[Hidden-tech] Verizon contract v. pre-pay v. MVNO

[Jonathon Podolsky]

Dear HT,

I have heard from salespeople at three different stores that cell phone
companies give top priority for calls on their towers to their own contract
customers first, then to pay as you go customers that pay through them, and
lastly to pay as you go customers who go through third parties (MVNO) like
Straight Talk etc. Some of the Straight Talk phones use the Verizon network
(it states this on the package) so it might be a good deal, but I want to
make sure it doesn't get a lower level of service if the tower is busy.
(Also apparently Straight Talk doesn't allow tethering nor international
roaming but can switch sim cards to use foreign carries I believe). A
friend of mind in the industry thinks it is not legal to give access
priority to different levels of customers (pre-pay vs post-pay, or MVNO),
and government preemption is generally in time of crisis only. Does anyone
have further knowledge on whether or not cell phone carriers can provide
different levels of priority for use of their towers?

Best,
Jonathon
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