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FreedomPop Expands to AT&T's Network

Its free talk, data, and text plans were previously available only on Sprint.

 & Tom Brant Managing Editor

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FreedomPop, the Los Angeles-based startup whose mobile phone plans offer free texts, calls, and data, will give its subscribers access to the AT&T network starting today.

Previously only available available on the Sprint network, FreedomPop's expansion to AT&T will offer its customers more choices for how to use their free data, including a new mobile hotspot offering or the option to buy a SIM card for use in an existing device.

The AT&T hotspot costs $29.99, and comes with 2GB of free data. The SIM card, meanwhile, is $10, and can be used with any GSM-compatible phone.

To keep costs down, FreedomPop's service model relies heavily on Wi-Fi access and zero-rating, the practice of allowing access to some apps and services without consuming your data allotment. Many of its SIM card plans include unlimited use of WhatsApp, for instance.

But potential FreedomPop subscribers excited by the possibility of using AT&T's network for free should note the service's many caveats. With just 200 minutes, 500 text messages, and 200MB of data, the free plan is extremely limited. Paid options can get expensive, too, with the top-of-the-line hotspot plan offering 10GB of data for $74.99 per month. While it's unclear if those rates will apply to AT&T plans, they're worth comparing with your current bill if you're an AT&T subscriber who's thinking about switching.

FreedomPop launched a $5 per month Wi-Fi only plan in 2015, which in addition to unlimited data offers subscribers free texts and calls when connected to a participating Wi-Fi hotspot. At the time, the company's CEO explained that FreedomPop's plans are intended for "cash-strapped consumers."

About Our Expert

Tom Brant

Tom Brant

Managing Editor

I’m a managing editor at PCMag.com focused on PC hardware. Reading this during the day? Then you've caught me testing gear and editing reviews of Wi-Fi routers, printers, laptops, and tons of other personal tech. (Reading this at night? Then I’m probably dreaming about all those cool products.) I’ve covered the consumer tech world as an editor, reporter, and analyst since 2015.

I've covered most major consumer tech events, including CES, Computex, Google I/O, and IFA. I've also appeared on CBS News, in USA Today, and at many other outlets to offer analysis on breaking technology news.

Before I joined the tech-journalism ranks, I wrote on topics as diverse as Borneo's rainforests, Middle Eastern airlines, and Big Data's role in presidential elections. A graduate of Middlebury College, I also have a master's degree in journalism and French Studies from New York University.

The Technology I Use

While most people buy a phone or laptop and stick with it for years, I’m lucky enough to use devices based on Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows daily as part of my job. As a result, I cycle through lots of tech in addition to my IT-issue work laptop. (Yes, that's a ThinkPad.) Personally, I’ve also owned a lot of tech products both cutting-edge and cringeworthy, from the Nintendo GameCube and the original MacBook to the Palm m105 and the CueCat.

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