Can I switch from T-Mobile to Metro?
By
HuutiMoney
This blog post will provide you with detailed information about switching from T-Mobile to Metro. It covers topics like, Is it worth switching to Metro?, prerequisites for switching to Metro, porting instructions, unlocking procedures, and steps to switch to Metro PCS.
Can I switch from T-Mobile to Metro?
Yes, you can switch from T-Mobile to Metro, provided that the phone is unlocked. Both Metro PCS and T-mobile use the same network and operate at the same frequency. So ideally, you can easily switch to Metro PCS without affecting the speed and quality of service.
A brief history of the T-mobile
T-Mobile is the 3rd-largest wireless network provider in the USA. T-Mobile is a German telecommunication industry and it has some investments in other mobile communication industries in the United States.
T-Mobile USA has a network sharing agreement with Cingular Wireless, an American mobile operator. Due to this, T- mobile has access to some top markets in the USA.
A brief history of Metro pcs
Metro PCS is simply known as Metro.
It is a prepaid mobile service provider. But the brand of the metro is owned by T- mobile.
Earlier it was the 5th largest mobile network in the USA and it was using code-division multiple access (CDMA). In 2015, all customers using the MetroPCS CDMA network were migrated to their LTE network.
At that time T-Mobile had about 32 million subscribers and MetroPCS had around 9 million subscribers. In 2018, T-Mobile relaunched the new brand as Metro by T-Mobile.
When the name was changed T- mobile subscribers had increased to 75 million and Metro’s mobile subscribers to 18 million. Nowadays Metro PCS is simply known as Metro by T-Mobile.
Metro ( formerly MetroPCS) offers almost the same features as that of T- mobile, at lower prices. It makes use of T-Mobile’s network. It is a prepaid service provider. Subscribers can avail a range of plans to match the budgets and the specific needs.
Is T-mobile GSM or CDMA?
T-mobiles is a GSM network carrier and not a CDMA network carrier. So basically GSM stands for global system for mobile, and it is second-generation cellular technology. T-mobile is a GSM network carrier used for mobile voice and data services. So, CDMA stands for code division multiple access.
Is MetroPCS GSM or CDMA?
Metro PCS is owned by T-Mobile. It makes use of T-mobile’s network. Since T-Mobile is a GSM network carrier, Metro is also a GSM network carrier. This is a very important factor because of which one can easily switch from T-Mobile to Metro.
Is it worth switching from T-Mobile to Metro?
Before switching from T-Mobile to Metro, you should compare the following factors of straight talk and T-mobile.
- Key Features
- Mobile phone plans
- Network coverage
- Extras and perks
- Customer care services
Key Features
Will discuss key features of both, T-Mobile and metro.
Key features of T-mobile
- Monthly installment plans are offered for T Mobile phones.
- More priority is always given to the T-Mobile subscribers on the network over other subscribers. This is a prime important factor in case of network congestion.
- T mobile offers some better additional options, for example, international talk and data add-ons.
- T mobile network provider has an excellent customer service record.
- Some extra perks are offered only for T-Mobile subscribers.
Key features of Metro pcs
- Many plans offered by the metro PCS are cheaper than corresponding T-Mobile plans.
- Availability of a large variety of plans at affordable prices.
- Some data-saving features prevent you from overages.
- Offers a variety of budget phones.
As far as key features are concerned, if you are keen about your budget and least bothered about network congestion, then you should give priority to the Metro PCS.
Mobile phone plans
T-Mobile network carriers give you both prepaid and postpaid plans. Whereas Metro pcs offers only prepaid plans.
T mobile plans
There are three major plans offered by T-Mobile.
- Unlimited plans
- family plans
- prepaid plans
Unlimited plans
It is a plan which gives unlimited text and voice for the entire month. It also includes unlimited data.
But after reaching a certain data limit, the speed of data is affected and it is reduced.
