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Q: I need to use my USA prepaid in Canada. What are my options?
PagePlus Cellular PAYG
Boost Mobile iDEN
T-Mobile PAYG
eKit
TruPhone
Q: I only want to text. I don't plan to use much voice if at all. It seems
like a waste to get a regular plan and pay $60. Even if I get an add-on
plan it's likely at least $10 plus another $20 for text. What is the best deal
for me?
#2 - AT&T GoPhone Pay As You Go Prepaid. $5/200,
$10/1000, $20/unlimited. Good for 30 days. It's a pretty good deal for included
SMS and MMS. No extra data charges. Currently international text is included in
the packages. Texts will carry forward as long as you refill before the 30 day
expiration. Downside is that PAYG does not roam on many networks so check the
map! Also you have to call AT&T and renew over the phone which is annoying. AT&T
finally disabled the annoying service alert after every text if there is no
balance deducted (e.g. using text package).
Q: I only want to use data. Not a lot of options. Data is the future of wireless and the providers are not going to give away the farm. #1 - AT&T GoPhone Pay As You Go Prepaid. $5/1MB, $20/100MB. If you are not a data hog and do not stream or look at large HTML pages then this might work for you. Your balance will carry over if you refill before the expiration date but I understand you are limited to a 300MB account limit at one time. Best deal would be to get the $20 100MB package and then renew with the $5 package (assuming you do not use all of the data each month). If you have a device with WiFi this option is not bad. AT&T has been attempting to keep iPhones off of this plan so be warned if you are trying to use that.
#2 - T-Mobile To Go Prepaid. No data plan, but you can switch
to the Sidekick plan for $1/day which includes unlimited SMS and data. Voice is
15c. Downside: You need to set up your phone for data unless you actually have a
Sidekick. Also, you can switch only for the days you want to use it, but it's
not a good deal if you want to use it every day (and you have to remember to
switch plans when you don't want to use it). Limited roaming ability (typically
can not use the AT&T network). Looks like this loophole is closed.
Q: What are the different cellular technologies?
Questions to be answered as I get time: Brief History of Cellular in the US? What about Cellular in the rest of the world? How do I get started? Why do you want a cell phone? How do I choose a cellular service provider? How do I choose a cell phone? What's all this I hear about contracts and early termination fees? Why does it cost so much to upgrade my phone? I got one free when I signed up. What are your expectations for cellular service, and then we'll tell you how it really is! Why can't I use the same cell phone when going from one cell service to another? Can I use my cell phone in Canada? |
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