Data & methodology
How we collect prices and turn them into the totals you see, including what’s counted and what isn’t.
Phone plan prices
We divide each plan’s monthly total by the number of lines you pick. Plans paid for several months at once show a monthly equivalent and their term. AutoPay discounts are applied when you say you use AutoPay; first-year promotional prices are shown separately and counted in multi-year totals.
When you set your state, plans that list taxes as extra get an estimated wireless tax added, using published state and local rates. Legacy and business plans are hidden unless you ask for them.
Phone deals over 3 years
For each way to get a phone we add the plan for every line on the account, the phone’s price, activation or upgrade fees and any loan interest, then subtract promotional bill credits and your old phone’s resale value where it applies. Credits are assumed to run their full term. Sales tax on the phone’s full price is shown separately because it’s about the same for every option.
Home internet totals
Two-year totals include intro pricing, the regular price after it ends, and equipment fees, minus the single best bundle discount for your mobile carrier. Availability comes from the FCC’s provider data near your address; providers can serve only part of an area.
Streaming prices and perks
Prices come from each service’s official plan pages. Perks count as included only on the phone or internet plans the provider lists. Bundle savings compare the bundle price with buying each included plan separately.
Coverage
Coverage uses the FCC’s mobile broadband data, which carriers report from their own signal models. It shows expected outdoor signal in hexagons about a mile across and can differ from what you get indoors.
Limits
Missing details stay “not published” rather than guessed. Some add-on lists are incomplete. Every page shows when its data was checked; always confirm current terms with the provider.