Technologies

Google Fi, Mint Mobile, Xfinity Mobile, Visible: Which Wireless Networks Do Smaller Providers Use?

Smaller wireless carriers often use more popular networks.

When it comes to picking a wireless provider, there are plenty of options beyond AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon. Your cable provider — particularly if you have Optimum, Comcast’s Xfinity or Charter’s Spectrum — has likely tried to get you to move to their mobile service over the last year. You also have smaller players like Mint Mobile, Visible, Boost Mobile and others.

Here’s the not-so-secret twist: These providers don’t actually run their own cellular networks, for the most part. Instead, most are what’s called MVNOs, which stands for mobile virtual network operators. They partner with the larger carriers and piggyback on their networks. Let’s break down who is partnered with whom and if features like 5G are included.

Mint Mobile uses T-Mobile

Sarah Tew/CNET

Ryan Reynolds’ cell carrier is actually using T-Mobile’s service for its network.

Is 5G included? Mint has access to T-Mobile’s 5G network and like T-Mobile, Mint also includes 5G access with all plans so long as you have a 5G phone.

Google Fi uses T-Mobile

Sarah Tew/CNET

Google’s mobile phone service uses an amalgamation of different networks to provide service. Post T-Mobile’s merger with Sprint, the group of three networks dropped to just T-Mobile and US Cellular. Now the carrier seems set to drop US Cellular and will rely mainly on T-Mobile for service.

Is 5G included? 5G is included with all Fi plans, but you will need to make sure your phone works with T-Mobile’s 5G network. At the moment that list includes a variety of Android phones, namely recent Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel devices as well as some Motorola phones. Google Fi still does not allow the iPhone to access 5G on its network.

Visible uses Verizon

Sarah Tew/CNET

Visible is a sub-brand of Verizon and, as such, runs on its network.

Is 5G included? Visible plans include access to Verizon’s 5G network. This includes Verizon’s low-band nationwide network as well as its fastest millimeter-wave service that is available in parts of certain cities. Speeds, even when on the faster flavor of 5G, are capped at 200Mbps.

Boost Mobile uses AT&T, T-Mobile and Dish

boost mobile and dish wireless logos on phones — Sarah Tew/CNET

Boost Mobile, which was spun off to Dish by Sprint as part of the T-Mobile/Sprint merger, runs on AT&T’s and T-Mobile’s networks. Dish is in the process of building out its own 5G network and will begin transitioning users in those areas to its service as it becomes available.

The first city, Las Vegas, is now live, and last May the company listed 100 additional cities that it planned to expand to. As part of the merger, Dish was granted the ability to continue using T-Mobile’s network for seven years as it builds out its own network.

While T-Mobile was expected to be the roaming network, in 2021 Dish announced a new deal with AT&T that will let it roam on the latter’s wireless network for 10 years. Although it will still be able to tap into T-Mobile for part of this time, expect to use a combination AT&T, T-Mobile and Dish’s own network going forward.

Is 5G included? Boost does not charge extra for accessing 5G.

US Mobile uses T-Mobile and Verizon

us mobile tmobile and verizon logos on phones — Sarah Tew/CNET

US Mobile, a newer player in the wireless game, uses a combination of T-Mobile and Verizon.

Is 5G included? US Mobile includes 5G with all of its plans, though whether you are connecting to Verizon or T-Mobile isn’t as simple as an option like Google Fi. Whereas that service will automatically switch you to whichever network has the best coverage, US Mobile actually has two different SIM cards: the black SIM card is for Verizon (what the company calls Warp 5G), while the white SIM card is for T-Mobile (which the company calls GSM).

The Warp 5G network the carrier is pushing uses Verizon’s network.

Spectrum Mobile uses Verizon

Sarah Tew/CNET

Charter’s Spectrum Mobile uses Verizon’s network for its coverage.

Is 5G included? Spectrum Mobile includes access to Verizon’s 5G networks. Data speeds aren’t capped but, per the company’s disclosures, your data may be slowed in busy areas with a lot of network congestion. The company states once the congestion «lessens,» however, «your speed will return to normal.»

Xfinity Mobile uses Verizon

xfinity mobile and verizon logos on phones — Sarah Tew/CNET

Comcast’s Xfinity Mobile uses Verizon’s network for its coverage.

Is 5G included? Like Spectrum Mobile, Comcast’s offering has access to Verizon’s 5G networks. As with that service, data speeds aren’t capped but Comcast notes in its disclosure that in busy areas where Verizon’s network may be congested, Xfinity Mobile customers may see their data slowed until the congestion clears.

Optimum Mobile (formerly Altice) uses T-Mobile

Sarah Tew/CNET

Optimum Mobile (once known as Altice Mobile), which is offered to Optimum and Suddenlink users, uses T-Mobile’s network.

Is 5G included? Optimum Mobile includes 5G with all of its plans, though if you go over your monthly data limit for its 1GB or 3GB plans you will be «reduced to 2G speeds» for the remainder of your billing cycle. If you have the company’s «Unlimited» or «Unlimited Max» plans your data will slow to «3G speeds» after 20GB or 50GB is used, respectively.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Feb. 18, #513

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Feb. 18, No. 513.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition has a fun yellow category that might just start you singing. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: I don’t care if I never get back.

Green group hint: Get that gold medal.

Blue group hint: Hoops superstar.

Purple group hint: Not front, but…

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Heard in «Take Me Out to the Ball Game.»

Green group: Olympic snowboarding events.

Blue group: Vince Carter, informally.

