Currently, the prepaid plans available directly from the big three don’t generally have the same price advantages or perks as with a subsidiary (e.g., Cricket Wireless for AT&T) or an independent MVNO. They still are treated like MVNOs, especially for prioritization, though on Verizon you can pay for the top-tier plan to get “premium” data—i.e., not as deprioritized. Largely, these are good options if you’d like more control over knowing your final bill while sticking with a company you know.