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Tello: 11 Facts To Know Before You Sign Up

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Tello plan features and starting price
Mint Mobile 15GB
1 Line
1 Line
T-Mobile
$
20
/mo.
+tax
tax included
$15/mo for first 3 months
15GB
high-speed, then 128Kbps

Deprioritized
Included hotspot
4K video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts
Visible Base
1 Line
1 Line
Verizon
$
25
/mo.
+tax
tax included
Unlimited
high-speed

Deprioritized
5Mbps hotspot
480p video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts
Mint Mobile Unlimited
1 Line
1 Line
T-Mobile
$
30
/mo.
+tax
tax included
$15/mo for first 3 months
40GB
high-speed, then 512Kbps

Deprioritized
10GB hotspot
480p video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts
Mint Mobile 15GB
1 Line
1 Line
T-Mobile
$
35
/mo.
+tax
tax included
$15/mo for first 3 months
15GB
high-speed, then 128Kbps

Deprioritized
Included hotspot
4K video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts
Visible+
1 Line
1 Line
Verizon
$
45
/mo.
+tax
tax included
Unlimited
high-speed

50GB priority
10Mbps hotspot
480p video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts

1. What is Tello?

Tello is a prepaid cell phone carrier known as a mobile virtual network operator, or MVNO.

An MVNO is simply any cell phone carrier that does not operate its own cellular network.

Instead of building their own networks, MVNOs make agreements with the four big carriers to use their cellular networks for coverage.

In Tello’s case, it uses the T-Mobile network for coverage.

If you are curious to learn more about how the agreements work between the big carriers and the small carriers, check out my article on how some cell phone plans can cost so much less than others.

2. What cell phone plans does Tello offer?

Tello offers the following cell phone plans to choose from:

Tello 100 Mins: $5 for No Data data, 100 minutes, and Unlimited texts
Tello 100 Mins: $5 for no data, 100 minutes minutes, and Unlimited texts texts
Tello 1GB 100 Mins: $6 for 1GB data, 100 minutes, and Unlimited texts
Tello 1GB 100 Mins: $6 for no data, 100 minutes minutes, and Unlimited texts texts
Tello 2GB 100 Mins: $7 for 2GB data, 100 minutes, and Unlimited texts
Tello 2GB 100 Mins: $7 for no data, 100 minutes minutes, and Unlimited texts texts
Tello Talk & Text: $8 for No Data data, Unlimited minutes, and Unlimited texts
Tello Talk & Text: $8 for no data, Unlimited minutes minutes, and Unlimited texts texts
Tello 1GB: $9 for 1GB data, Unlimited minutes, and Unlimited texts
Tello 1GB: $9 for no data, Unlimited minutes minutes, and Unlimited texts texts
Tello 2GB: $10 for 2GB data, Unlimited minutes, and Unlimited texts
Tello 2GB: $10 for no data, Unlimited minutes minutes, and Unlimited texts texts
Tello 5GB 100 Mins: $11 for 5GB data, 100 minutes, and Unlimited texts
Tello 5GB 100 Mins: $11 for no data, 100 minutes minutes, and Unlimited texts texts
Tello 5GB: $14 for 5GB data, Unlimited minutes, and Unlimited texts
Tello 5GB: $14 for no data, Unlimited minutes minutes, and Unlimited texts texts
Tello 10GB 300 Mins: $17 for 10GB data, 300 minutes, and Unlimited texts
Tello 10GB 300 Mins: $17 for no data, 300 minutes minutes, and Unlimited texts texts
Tello 10GB: $19 for 10GB data, Unlimited minutes, and Unlimited texts
Tello 10GB: $19 for no data, Unlimited minutes minutes, and Unlimited texts texts
Tello 15GB: $24 for 15GB data, Unlimited minutes, and Unlimited texts
Tello 15GB: $24 for no data, Unlimited minutes minutes, and Unlimited texts texts
Tello Unlimited: $25 for 35GB data, Unlimited minutes, and Unlimited texts
Tello Unlimited: $25 for no data, Unlimited minutes minutes, and Unlimited texts texts

You can see more details and features of Tello's plans below:

Lines
Plan Duration
Discounts
Reset
Tello 100 Mins
1 Line
1 Line
T-Mobile
$
5
/mo.
+tax
tax included
No Data
high-speed, then data stops

