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Stock photo of major US carriers Verizon Wireless, AT&T, and T Mobile (5)

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

While limited data plans still exist, unlimited plans have become much more prevalent in the US market over the last decade or so. Unfortunately, not all unlimited data plans are created equal. Many carriers only provide so much high-speed data before the line is slowed down in priority or even capped at a slower speed that ranges from unnoticeable to unusable. The most common limit you’ll find is on streaming quality, with many services limiting the quality to just SD (480p.)

Are there any US mobile plans that offer no streaming throttle, or at least all give you the option to adjust your quality settings? Yes, actually, there are several options on both the postpaid and prepaid side of the market.

All of the big three networks offer higher-quality streaming options

Even though the big three carriers typically stick to SD streaming for many of their plans, there are a few exceptions at the higher end of the scale:

Verizon Unlimited Ultimate offers up to 4K resolution on 5G UW, though it limits streaming to HD (1080p) when connected to LTE or its standard 5G network.
Verizon Unlimited Plus offers HD (720p) streaming by default, with up to 4K available when on 5G UW.
AT&T Unlimited Premium PL offers completely unthrottled streaming across its entire 4G LTE and 5G network.
T-Mobile Go5G Plus and Go5G Next both offer 4K UHD streaming.
T-Mobile Go5G defaults to SD but has an HD (720p) option that can be activated in media settings.

There are a few prepaid options that give you better streaming quality options

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

While many prepaid providers cap streaming at SD quality, there are certainly several exceptions:

AT&T Prepaid Max and Unlimited Plus Max allow you to disable video throttling completely, enabling 4K streaming.
Metro by T-Mobile offers an HD video upgrade for $10 per month, available for many plans, including all three of its unlimited plans.
Cricket allows you to disable video management to remove throttling, though streaming defaults to 480p until manually adjusted.
Xfinity Mobile Unlimited Plus supports HD streaming by default.
Visible limits video streaming to 2.1Mbps, which is typically sufficient for 720p.
All T-Mobile Prepaid plans are capped at no lower than 2.5Mbps, enough for 720p streaming.

While there are a few other options, like MobileX, that offer higher-than-SD streaming on the prepaid side, most are limited data plans. In most cases, streaming above SD quality isn’t ideal, as it can quickly deplete your data.

A VPN may work as well, but that’s a gray area at best

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

ExpressVPN

If your carrier doesn’t support higher streaming rates over cellular data, a VPN may be an option. For those unfamiliar, a VPN (Virtual Private Network) is primarily designed for internet privacy, but it can also let you do things like change the region that streaming services and websites think you’re in. Additionally, it can sometimes bypass carrier-imposed streaming restrictions.

Before signing up for a VPN, be aware that this falls into a gray area at best. Even if you bypass your carrier’s streaming quality restrictions, not all VPNs work equally well. Some may struggle with certain streaming services, leading to connection issues.

Using a VPN can also slow down your internet speeds, which may impact your ability to stream videos smoothly. In most cases, we recommend using an official carrier-supported option from the list above rather than relying on a VPN, as this reduces the risk of compatibility issues with your carrier or streaming service.

If you do decide to go down the VPN route our top recommendation would be ExpressVPN, though NordVPN is also a great alternative.

Here’s what I recommend based on my own experience

While I ran through all the options above, you might be curious about my take on the best choice. The best network for streaming will largely depend on where you live and work, but here’s a quick look at my recommendations across the three major carriers:

Verizon: Those who need Verizon’s network will find Verizon Unlimited Unlimited Plus or Ultimate offer up to 4K on 5G UW, though on 4G you’ll get just SD and HD, respectively. If you’re looking to save money, Visible (Basic or Plus) limits video streaming to 2.1Mbps, which can support up to 720p.
AT&T: If you’re looking for higher streaming quality on a budget on Big Blue’s network, you should consider AT&T Prepaid Unlimited Max, as you can disable the throttle completely, and you actually get a decent amount of data to begin with. For postpaid users, AT&T Unlimited Premium PL is the only plan that offers higher resolutions without restrictions.
T-Mobile: Customers seeking higher streaming quality will find both prepaid and postpaid plans directly from T-Mobile. Both T-Mobile Prepaid Unlimited and Unlimited Plus offer the option of 720p HD, but there are several postpaid options that allow 4K streaming. Go5G has the option to switch to 720p within the app, while Go5G Plus and Go5G Next offer UHD streaming.

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All of the big three networks offer higher-quality streaming options

There are a few prepaid options that give you better streaming quality options

A VPN may work as well, but that’s a gray area at best

Here’s what I recommend based on my own experience