Purple group: ____ back.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is heard in «Take Me Out to the Ball Game.» The four answers are Cracker Jack, home team, old ball game and peanuts.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is Olympic snowboarding events. The four answers are big air, giant slalom, halfpipe and slopestyle.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is Vince Carter, informally. The four answers are Air Canada, Half-Man, Half-Amazing, VC and Vinsanity.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ back. The four answers are diamond, drop, quarter and razor.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, Feb. 18

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Feb. 18.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s Mini Crossword is a fun one, and it’s not terribly tough. It helps if you know a certain Olympian. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: ___ Glenn, Olympic figure skater who’s a three-time U.S. national champion
Answer: AMBER

6A clue: Popcorn size that might come in a bucket
Answer: LARGE

7A clue: Lies and the Lying ___ Who Tell Them» (Al Franken book)
Answer: LIARS

8A clue: Close-up map
Answer: INSET

9A clue: Prepares a home for a new baby
Answer: NESTS

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Bold poker declaration
Answer: ALLIN

2D clue: Only U.S. state with a one-syllable name
Answer: MAINE

3D clue: Orchestra section with trumpets and horns
Answer: BRASS

4D clue: «Great» or «Snowy» wading bird
Answer: EGRET

5D clue: Some sheet music squiggles
Answer: RESTS

Technologies

The Witcher 3, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Bring the Heat to Xbox Game Pass

Two amazing games will be available soon for Xbox Game Pass subscribers.

The second half of February and early March could be considered one of the best stretches in recent memory for Xbox Game Pass subscribers. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, widely regarded as one of the best games of the past decade, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 headline a lineup that leans heavily into sprawling, choice-driven adventures but does throw in some football to mix things up a bit.

Xbox Game Pass offers hundreds of games you can play on your Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, smart TV, PC or mobile device, with prices starting at $10 a month. While all Game Pass tiers offer you a library of games, Game Pass Ultimate ($30 a month) gives you access to the most games, as well as Day 1 games, meaning they hit Game Pass the day they go on sale.

Here are all the latest games subscribers can play on Game Pass. You can also check out other games the company added to the service in early February, including Madden NFL 26.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition

Available on Feb. 19 for Game Pass Ultimate and Premium Game Pass subscribers.

The Witcher 3 came out 10 years ago, and it’s still being praised as one of the best games ever made. To celebrate, developer CD Projekt Red is bringing over The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition to Xbox Game Pass. Subscribers will be able to play The Witcher 3 and its expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine. Players once more take on the role of monster-slayer Geralt, who goes on an epic search for his daughter, Ciri. As he pieces together what happened to her, he comes across vicious monsters, devious spirits, and the most evil of humans who seek to end his quest.

Death Howl

Available on Feb. 19 for Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass subscribers.

Death Howl is a dark fantasy tactical roguelike that blends turn-based grid combat with deck-building mechanics. Players move across compact battlefield maps, weighing positioning and card synergies to survive increasingly difficult encounters. Progression comes through incremental upgrades that reshape each run. Battles reward careful planning, as overextending or mismanaging your hand can quickly end a run.

EA Sports College Football 26

Available on Feb. 19 for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers.

EA Sports College Football 26 delivers a new take on college football gameplay with enhanced offensive and defensive mechanics, smarter AI and dynamic play-calling that reflects real strategic football systems. Featuring over 2,800 plays and more than 300 real-world coaches with distinct schemes, it offers expanded Dynasty and Road to Glory modes where team building and personnel decisions matter. On the field, dynamic substitutions, improved blocking and coverage logic make matches feel more fluid and tactical.

Dice A Million

Available on Feb. 25 for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers.

Dice A Million centers on rolling and managing dice to build toward increasingly higher scores. Each round asks players to weigh risk against reward, deciding when to bank points and when to push for bigger combinations. Progression introduces modifiers and new rules that subtly shift probabilities, making runs feel distinct while keeping the core loop focused on calculated gambling.

Towerborne

Available on Feb. 26 for Game Pass Ultimate, PC, and Premium Game Pass subscribers.

After months in preview, Towerborne will get its full release on Xbox Game Pass. The fast-paced action game blends procedural dungeons and light RPG progression, with players fighting through waves of enemies. You’ll unlock permanent upgrades between runs and equip weapons, spells and talents that change how combat feels each time. The core loop pushes risk versus reward as you dive deeper into tougher floors, adapting builds on the fly, and mastering movement and timing to survive increasingly chaotic battles.

Final Fantasy 3

Available on March 3 for Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and PC Game Pass subscribers.

Another Final Fantasy game is coming to Xbox Game Pass. This time, it’s Final Fantasy 3, originally released on the Famicom (the Japanese version of the NES) back in 1990. Since then, Final Fantasy 3 has been ported to a slew of devices and operating systems, including the Nintendo Wii, iOS and Android. Now, you’ll be able to play on your Xbox or PC with a Game Pass subscription. A new group of heroes is once again tasked with saving the world before it’s covered in darkness. Four orphans from the village of Ur find a Crystal of Light in a secret cave, which tasks them as the new Warriors of Light. They’ll have to stop Xande, an evil wizard looking to use the power of darkness to become immortal.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

Available on March 3 for Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and PC Game Pass subscribers.

Last year was stacked with amazing games, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 was one of the best. Developer Warhorse Studios’ RPG series takes place in the real medieval kingdom of Bohemia, which is now the Czech Republic, and tasks players with a somewhat realistic gaming experience where you have to use the weapons, armor and items from those times. The sequel picks up right after the first game (also on Xbox Game Pass) as Henry of Skalitz is attacked by bandits, which starts a series of events that disrupts the entire country.

Games leaving Game Pass in February

For February, Microsoft is removing four games. If you’re still playing them, now’s a good time to finish up what you can before they’re gone for good on Feb. 28.

For more on Xbox, discover other games available on Game Pass now, and check out our hands-on review of the gaming service. You can also learn about recent changes to Game Pass.