A cell phone plan provider offers plans and services while the network enables the actual communication. Plan providers offer mobile phone plans and manage billing and customer support. They are responsible for supplying the cellular service. Networks, on the other hand, are the technical infrastructure that enables wireless communication. It consists of cell towers, base stations, and equipment that transmit and receive signals. When you choose a cell phone plan, you are subscribing to a provider's services, and they utilize the underlying cell phone network to deliver those services to your device.