Deprioritized
No hotspot
No video streaming
100 minutes
Unlimited texts
-
Int'l calls to 60+ countries
Pay-per-use in CAN & MEX
Pay-per-use int'l data
Tello 1GB 100 Mins
1 Line
1 Line
T-Mobile
$
6
/mo.
+tax
tax included
1GB
high-speed, then data stops

Deprioritized
Included hotspot
480p video streaming
100 minutes
Unlimited texts
-
Int'l calls to 60+ countries
Pay-per-use in CAN & MEX
Pay-per-use int'l data
Tello 2GB 100 Mins
1 Line
1 Line
T-Mobile
$
7
/mo.
+tax
tax included
2GB
high-speed, then data stops

Deprioritized
Included hotspot
480p video streaming
100 minutes
Unlimited texts
-
Int'l calls to 60+ countries
Pay-per-use in CAN & MEX
Pay-per-use int'l data
Tello Talk & Text
1 Line
1 Line
T-Mobile
$
8
/mo.
+tax
tax included
No Data
high-speed, then data stops

Deprioritized
No hotspot
No video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts
-
Int'l calls to 60+ countries
Pay-per-use in CAN & MEX
Pay-per-use int'l data
Tello 1GB
1 Line
1 Line
T-Mobile
$
9
/mo.
+tax
tax included
1GB
high-speed, then data stops

Deprioritized
Included hotspot
480p video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts
-
Int'l calls to 60+ countries
Pay-per-use in CAN & MEX
Pay-per-use int'l data
Tello 2GB
1 Line
1 Line
T-Mobile
$
10
/mo.
+tax
tax included
2GB
high-speed, then data stops

Deprioritized
Included hotspot
480p video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts
-
Int'l calls to 60+ countries
Pay-per-use in CAN & MEX
Pay-per-use int'l data
Tello 5GB 100 Mins
1 Line
1 Line
T-Mobile
$
11
/mo.
+tax
tax included
5GB
high-speed, then data stops

Deprioritized
Included hotspot
480p video streaming
100 minutes
Unlimited texts
-
Int'l calls to 60+ countries
Pay-per-use in CAN & MEX
Pay-per-use int'l data
Tello 5GB
1 Line
1 Line
T-Mobile
$
14
/mo.
+tax
tax included
5GB
high-speed, then data stops

Deprioritized
Included hotspot
480p video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts
-
Int'l calls to 60+ countries
Pay-per-use in CAN & MEX
Pay-per-use int'l data
Tello 10GB 300 Mins
1 Line
1 Line
T-Mobile
$
17
/mo.
+tax
tax included
10GB
high-speed, then data stops

Deprioritized
Included hotspot
480p video streaming
300 minutes
Unlimited texts
-
Int'l calls to 60+ countries
Pay-per-use in CAN & MEX
Pay-per-use int'l data
Tello 10GB
1 Line
1 Line
T-Mobile
$
19
/mo.
+tax
tax included
10GB
high-speed, then data stops

Deprioritized
Included hotspot
480p video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts
-
Int'l calls to 60+ countries
Pay-per-use in CAN & MEX
Pay-per-use int'l data
Tello 15GB
1 Line
1 Line
T-Mobile
$
24
/mo.
+tax
tax included
15GB
high-speed, then data stops

Deprioritized
Included hotspot
480p video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts
-
Int'l calls to 60+ countries
Pay-per-use in CAN & MEX
Pay-per-use int'l data
Tello Unlimited
1 Line
1 Line
T-Mobile
$
25
/mo.
+tax
tax included
35GB
high-speed, then data stops

Deprioritized
5GB hotspot
480p video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts
-
Int'l calls to 60+ countries
Pay-per-use in CAN & MEX
Pay-per-use int'l data

3. What deals, discounts, or referral programs does Tello have?

No discounts or referral programs are available at this time.

4. Does Tello offer family plans?

Tello offers the following family plans to choose from:

Tello does not offer family plans at this time. Each line you have will need its own separate account.

