Travelling to the US

[Rich_D]

Going to the US for 3 weeks in Sept. Looking at Bell's roaming rate plans, would it not be cheaper just to get a prepaid sim card from one of the US cellular Companies?

My tablet is unlocked but my phone is not, but I could get by on text messaging instead of phone calls but would like the data for Google maps and some web browsing while we are there. Although it would be easy to unlock the phone as well I guess.

Any thoughts or Expierences?

[win-star]

it's be cheaper if you buy a us sim and install it into your tablet. There are prepaid data+voice package you can get.

[dlseeker]

If you don't use a lot of data getting a Wind prepaid plan with the $5.00 US roaming add on may be an option. You can forward your calls to it and it will cost you 10 cents pm for roaming calls, and calls back to Canada, free inbound text and $.50 per MB for data and you can roam on both T Mobile & ATT. European roaming with Wind is also extremely cheap with a currently free monthly add on.

If you use a lot of data then a local sim may make more sense.

[djemzine]

I'm in the US till Friday and have been here since Saturday. I just paid $15 for unlimited sms and calls. It's $2 per day with AT&T.

Data is $25 for 1GB I think.

So I'm sure you can find a local prepaid sim card. The Mobile has one with unlimited data up to 200MB on 4G then drops to 2G speeds after.

[Pavel]

There are a lot of prepaids in the USA and for me, it's quite confusing. Fortuntely, if I need data or the use of a phone, I suck-it-up until I find a McDonalds, Barnes and Noble, or Starbucks that have free wifi.

[shushwap]

Have a look at straight talk..... They use Att... https://www.straighttalk.com/secure/ServicePlans

[mannyb]

I'm in the US till Friday and have been here since Saturday. I just paid $15 for unlimited sms and calls. It's $2 per day with AT&T.

Data is $25 for 1GB I think. I use my AT&T GO Phone prepaid whenever I'm in the states.

[djemzine]

Have a look at straight talk..... They use Att... https://www.straighttalk.com/secure/ServicePlans

Never heard of this, need to compare this with Roam Mobility as I know with Roam, your US # never expires if used at least once a year, so basically you have it for a year. With the $45 plan with Straight talk, its unlimited everything and for a month BUT how long is the US # valid for if I go back to the US say after a month or two?

[Rich_D]

Have a look at straight talk..... They use Att... https://www.straighttalk.com/secure/ServicePlans

Guessing that my Galaxy Rugby 5690M will be compatible with their system but not sure of my galaxy tablet. If my tab is compatible then I could just get the sim card and use the data for browse and the voice for text only.

From Straighttalk:

Please choose the type of phone you have:

Phone is a CDMA (i.e. Verizon, Sprint, Metro PCS), TracFone, SafeLink, NET10, Straight Talk or BlackBerry Unlocked GSM Phone (Phone must operate in 850 and 1900 MHz bands) AT&T Compatible Phone T-Mobile Compatible Phone

From gsmarena on the 5690:

GENERAL
2G NetworkGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G NetworkHSDPA 900 / 2100

Might be worth the $40 to unlock it.

[shushwap]

Never heard of this, need to compare this with Roam Mobility as I know with Roam, your US # never expires if used at least once a year, so basically you have it for a year. With the $45 plan with Straight talk, its unlimited everything and for a month BUT how long is the US # valid for if I go back to the US say after a month or two?

Have a look over at Hofo... All your answers are over there http://www.howardforums.com/forumdisplay.php/551-Straight-Talk

[Rich_D]

Bought one of the Telus refurbished SGS2X's today so I will unlock it and use it with the straighttalk when I get into the US. Would rather leave my company phone locked to bell.

Thanks for the info shuswap.

I assume you are just down the road from me. (Kamloops)

[shushwap]

Bought one of the Telus refurbished SGS2X's today so I will unlock it and use it with the straighttalk when I get into the US. Would rather leave my company phone locked to bell.

Thanks for the info shuswap.

I assume you are just down the road from me. (Kamloops)Not to far away at all.... I have the same phone... You can use it with Tmobile as well... I have used mine in the states a few times with both Att and Tmobile...
I used these guys to Unlock my phone http://www.mobileincanada.com/How-To-Unlock-Your-Cellphone
The Tmobile daily plans are great for short trips in the USA... http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/pay-by-the-day-cell-phone-plans
Set up a google voice account once you are down there as well... Allows you to call back to Canada without LD charges

[Rich_D]

Not to far away at all.... I have the same phone... You can use it with Tmobile as well... I have used mine in the states a few times with both Att and Tmobile...
I used these guys to Unlock my phone http://www.mobileincanada.com/How-To-Unlock-Your-Cellphone
The Tmobile daily plans are great for short trips in the USA... http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/pay-by-the-day-cell-phone-plans
Set up a google voice account once you are down there as well... Allows you to call back to Canada without LD charges

Awesome to know. Thanks for the tips.

