MVNO QCI Level & Priority Data Lookup Tool

An MVNO QCI lookup answers the question prepaid shoppers actually mean when they Google "qci levels" or "what is qci": where does my plan sit in the deprioritization queue when Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile towers fill up? QoS Class Identifier (QCI)—and the 5G sibling 5QI—label how aggressively the radio scheduler defends your data bearer during congestion. Lower QCI numbers mean higher priority; they are not a permanent speed cap and rarely appear on your bill.

Use the searchable database below to filter 25+ US MVNO plan tiers by brand, host network, and evidence type. As of August 13, 2026, only US Mobile publishes explicit plan-to-QCI integers; everyone else must be read through "may be slower when busy" policy language or field inference we tag clearly so you do not mistake Reddit folklore for carrier specs.

Interactive MVNO QCI database

Click any row to expand congestion notes, throttle thresholds, and primary sources. The same widget lives at /tools/mvno-qci-lookup for bookmarking.

Stat: On 3GPP non-GBR LTE data bearers, QCI 6 uses scheduler priority level 6 versus QCI 9 at level 9—the same 300 ms packet delay budget class, but lower numbers win airtime when the sector saturates. Source: ETSI TS 123.203, accessed August 13, 2026.

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How we built this lookup (methodology)

Declared inline: Between May 13 and August 13, 2026, Network Scrutiny compiled N=26 consumer MVNO plan rows from (a) carrier-published QCI maps (US Mobile), (b) official plan and network-management PDFs (Mint, Visible, Google Fi, Cricket), and (c) field inference from our June 2026 T-Mobile MVNO congestion test, MobileX QCI review, and independent QCI lists (Coverage Critic, Broadband Map) where carriers stay silent.

Each row carries an evidence tag:

Tag	Meaning	Example in this database
Published	MVNO or host names the QoS class	US Mobile Warp Premium = QCI 8
Policy	Official slowdown / premium language, no integer	Visible base = "may be slower when busy"
Inference	Field tools or secondary lists—not carrier certified	Mint unlimited ≈ QCI 7 on T-Mobile

Where I'm less sure: AT&T-hosted MVNOs beyond US Mobile still rely heavily on inference—Cricket Supreme ≈ QCI 8 is plausible in May 2026 field notes but not a Cricket PDF. Your mileage will vary depending on wholesale contract updates that never hit a press release.

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Original research: host-network QCI snapshot (August 2026)

Declared inline: The table behind the lookup widget is publishable as a mini-dataset. Counts below reflect the August 13, 2026 cut of MVNO_QCI_ROWS—not every US reseller, but every major host-network cluster our readers shop.

Host network	Rows in lookup	Published QCI integers	Typical consumer range (inference + policy)
Verizon	10	2 (US Mobile Warp)	QCI 8 premium · QCI 9 budget
AT&T	5	2 (US Mobile Dark Star)	QCI 8 upper prepaid · QCI 9 entry
T-Mobile	7	1 (US Mobile Light Speed = 7)	QCI 7 wholesale MVNOs · 6 Fi Plus inference
Multi-network	4	0	Path-dependent (Google Fi, Consumer Cellular)

Dataset (Schema.org):

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Dataset",
  "name": "US MVNO QCI level and priority lookup — August 2026",
  "description": "Searchable index of 26 US MVNO plan tiers with QCI labels, host networks, throttle rules, and Published/Policy/Inference evidence tags, as of August 13, 2026.",
  "creator": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Network Scrutiny" },
  "datePublished": "2026-08-13",
  "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "isAccessibleForFree": true,
  "url": "https://networkscrutiny.com/guides/mvno-qci-lookup-tool/#dataset",
  "inLanguage": "en-US"
}

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Reading QCI labels by host network

QoS Class Identifier (QCI) is standardized in 3GPP, but US host operators map retail SKUs differently. The lookup always shows host + QCI together because QCI 8 on Verizon (Warp) is not interchangeable with QCI 8 on AT&T (Dark Star) in every metro—US Mobile's own explainer warns that identical integers can feel different across hosts.

Verizon-hosted MVNOs

MVNO / tier	QCI (lookup)	Evidence	Throttle note
US Mobile Warp Premium	8	Published	Hotspot caps per plan page
Visible base	9 (inferred)	Policy	SD streaming; slower-when-busy disclosure
Visible+	8 (inferred)	Policy	"No slowdowns due to prioritization"
MobileX Gold	8	Inference	On-demand priority in app
MobileX standard	9	Inference	Gold required for QCI 8

Taken position: For documented Verizon QCI 8, US Mobile Warp Premium is the clearest pick. For lowest-friction premium-data marketing, Visible+ at $35/mo list (August 13, 2026) is the default—see Total vs Visible+ vs Warp. Choose MobileX Gold only when your month is mostly Wi-Fi and you want pay-per-GB with occasional priority bursts.

AT&T-hosted MVNOs

MVNO / tier	QCI (lookup)	Evidence	Throttle note
US Mobile Dark Star Premium	8	Published	Premium unlimited framing
Cricket Select/Smart	9 (inferred)	Policy	Temporary slowdowns when network busy
Cricket Supreme	8 (inferred)	Inference	Upper-tier premium data marketing

Anecdotally, Cricket Supreme buyers in Phoenix and Dallas report less rush-hour pain than Select—but the data here is thin; based on N=12 paired sessions in our AT&T MVNO QCI guide, not a Cricket QCI certificate.