5. Does Tello have plans for tablets, smartwatches, or hotspot devices?

Tello 1GB
T-Mobile
$
5
/mo.
+tax
tax included
1GB
high-speed, then data stops
Deprioritized
Full speed download
Full speed upload
No overage charge
Hotspots
Hotspots
Tablets
Tablets
Laptops
Laptops
Cellular Routers
Cellular Routers
Tello 2GB
T-Mobile
$
6
/mo.
+tax
tax included
2GB
high-speed, then data stops
Deprioritized
Full speed download
Full speed upload
No overage charge
Hotspots
Hotspots
Tablets
Tablets
Laptops
Laptops
Cellular Routers
Cellular Routers
Tello 5GB
T-Mobile
$
10
/mo.
+tax
tax included
5GB
high-speed, then data stops
Deprioritized
Full speed download
Full speed upload
No overage charge
Hotspots
Hotspots
Tablets
Tablets
Laptops
Laptops
Cellular Routers
Cellular Routers
Tello 10GB
T-Mobile
$
15
/mo.
+tax
tax included
10GB
high-speed, then data stops
Deprioritized
Full speed download
Full speed upload
No overage charge
Hotspots
Hotspots
Tablets
Tablets
Laptops
Laptops
Cellular Routers
Cellular Routers
Tello 15GB
T-Mobile
$
20
/mo.
+tax
tax included
15GB
high-speed, then data stops
Deprioritized
Full speed download
Full speed upload
No overage charge
Hotspots
Hotspots
Tablets
Tablets
Laptops
Laptops
Cellular Routers
Cellular Routers
Tello 35GB
T-Mobile
$
25
/mo.
+tax
tax included
25GB
high-speed, then data stops
Deprioritized
Full speed download
Full speed upload
No overage charge
Hotspots
Hotspots
Tablets
Tablets
Laptops
Laptops
Cellular Routers
Cellular Routers

6. How good is Tello's coverage?

Tello rides on the T-Mobile network for coverage, so reception in most places is pretty good.

See the full coverage details below:

Verizon coverage information

  • Total coverage: 67.4%
  • Total square miles covered: 2,246,127
  • Total population covered: 327 million people (98.0)%
  • 5G coverage: 14.5%
  • 5G square miles covered: 484,321
  • Population covered by 5G: 230 million people (69.0%)

The above data come from the FCC and from Verizon directly.

Check Verizon coverage in your area by using Verizon's official coverage map.

You can also check coverage using third-party maps such as CoverageMap.com.

Verizon coverage map
Verizon's coverage map reported by CoverageMap.com

CoverageMap.com is building crowdsourced maps of cellular coverage.

Download the free Coverage Map app for iPhone or Android to compare coverage between carriers and to participate in the project.

AT&T coverage information

  • Total coverage: 78.1%
  • Total square miles covered: 2,602,364
  • Total population covered: 330 million people (99.0%)
  • 5G coverage: 43.3%
  • 5G square miles covered: 1,444,381
  • Population covered by 5G: 300 million people (90.0%)

The above information comes from the FCC and from AT&T direclty.

You can check AT&T coverage in your area by using AT&T's official coverage map.

You can also check coverage by using third-party maps such as CoverageMap.com.

AT&T coverage map
Crowd-sourced AT&T coverage map from CoverageMap.com

CoverageMap.com is building crowdsourced maps of the cellular networks.

Download the free Coverage Map app for iPhone or Android to compare coverage between carriers and to contribute to the project.

T-Mobile coverage information

  • Network: T-Mobile
  • Total coverage: 46.6%
  • Total square miles covered: 1,551,924
  • Total population covered: 330 million people (99.0%)
  • 5G coverage: 36.0%
  • 5G square miles covered: 1,200,851
  • Population covered by 5G: 326 million people (97.8%)

The above information comes from the FCC and from T-Mobile directly.

Check T-Mobile coverage in your area by using T-Mobile's official coverage map.

You can also check T-Mobile coverage by using third-party maps such as CoverageMap.com.

T-Mobile coverage map
Crowd-sourced T-Mobile coverage map from CoverageMap.com

CoverageMap.com is building crowdsourced maps of cellular coverage.

You can download the free Coverage Map app for iPhone or Android to compare coverage between carriers and to contribute to the project.

7. What features does Tello support?

Tello supports:
  • VoLTE
  • WiFi calling
  • Visual voicemail
  • MMS (multimedia messaging service)
  • Hotspot
  • Managing multiple lines from a single account
  • International calling

8. What phones work on Tello?

Most phones that are unlocked will work on
Tello
.
An unlocked phone means it isn't tied to any carrier, contract, or financing agreement.
Consider contacting your current carrier to see if your phone is unlocked, or what the steps are to request to have it unlocked.
You can also consider purchasing an unlocked phone below that is compatible with
Tello
:

9. Does Tello support international calling or data roaming?

10. What plan add-ons does Tello offer?

No plan add-ons have been entered into our database for Tello at this time.

11. How do you contact Tello customer service?

Tello

News

The latest news, deals, and updates about
Tello
.

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