as you please."
| Plan | Monthly Data (w/ talk & text) | Monthly Cost |
| Helium Mobile Zero Plan | 3GB (100 talk minutes, 300 texts) | Free |
| TextNow Call + Text unlimited | 0GB, with some data for email, maps and ride-share apps (unlimited talk + text) | Free |
| Tello 2GB plan | 2GB (unlimited talk +text) | $10 |
| Mint Mobile 5GB plan | 5GB (unlimited talk + text) | $15 (requires annual upfront payment) |
| T-Mobile Connect | 5GB (unlimited talk + text) | $15 |
It's Helium's free plan that's likely to draw the most attention, as 3GB of data is a pretty sizable chunk to offer customers without requiring a monthly payment. TextNow offers a free monthly for anyone who buys one its SIM cards, and that includes unlimited talk and text. But free data is limited to email, maps and ride-sharing services.
If you want around 3GB of data, you generally have to pay for it, as with the 2GB plan at Tello that costs $10/month. Unlike Helium Mobile's free plan, that Tello offering includes unlimited talk and text.
In other words, mobile customers who think they can get by on Helium's 3GB data cap for free will also have to contend with the limitations on talk and texting. But for people who just need the basics, what Helium's offering at no cost may perfectly fit the bill.
Along with its new plans, Helium is also touting a Cloud Points program that rewards active customers of the MVNO. You earn Cloud Points by activities like participating in surveys, referring other customers to Helium and anonymized location sharing. You can then redeem those points for things like gift cards with stores and services as well as data boost add-ons, Tang said.
Helium has set up a waitlist where people interested in its new plans can reserve a spot.
An earlier version of this article had the incorrect cap on high-speed data for Helium's unlimited plan.
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