Why Haven’t You Switched to Republic Wireless Yet?

If you’ve heard of Republic Wireless, but haven’t made a switch for whatever reason, hopefully this post will give you a good enough run-down and help you see why making the switch is well worth it. If you haven’t heard of Republic Wireless yet, all I can say right now is you’re welcome, because you’re about to be introduced to something that can save you hundreds of dollars a year.

The first thing people tend to think when they hear Republic’s pitch are: “$25/month for unlimited talk, text and data? The service must be crappy.” Or “That sounds great, but I already have a contract with {insert ridiculously overpriced and overrated carrier here}.”

I first heard about Republic Wireless over a year ago and had both of thoughts run through my mind, immediately stopping any further consideration. It didn’t help that the best phone they had was kind of a piece of junk. But in November, they added the brand spanking new Moto X to their arsenal and I started to consider it more seriously.

I ended up switching to Republic just before Christmas and I’ve been impressed ever since.

The Why

Republic Wireless is poised to be a disruptor in the mobile telecommunications market. The main things that drew me to them were the low cost of the plans and the absence of a contract (along with its ridiculous fees, upgrade shenanigans, etc.) You can see the monthly plans below:

I started out with the $25/mo. plan, then ended switching to the $10/mo. plan, although my reasoning for doing so is a blog post in and of itself. They also subsidized the cost of the Moto X, which retailed at the time for $619. I only paid $299 for it. And even though I have the Wi-Fi data only plan, they allow you to switch your plan twice a month. So if I go on a road trip and need 3G service***, it’s just a swipe away.

The How

Alright, so that might sound great, but $25/mo. for unlimited everything just sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? It all boils down to Republic Wireless’ proprietary technology called Hybrid Calling.

Republic is the first carrier to create its own custom-built technology that basically inverts the network. Meaning, if you’re connected to Wi-Fi, not only is your data being run through it, but so are your calls and your texts. When you aren’t connected to Wi-Fi, or even if you move from a place you are connected to a place where you aren’t, the operating system switches to Sprint’s mobile network seamlessly. If you find yourself outside of Sprint’s coverage, your phone will automatically roam (free of charge) to Verizon towers.

Since most people are connected to Wi-Fi much of the time, this drastically decreases the costs Republic Wireless incurs from using Sprint and Verizon’s networks. They then pass those savings on to you.

Valid concerns

Of course, there are some of you who still have valid concerns with the idea of switching. There may be some of you who simply can’t afford the upfront cost of the Moto X, or your {insert ridiculously overpriced and overrated carrier here} contract comes with a hefty cancellation fee. You could also still be unsure about the strength of coverage.

Cost of the phone

A couple of weeks ago, I posted the following status on Facebook:

To answer any preliminary questions you may have, yes that profile pic is me photobombing while stuffing a giant piece of cake in my mouth. To answer the other question you might have, I also don’t know why more people didn’t like that status. I guess no one likes saving money. Or happiness, for that matter.

Anyway, one of the comments I received on that status stated the issue of not being able to afford $299 upfront for the phone. Well, you’re in for a real treat, aren’t you? Because Republic Wireless recently added yet another phone to their arsenal, the Moto G. The price on this bad boy is only $149 for an 8 GB phone, although you can upgrade to 16 GB for an extra $30, which I would highly recommend.

Of course that isn’t going to solve everyone’s concern regarding upfront cost, but it’s good to see they are aware of it and are providing solutions.

Contracts and Early Termination Fees

This is another valid concern that also rolls into the upfront charge issue. But don’t let that concern shut you down immediately. Run a quick analysis of what it would cost to stay on your current course vs. making the switch. All it takes is a two-column run-down in Excel of what you’d be paying each month with each carrier, along with what it would cost to pay the fees and buy the phone, as well as to sell your old phone.

When I did this four months ago, it came out to be about the same total cost either way, so I switched so I could a) stick it to Verizon and b) enjoy the beautiful freedom of not having a contract. Sure, the extra expenses in the beginning hurt, but now it feels so much better.

For some of you, switching may end up costing you just because your current contract’s early termination fee is ridiculously high. I’ll accept that reason for now, but don’t let it keep you complacent when your contract comes up and they’re wanting you to lock yourself in for another couple of years.

Strength of Coverage

After I posted that status above, I had a few friends reach out to me and ask me about Republic Wireless. One of their main concerns was the coverage issue. Obviously, I can’t answer for everyone, but luckily for you, they have this nifty little coverage checker where you can enter your address and see if they cover you there (and remember, roaming is free).

The only thing I have to add to that is that if I could get pretty darn good service in Arkansas, most of the rest of the country should be good to go 🙂

Make the Jump

The main point of this article is to wake you up to the fact that Republic Wireless offers a great opportunity to every single one of us to save money on something that is no longer considered a luxury. In my mind, it’s really a no-brainer.

Since I first started with Republic Wireless, I’ve “converted” five or six people to switch and every single one of them has been deliriously happy with their decision. It really is liberating to shrug off the shackles of contracts and high monthly costs.

So if you’re interested in checking it out, you can also just go to their website.

So what are your reasons for not making the jump?

***I ignored the 4G plan completely mainly because I don’t find it necessary. Although many of you fancypantsers might, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.