Skip to main content

U.S. Cellular gives you unlimited data on four lines, but read the fine print

Cell tower FM radio
Image used with permission by copyright holder
U.S. Cellular is finally starting to take unlimited data a little more seriously. The company has largely lagged behind the so-called “big four” carriers to date, but its latest offering could make it a serious option for those that want a little more data — especially those in a family or with a group of friends willing to sign up with them. The U.S. Cellular Total Plan now comes at a $140 for new subscribers with four lines and offers unlimited data. That is a tiny $35 per line.

You need four lines to reach $35 per line, but those with fewer lines can still get a pretty good price. One line comes at $45, while two lines cost $43 per line, and three lines $39 per line.

Recommended Videos

“We want our customers to have the freedom to use their phones however they want at a price that doesn’t break the bank,” Grant Leech, vice president of brand marketing at U.S. Cellular, said in a statement. “But unlimited data doesn’t mean anything unless you have a network that keeps up with it, so we provide an award-winning, fast network that works when and where our customers need it.”

Please enable Javascript to view this content

All these prices are great, but there are a few caveats to consider. For starters, U.S. Cellular’s data speeds aren’t the best. The company notes in the fine-print that download speeds cap out at 1.5Mbps for streaming, and speeds will shift to 2G speeds after 22GB of data. According to Speedtest, the average mobile download speed in the U.S. is 22.69Mbps, and T-Mobile is the fastest option, with an average download speed of 23.17Mbps.

Also, while U.S. Cellular doesn’t note an expiration date, it does say that the cheaper pricing is only available for a limited time. Also, you have to jump through quite a few hoops to sign up too — the company says you are required to purchase a qualified phone, sign up for its Device Protection+ service, sign up for Autopay, and paperless billing. And if you do not do those things? It’s likely the price will be a little more on-par with what the other carriers are offering.

Christian de Looper
Christian de Looper is a long-time freelance writer who has covered every facet of the consumer tech and electric vehicle…
I tracked my sleep with a smart display, ring, and watch. This is my favorite
The Oura Ring app on an iPhone 16 Pro Max, showing the Sleep screen.

Since I had a heart attack four years ago, I’ve been on a journey to understand my health. A crucial part of my recovery and focus has been my sleep, and it'smade even more important by the fact that my heart attack took place in the middle of the night while I was fast asleep. Thankfully, I woke up, but our sleep can tell us a lot about our underlying health.

Virtually every wearable now offers some form of sleep tracking, but like most things in technology, not all devices are created equal. Beyond just data, there’s also the question of which is most comfortable to track your sleep, which device gives you the most reliable data, and ultimately, how you can ensure you track your sleep wherever you are.

Read more
How to transfer your books from Goodreads to StoryGraph
Front page of a book on Onyx BOOX Go 10.3 tablet.

Goodreads has been the only game in town for Android and iOS book-tracking for a long time now, and like most monopolies, it has grown old and fat. Acquired by Amazon in 2013, avid book readers have had lots to complain about in recent years, with the service languishing unloved, with no serious updates and an aging interface. It's been due some serious competition for a long time, and lo and behold, some has arrived. StoryGraph is a book-tracking app that offers everything you'll find on Goodreads but with an algorithm that lets you know about what you might love, and adds features any bibliophile will know are essential — like a Did Not Finish list.

Read more
The next iOS 18 update is on its way. Here’s what we know
The iPhone 16 sitting on top of orange mums.

When iOS 18.2 released just over a week ago, it unlocked a lot of long-awaited features like Image Playground, Visual Intelligence, and improvements to writing tools. Now, it seems like another update could be just around the corner: version 18.2.1.

MacRumors found evidence of the update in their analytic logs, a source that has supposedly revealed quite a few iOS versions before release. Given that this is a minor update, it isn't likely to come with new features or anything groundbreaking. Instead, it will most likely be targeted at bug fixes, although no specific problems have been named. You should expect this update to drop either in late December or early January, but a year-end release is more likely.

Read more