What are my options for a phone plan and home internet as a newcomer?

The three national carriers and the many prepaid brands that use their networks all operate in Phoenix. Prepaid plans are paid monthly in advance, need only an ID and a card, and work from day one; postpaid plans usually run a credit check, which newcomers fail not because of bad credit but because they have none. A postpaid phone account is one of the first things that starts building a US credit history, which the consumer finance regulator explains in plain language [1].

For home internet the Phoenix area is mostly served by one cable company and one telephone-company fibre network, with fibre expanding neighbourhood by neighbourhood and wireless 5G home internet as an alternative where wiring is poor. Availability and speed are tied to the street address, so enter the address on each provider’s site before committing to a home, especially if you work remotely.

Our source library has no official telecom source, so this answer stays general. Read the contract terms (price after the promotional period, equipment fees, early-termination fees), and treat unsolicited door-to-door or phone offers with caution; the state Attorney General publishes consumer scam alerts [2].