This is a very good question which demands a certain type of attention. As you know there are 4 major US Cell Phone Service providers: Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon. The order in which I wrote them doesn't determine who's better and who isn't.
When selecting a US carrier look for details such as:
1. Do they offer free equipment and it is really free or are there hidden costs you won't know about at signing time?
2. Do they truly provide what they advertise?
3. What is the overall customer satisfaction on each telcom provider?
4. What's described in their written contract? Truly you must read it to understand what you're getting into.
Once you've solved these questions you may proceed to the second part of selecting a carrier.
1. Do they provide unlimited minutes and SMS?
2. Do you get free features by signing up?
3. What kind of internet speed is it available to you
4. Will you get Netfilx or any other Internet content viewing if you sign up?
Answer these questions and make your choice.
Per my advise, Verizon has always been the best service provider not only for coverage and service but also for the features they offer. However, if you think about international roaming you must consider the king of all world communications, AT&T. If you travel much to Europe then go with T-Mobile as they are a European company but if you will stay in the US and not travel much to rural areas, you may want to stick with Verizon as your primary provider.