Some unlimited plans from T-Mobile are cheaper, as well as you get more premium data.
| Plan | Price per line | Unlimited text and talk | Premium data | Mobile hotspot data | Unlimited Video streaming | |
| Essential | $60 | Applicable | 50GB | Unlimited at 3GB speed | Sd streaming | |
| Magenta | $70 | Applicable | 100GB | 5GB high-speed data | Sd streaming | |
| Magenta plus | $85 | Applicable | Unlimited | 40GB high-speed data | Up to 4k UHD streaming |
Family plans
For the magenta max family plan if you add one line then the cost per line will be reduced by $15. If you go on adding more lines, then you can bring the cost down to $40 per line. It is a really good offer for totally unlimited and high-speed data. Speed up to 30 Mbps can be obtained.
Prepaid plans
T-Mobile offers its prepaid plans. The range of prepaid plans is from $45 to $75 per month. You can avail 4GB of LTE data for $45 and 10GB of data for $50. At the higher end, T-mobile offers unlimited data plans for $75.
Metro plans
The range of prepaid plans is from $ 30 to $60.The following table shows a comparative analysis of different prepaid plans, offered by MetroPCS.
| Plan | Price | Text and Talk | Data | Streaming | Hotspot |
| 2GB | $30 | Unlimited | 2GB | 480p | Not included |
| 10GB | $40 | Unlimited | 10GB | 480p | Not included |
| Basic Unlimited | $50 | Unlimited | Unlimited | 480p | 5GB |
| Better Unlimited | $60 | Unlimited | Unlimited | 480p | 15GB |
Network coverage
For the 4G network, T mobile covers 62% of the country. T mobile provides a good coverage network in city areas and suburbs.
Metro PCS makes use of the network of T-Mobile. Ultimately you can avail yourself of the same advantage of network coverage as that of T- mobile subscribers. But in case of network congestion, whenever there is heavy traffic, more priority is given to the T-mobile subscribers.
Extras and Perks
Both the network providers offer extras and perks to their customers. So It depends on the phone plan which you have selected.
For T- mobile subscribers
T mobile offers the following parks for their subscribers.
- On every Tuesday, Magenta and Magenta Plus subscribers are eligible for freebies. It may include movie tickets at discounted prices or free food.
- For family unlimited plans, if any one of the family members is not using the full data, then T-mobile offers an account credit.
- T mobile offers a “digits program “, where you can use one number on multiple devices, and subscribers with two or more lines will get a free Netflix subscription.
For metro subscribers,
Metro offers limited perks compared to T-mobile. These parks are basically for data saving and not for luxury.
- Data maximizer feature streams the video at lower resolution to avoid overages of data.
- Free music streaming is offered on some limited plans.
Customer services
Even if metro PCS is using T-mobile’s network, both the network providers operate their customer services separately.
T- mobile provides better customer service support compared to Metro PCS. T-Mobile handles inquiries of customers using various means like; on phone, live chatting, and also using social media. Apart from this, the website of T-Mobile provides much useful information.
On the other hand customer service of metro PCS is lacking as they don’t provide online chat. The response on social media platforms is also at a slow rate.
Prerequisites for transferring the number from T-Mobile to Metro
To transfer the current phone number from T- mobile to Metro, the following prerequisites should be satisfied.
- Gather your current network account information that includes your account number, password or PIN, and Billing zip code.
- The current phone number must be active.
- If the phone number is deactive, then it must be activated again to transfer to Metro.
- The information for port-out requests sent by Metro must match with information already stored in the T-Mobile system.
What are the porting instructions?
If you want to switch from T-Mobile to Metro, initially you need to call T-Mobile customer service. Request them to release your phone number for port out. This is required to minimize the delays in the porting process.
How can you unlock an iPhone on T-Mobile?
- First, check whether you have satisfied all eligibility criteria.
- Then contact T-Mobile customer support to submit a form for unlocking your device.
- Once you unlock your Device, T-Mobile’s site provides a guide for using your phone with other network carriers.