Much difference between Tmo and ATT as far as reliability and/or Coverage?

[shushwap]

It all depends on where you go.... I have only ever used it on the west coast... Seattle... Nevada... Arizona... Heading to southern Cali in a couple of weeks... I am going to use Tmobile and the wife will try out att... See if there is any real difference between the two on the drive down... Just check the coverage area for where ever you are going... They say Att is really congested in San fran... With Speakout you can get a Att or Tmobile sim... Not sure how it works on what one you get...

[Rich_D]

Will be in and around Raton NM and looks like ATT coverage all the way down through WA, Montana , Colorado etc so might just try ATT.

[shushwap]

Let us know how it worked for you...

[Rich_D]

Let us know how it worked for you...

Ditto ;-)

[l69norm]

Note that there are seperate coverage maps for PAYG vs. regular monthly paid coverage for both ATT and TM. Its not like Roger/Bell/Telus where PAYG= regular monthly for all of Canada. There can be big differences in coverage depending on where you are going.

Make sure you check the right maps to ensure you have coverage where you think you need it.

[brunes]

Note that there are seperate coverage maps for PAYG vs. regular monthly paid coverage for both ATT and TM. Its not like Roger/Bell/Telus where PAYG= regular monthly for all of Canada. There can be big differences in coverage depending on where you are going.

Make sure you check the right maps to ensure you have coverage where you think you need it.

Yeah some of their peering agreements are not valid for Paygo.

The good thing is, you will not have to pay roaming fees. Your phone just will not work.

[Rich_D]

So I Stopped In At Walmart In Omak WA To Get The Straighttalk Plan And They InformeD Me That They Are Not Able To Sell Sim Cards Outright. Needless To Say I Was Quite Perturbed When I Left There.

I Ended Up Getting An AT&T Plan With Unlimited US Calling, Unlimited Text To US, Can And Mexico + 1GB Smartphone Data For $75 ($50 plan Included Unlimited Web Browsing But Only For Non-smartphones, Extra Data For Smartphone Was $25 For 1GB). Straighttalk Plan Would Have Been $60 With The Sim Card + Additional For Smartphone Data So The Price Was Probably Cheaper At AT&T In The End.

Sorry For All The CapitalizeD Words.......My Phone Is Doing Weird ***** Today.

[Rich_D]

Got hooked up with Google Voice, while not Ideal, it does work well enough for a 5 minute call home

[shushwap]

are you using the google voice app.... I am down in cali right now tethering with my $3 day plan lol
Google voice has been working great for me... No need to do anything the app does it all for me

[psyko514]

Got hooked up with Google Voice, while not Ideal, it does work well enough for a 5 minute call home

What's wrong with Google Voice? All it does it re-route your call through a US number. There should be no issues with quality, disconnections, etc.

Also, why did you opt for something other than T-Mobile? With T-Mo, $3 a day gets you unlimited talk/text and 200 MB at 4G speeds. Three weeks would have cost $63.

[n3o321]

What's wrong with Google Voice? All it does it re-route your call through a US number. There should be no issues with quality, disconnections, etc.

Also, why did you opt for something other than T-Mobile? With T-Mo, $3 a day gets you unlimited talk/text and 200 MB at 4G speeds. Three weeks would have cost $63.

I used t-mobile for 4 days. costed around 28$? for initial setup..also it included $20 credit or something. it was mandatory for me to purchase it with the plan.
it was still the $3/day PAYG.

it was nice and fast. no complaints. used a lot of data for mapping. @__@

[poiuytrewq9ca]

How is H20 Wireless, can i use on iphone 4 with gevey sim, they have good prepaid plan or any similar plan, going to USA for almost a month, required just talk and text no data, using wireless hot spot if i need.
Thanks

[shushwap]

How is H20 Wireless, can i use on iphone 4 with gevey sim, they have good prepaid plan or any similar plan, going to USA for almost a month, required just talk and text no data, using wireless hot spot if i need.
Thanks
They run on the att network

[shushwap]

So far i hate this Tmobile crap... The service stinks.. lesson learned... Next time I go on a long road trip... Go with att

[CaptainQ]

Has anyone used a Bell iPhone 4 with AT&T's Straight Talk sim/plan? Presumably, I'd have to get the phone unlocked by Bell first, but $45/month is quite the plan...