Who Offers Wireless Phone Service?

National carriers provide service across the United States, letting you make phone calls from almost any location. AT&T; is one of the largest nationwide networks, ranked second in the country by Top Ten Reviews. The company offers contract phones and it partners with other companies to ensure call quality. Sprint and T-Mobile also offer contract wireless phone service across the nation. According to PhoneDog, a mobile review website, Verizon has the largest network of users out of the national carriers, with over 94 million customers.

Regional carriers differ from national carriers, in that the companies are typically only found in a specific area or region. The company may have deals with other providers that will let you use your phone in other areas without paying roaming charges. Cincinnati Bell, an Ohio-based company, uses the same towers as AT&T.; Altell, which was purchased by Verizon in 2009, and still offers service in some regions due to the agreement reached prior to the purchase. U.S. Cellular, based in Chicago, is possibly one of the largest regional cell phone providers, with over six million users, according to PhoneDog.

Smaller carriers are sometimes referred to as specialty carriers. Carriers of this type typically offer service in only a few areas, or are designed for people living in rural areas where cell phone towers are hard to find. Centennial Wireless, which partners with AT&T;, Alaska DigiTel, Edge Wireless out of Oregon, NTELOS Wireless from the mid-Atlantic area, and SouthernLINC from the southeast, are all specialty carriers.

If you're hesitant about signing a contract, then choose a prepaid carrier. AT&T; GoPhone lets you have a cell phone, without a credit check or contract. Boost Mobile,Net10, MetroPCS, Cricket, and Liberty Wireless all offer prepaid plans. With some plans, you buy a set number of minutes or talk time to use as you like. Other plans, like those from Cricket, give you unlimited minutes, data usage, and other features for a specific monthly fees.