Best Cell Phone Plans Columbus, OH: Our Top Picks!

Columbus, hometown of the Columbus Crew SC, Ohio State Buckeyes, the Blue Jackets, and me!

Whether you're a student at Ohio State's campus, a regular bar hopper at the Short North, or you live elsewhere in town, there's always a little something for everybody.

Now that I've been going to Ohio State for three years, I've learned to appreciate all the fantastic things our city has to offer. From the Scioto Mile downtown, the robust COTA bus system, and beautiful neighborhoods up in Dublin, Columbus is a beautiful place.

Columbus was ranked #11 in a list of most energetic cities by bestplaces.net in collaboration with Tahitian Noni International Hiro. Forbes also ranked it #28 for the best places for business and careers 2019. There's a ton of awesome stuff happening in Columbus if you know where to look.

Columbus is a big place, and making the most of it means keeping in touch with your friends and family no matter where you are. In what follows, I'll give you my firsthand experience of the best cell phone plans in Columbus, OH!

Which Carrier Has the Best Coverage in Columbus, OH?

A lot of different carriers cover Columbus, so you have a lot of options. Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T all cover Columbus. Sprint does as well, but Sprint is now part of the T-Mobile family. You can read more about that in our article about the Sprint and T-Mobile merger.

I personally use Verizon and I have no trouble at all. My friends who use AT&T and T-Mobile also have no coverage issues. You can see evidence of this thanks to UpPhone's coverage map. Select a carrier and zoom in on Columbus to see that all four major carriers cover the city.

Because of this, when it comes down to the best cell phone plans in Columbus, OH, you have to consider the price and features for each plan. Let's explore a few plans to find the best ones for each carrier.

What Cell Phone Plan Should I Choose?

It all depends on what you need. If you are a power user who wants to take advantage of 5G networks in Columbus, you may want to consider an unlimited plan. 5G networks, if you have a compatible 5G phone, can use up a lot of data very quickly and you don't want to use up your monthly data allowance in a matter of minutes.

If you are student or someone who doesn't need a whole lot of data each month, consider getting a simpler prepaid plan without unlimited data. Even if you aren't getting unlimited data, you at least aren't paying for more than you'll use. Trust me, unlimited plans can be expensive!

Best Prepaid Cell Phone Plans In Columbus, OH

Verizon 5 GB Prepaid

As a Verizon user, I can definitely say that their service in Columbus is reliable and awesome. I've never had any trouble with calls dropping out or a bad Internet connection. This is extremely useful when I'm trying to make calls, submit nearly-late homework assignments, and watch videos while I'm in between classes at the Ohio State University main campus.

The Verizon 5 GB Prepaid plan is a great option if you don't need unlimited data. It offers just enough for you to get by comfortably from one month to the next without any pesky contracts. There aren't any overage charges, aside from the slowdown you'll experience to 2G speeds if you use up your 5 GB of data. You can make the most of this plan by enrolling in autopay to get those sweet discounts.

AT&T 8 GB Prepaid

If you need a little bit more data each month, AT&T's 8 GB prepaid plan is pretty awesome and definitely one of the best cell phone plans in Columbus, OH.

AT&T offers a great feature called Stream Saver, which helps you automatically reduce the quality of videos when necessary to make sure you aren't blowing through your monthly data allowance too quickly.

There aren't any overage costs, but you will get throttled to a lower speed if you exceed the monthly limit. You can always buy extra if you need to.

Mint Mobile 10 GB Prepaid

The Mint Mobile 10 GB prepaid plan is a great option for students or anyone living in Columbus to get reliable coverage at an affordable rate. Mint Mobile is an MVNO provider which leases out cell service from T-Mobile's nationwide wireless network.

This prepaid plan from Mint Mobile features unlimited talk and text. You can also choose to pay for up to a full year up front to save a bit. There are no contracts, so you don't have to worry about being locked into their service.

Tello Mobile Value Plan

If you're looking to save money on a data plan, Tello Mobile offers a great deal for 2 GB per month for $14. You'll get that same 4G LTE speed and unlimited talk and text.

This is a great plan if you're near Wi-Fi all the time. When I was living on campus at Ohio State, there were Wi-Fi hotspots everywhere I went. I hardly ever needed to use my data plan because of it. It's still helpful to have mobile data while traveling around Columbus, so having a little data is a good idea, and that's where this plan really shines.

Best Unlimited Plans In Columbus, OH

Verizon Do More Unlimited

Looking to take advantage of the expanding 5G coverage in Columbus? Verizon's Do More Unlimited plan will give you the ability to tap into those 5G networks where available as long as you have a 5G phone. If you're a heavy data user and want freedom from your speed getting throttled, the Verizon Do More Unlimited plan is the way to go.

Let's not forget the bundling! Verizon Do More Unlimited comes with a free six-month Apple Music subscription. You'll also get free talk and text to more than two hundred countries!

AT&T Unlimited Elite

AT&T's Unlimited Elite is one of the best unlimited cell phone plans in Columbus, OH thanks to its great array of features and bonuses. You'll get access to those same 5G networks as well as a free HBO streaming service subscription.

T-Mobile Magenta

T-Mobile Magenta is a great option for those looking for an unlimited plan at a lower price. Although it's still fairly expensive as an unlimited plan, it's a bit better than others at $70 per month for one line.

Their benefits include T-Mobile Tuesdays rewards, Netflix, and international features. Unfortunately, you'll only be able to use mobile hotspot at 3G speeds.

Looking for A Different Plan?

These plans aren't for everyone. You can use UpPhone's cell phone plan comparison tool to find and compare plans based on your preferences. Just use the filters at the top of the tool page to sort by carrier, lines, price, data, and more!

Ways to Save: Find Wi-Fi Hotspots!

There are many ways to save on your data plan while you're out and about. Take advantage of public Wi-Fi in Columbus when you can. Even if you have the best cell phone plan for Columbus, you can always stand to benefit from free Wi-Fi.

However, just make sure that when you are using free Wi-Fi that you aren't trying to access anything super secure. Free Wi-Fi typically has less security and can be used by hackers to intercept your passwords and personal information. This is one way that identity theft can occur, so be careful!

One thing you can use to protect your data while using public Wi-Fi is to use a VPN, or virtual private network. Although these might cost you a little bit, they're a great way to protect your connection from threats. Check out our article about the best VPNs for iPhone (most of these also work on Android!) to learn more.

There are plenty of places with free Wi-Fi like the Columbus Metropolitan Library and Ohio State's campus buildings. You can also get free Wi-Fi when riding around on COTA busses.

Make the Most of Columbus!

Now you're ready to choose from the best cell phone plans in Columbus to find the one that's right for you! I hope that this article has helped you make the most of the fantastic cell coverage in Columbus. Thank you for reading, and please share this article to help a friend make the most of that coverage too!