Who Owns Boost Mobile, And Is The Wireless Service Any Good?

Boost Mobile (and its sister company Boost Infinite) are prepaid and postpaid carriers that are owned by Dish Network. Boost used to be owned by Spring, but that all changed when T-Mobile bought out the wireless provider in 2020 and sold it to Dish Network, which then split it off into Boost Mobile and Boost Infinite. Much like Visible and MetroPCS, it's an affordable option for those on a budget.

While Dish Network has a 5G network of its own that reaches over 246 million Americans, Boost piggybacks off of T-Mobile and AT&T networks. It's what is known as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). While the wireless service might be compatible with two different networks, it does promise a stable, uninterrupted connection when Wi-Fi access isn't available.

Boost Infinite offers various plans that can be paid for month-to-month or annually. These days, Boost Infinite is even offered through Amazon to those with Prime accounts. While Boost doesn't offer one of the five best unlimited cell phone plans in 2024, it might still be worth checking out.

Boost offers limited and unlimited plans that start as low as $15 a month, but prices can change depending on the different add-ons you choose to include. Its $15 plan provides users with unlimited talk and text and includes a mobile hotspot that caps out 5G/4G data at 5GB. On the other hand, its most expensive plan ($40 a month) gives users unlimited mobile data, unlimited talk and texting, and a 12GB hotspot.

The reviews for Boost on ConsumerAffairs are overwhelmingly negative. Only 5% of reviewers rate the carrier the maximum 5 stars, while 86% fall in the 1-star category. Many of the negative reviews refer to the company's poor customer service. Many of them also say service was better before Dish Network owned the carrier. Over on Amazon, however, 51% of people who purchased the Boost Infinite Sim card for $25 gave the service 5-star ratings, while 31% rated it one star. One user noted that they were unable to call using Wi-Fi and that customer service was unable to help them when they called. "First impression is not good," they wrote. "I'm not sure how long I'm going to stay, if I do continue past my initial 30 days."

However, remember that online reviews often skew negative because the majority of consumers only leave a review for a product or service when something undesirable happens. On the other hand, people rarely share their thoughts unprompted when a service or provider performs well. With that in mind, if negative user reviews don't dissuade you, check out Boost Mobile's coverage maps to see what coverage looks like in your area.