T-Mobile-hosted MVNOs

MVNO / tier	QCI (lookup)	Evidence	Throttle note
US Mobile Light Speed	7	Published	All Light Speed SKUs
Mint unlimited	7 (inferred)	Policy	>50 GB/mo heavy-user deprioritization
Metro BYOD	7 (inferred)	Inference	First-party prepaid; modest congestion edge
Google Fi Unlimited Plus	6 (inferred)	Inference	Multi-network; T-Mobile bearer

Taken position: Mint wins on price per line for Wi-Fi-heavy households; Google Fi Unlimited Plus is rational when you need QCI 6 inference plus international bundles—see T-Mobile legacy migration MVNO exits if you are fleeing forced Experience repricing.

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Worked example: Denise, Chicago Loop commuter (Visible base)

Denise pays $25/mo list for Visible base on an iPhone 15 (August 2026). She cannot read QCI in iOS. Our lookup maps Visible base to QCI 9 (inferred) with Policy evidence—aligned with Visible's "may be temporarily slower than other traffic" disclosure checked August 13, 2026.

Denise's partner carries Verizon postpaid on the same Ogilvie platform at 6:15 PM weekdays (N=8 sessions, July 2026). Denise logs 5–12 Mbps downstream; her partner holds 42–71 Mbps with comparable 5G UWB icons and RSRP within 5 dB. Off-peak Saturday, Denise hits 95–130 Mbps—ruling out pure coverage failure.

Denise never sees "QCI 9" on screen, but the pattern is capacity-limited, priority-sensitive behavior. Upgrading to Visible+ is rational only if that pain repeats ≥4 weeks—not because of one bad Ookla run.

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Worked example: Raj, dual-SIM Pixel owner (Mint + US Mobile Warp)

Raj keeps Mint Mobile unlimited on SIM2 and US Mobile Warp Premium on eSIM for work uploads (Pixel 8, Austin, August 2026). At *#*#4636#*#*, Mint's LTE bearer reads QCI 7; Warp reads QCI 8 on the same PCI outside Q2 Stadium after an Austin FC match (10:45 PM egress).

Raj's Mint line shows 4–11 Mbps; Warp holds 28–44 Mbps for cloud backup uploads. The lookup predicted the split—Published QCI 8 on Warp versus inferred QCI 7 on Mint—before Raj ever opened engineering mode. He keeps Mint for the $30/mo home line and Warp for match nights; the template is lookup hypothesis → on-device confirm → congestion proof.

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Steel-man: "QCI lookup is nerd fiction—just pick the cheapest unlimited"

The skeptic's best case is strong. Most Americans use Wi-Fi at home and work, hit empty mid-band towers, and never notice QCI 7 vs QCI 9. Mint's October 28, 2025 policy already punishes >50 GB/mo heavy users—a separate lever a QCI integer will not surface on a bill. Carriers avoid printing QCI because queue position is invisible until the cell fills; for retirees in rural Verizon coverage with one bar of LTE B13, paying for QCI 8 is wasted money when RSRP dominates.

Rebuttal: If you are a stadium commuter, gig driver refreshing dispatch at 5 PM downtown, or an MVNO shopper choosing between Visible base and Visible+, the lookup compresses hours of forum scrolling into a filterable table with sources. A single speed test cannot prove deprioritization; six triplicate peak-window sessions at a fixed PCI can—and the lookup tells you which tier to test first.

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Decision flow: lookup → verify → upgrade (or don't)

Start → Search your MVNO in the lookup widget
  ├─ Published QCI row? → Trust plan mapping; still test worst venue once
  ├─ Policy / Inference row? → Treat as hypothesis
  │     └─ Android engineering menu? → Read integer + PCI + band
  │     └─ iPhone only? → Peak-hour A/B with reference line
  └─ Recurring capacity-limited pain at QCI 9?
        ├─ Yes → Compare premium tier in lookup (QCI 8 path)
        └─ No → Save money; QCI insurance unused

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Pros / cons: QCI lookup vs static master list

Approach	Pros	Cons
This interactive lookup	Search + host filter; expandable throttle rules; evidence tags	Not exhaustive of every regional reseller
MVNO QCI master list	Narrative context per host cluster; good for first-time readers	No live search; fewer granular plan tiers
On-device QCI read	Live bearer integer	OEM-dependent; iPhone cannot; one moment in time

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Verdict

For US MVNO shoppers, this QCI lookup is the fastest way to compare deprioritization tiers before you port—search your brand, read the evidence tag, and expand the row for throttle rules that QCI alone will not explain. US Mobile remains the only major brand with Published integers across three hosts; treat every other row as Policy or Inference until your phone or a congestion test agrees.

Take a position: If your lookup row maps to QCI 9 (inferred) and N≥4 peak sessions at your worst location show capacity-limited pain, paying for a QCI 8 tier (Visible+, US Mobile Premium, MobileX Gold) is rational. If off-peak and peak speeds overlap and you stay under heavy-user thresholds, do not upgrade for QCI insurance—you are buying queue position you never use.

Pair this tool with how to check QCI level for on-device proof and MVNO QCI levels explained for the conceptual frame.

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Disclaimer

Network Scrutiny does not have carrier-insider access to live PCRF provisioning. QCI and 5QI mappings can change with wholesale updates, firmware, and plan SKU moves. Pricing and policy language cited here were checked on August 13, 2026 (Visible, Google Fi) and October 28, 2025 (Mint network management). Confirm current terms on carrier sites before you port. This is independent research guidance, not legal or financial advice.