- It depends on the manufacturer of your android phone. First, check whether you are connected to the internet or T- mobile network.
- Go to your setting App and follow the following steps on your device.
For Samsung phones
- Tap Connections
- Go to More Connection Settings
- Select the Unlock option.
For One Plus mobile
- First Tap Wi-Fi and internet
- Then select SIM and network
- Finally, select the Advanced option or Network Unlock option.
For LG phones
- First tap Network and internet.
- Then select Mobile networks.
- Finally, select the Network Unlock option and then click on select Continue.
For T-Mobile Revelry phone
- First tap the Network & Internet option
- Then go for Mobile network
- Finally, select the Advanced option and then the Network Unlock option.
An important step is that, on any device, select the Permanent Unlock option to unlock your phone and then restart the device.
How to get Unlocking code for T-Mobile’s android Device using Unlock app?
If you have T mobile’s Android 7 device or newer Device, you can request a code that will unlock your phone by using the Device Unlock app from T-Mobile. However, remember that this application works only on selected devices. This app is already installed on the T mobile phone.
Step to switch to Metro
- Check that your phone is unlocked and compatible with Metro.
- Select MetroPCS plan.
- Get the new SIM card and activate it.
- If you want to continue your existing phone number then inform the MetroPCS representative.
- Insert a new SIM card into your device.
Is there any initial cost to switch to Metro?
If you are switching to Metro from any other network carrier then initially you will need to pay $10 SIM card fees. Along with this, you will have to pay for the phone plan which you have selected for Metro.
Metro includes all taxes and fees in their monthly plan.
Below are other T-Mobile articles you may be interested in:
Is T-mobile better than MetroPCS?
Is T-mobile better than Sprint?
What is T-Mobile family where?
Conclusion:
This blog post addressed the topic, “Can I switch from T-Mobile to Metro”. We understood the major difference between T-Mobile and MetroPCS. This article outlined the detailed steps to switch to the Metro PCS.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Can I Switch from T-Mobile to Metro?
Is it worth switching from T-Mobile to Metro?
If you are keen about your budget and least bothered about network congestion, then you should give priority to the Metro PCS.
What are the key features of Metro?
- Many plans offered by the metro PCS are cheaper than corresponding T-Mobile plans.
- Availability of a large variety of plans at affordable prices.
- Some data-saving features prevent you from overages.
- Offers a variety of budget phones.
What are the porting instructions?
If you want to switch from T-Mobile to Metro, initially you need to call T-Mobile customer service. Request them to release your phone number for port out. This is required to minimize the delays in the porting process.
What are the eligibility criteria to unlock a T-Mobile phone?
One can unlock T-Mobile phone devices, provided that the following criteria are satisfied.
● The cell phone must have been purchased from T-Mobile.
● The cell phone should not be reported as blocked or lost.
● An account concerned with the Device must be active.
● Depending upon prepaid or postpaid plans, the Device should satisfy all necessary unlock requirements.
Is MetroPCS GSM or CDMA?
Metro PCS is owned by T-Mobile. It makes use of T-mobile’s network. Since T-Mobile is a GSM network carrier, Metro is also a GSM network carrier. This is an important factor because one can easily use a T-mobile sim card on Metro phones.
Will T- mobile phone work on Metro PCS?
Yes, T- mobile phone works on Metro PCS but the phone should be unlocked. Both Metro PCS and T-mobile use the same carrier.
References
Best Metro by T-Mobile phones
By Adam Ismail, Jordan Palmer published October 28, 2021
Will T-Mobile SIM Card Work In Metro PCS Phone?
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MetroPCS vs. T-Mobile: Which Is Best for You?
By Philip Michaels
7 Things to Know About Metro by T-Mobile Beth Marcinko | December 5th, 2020
Michael Timmermann | October 4th, 2019
Metro by T-Mobile: Everything you need to know By John Callaham
January 30, 2019