Compared to the earlier days of the internet, Yahoo isn't the most known or well-liked company around anymore. It's not even an independent business any longer, as it was bought by Verizon in 2017. That might be why it has decided it's time to create a mobile phone plan, which could help make it feel relevant again. The company is gearing up to launch Yahoo Mobile, a virtual network that relies on Verizon's infrastructure and gives you unlimited 4G data, texts, and calls for $40 a month. The website is currently only accessible via its URL; Google Search won't find it yet.

As usual, there's an asterisk attached to this "unlimited" promise. Like on any carrier, your connection will be slower in times of high congestion, and if you want to tether, you'll be limited to 5Mbits and one tethered device at a time. Outside of that, download speeds should range from 5-12 Mbps, and you can expect upload speeds of 2-5 Mbps. An international option is not available, but the plan can be canceled monthly if you're out of the country for a longer period of time. The service relies on Verizon's network, so be sure to check if your area is covered.

To sign up, a Yahoo account is mandatory, which is probably the biggest caveat. At least the company also throws in a free Yahoo Mail Pro subscription (worth $3.50 a month) that gives you 1,000GB of storage for your inbox.

Yahoo Mobile comes with an app that lets you view your balance and adjust your payment methods. You can also buy phones through the network, either right inside the app or on the website. Apart from the mail storage and the account requirement, the service pretty much feels like a rebranded version of Visible.

The question remains if you really want to put all of your mobile traffic in Yahoo's hands — the company experienced three big data breaches during the last decade, and it's unclear if it has become any better at protecting its users' data these days.

UPDATE: 2020/03/12 12:40am PDT BY MANUEL VONAU

Official

Yahoo and Verizon have officially launched Yahoo Mobile. You can sign up for it right now, if you want to.