The most expensive and cheapest phones are not worth it. Anything in between is good enough. For me at least prepaid phone plans are better than contract plans.

There is at least ONE exception in the US: Firstnet. They primarily use AT&T's towers, but they have some additional resources that other carriers don't have - they have additional towers and entire network bands that other carriers don't have access to. This allows us to still have coverage in natural disasters or network congestion times. In addition, if there's a natural disaster that knocks out coverage, they have satellite-based trucks that stage DURING the disaster, then come online as soon as it's over.

A few years ago, I had to ride out hurricane Ida in New Orleans (long story). The western eyewall passed directly over the house we were in, and the primary trunk lines coming into the city got destroyed by a cable tower that collapsed into the Mississippi. The next morning I had cell phone coverage when none of the other carriers had come back online yet. We didn't even have power, but my phone worked perfectly.

You have to be a first responder to join - you have to be added by your department's communications coordinator.

if with cell phones you mean the non-smart, dumb phones then I can agree. however if you buy the cheapest of smartphones, what you'll get is even more datamining than usual, which you may be even unable go remove because it's bootloader cannot be unlocked.
but I would say don't cheap out on tech generally, because you'll get extremely weak security and nonexistent respect towards you as a customer.

smartphones is a dirty business. don't support the bad actors with your many, and then long term with your data

Bell and Rogers actually don't share their towers in Canada.

I believe what you say about networks using each other’s towers is incorrect for a large portion of the world. Where do you live?

Redpocket is really cheap if you guys want some prepaid plans