[Elect] USA Roaming T-Mobile, AT&T & Sprint Hotspot *iPhone w/3G HSPA on T-Mobile (NEW)

[andriykoua]

UPDATE!!!! OP updated, please comment, Hopefully it's fool proof

made table of contents
- minor bug fixes
- updated GV thread
- added FAQ section
- TBD (donation section)

[alanbrenton]

Put me on the donee list too.

UPDATE!!!! OP updated, please comment, Hopefully it's fool proof

made table of contents
- minor bug fixes
- updated GV thread
- added FAQ section
- TBD (donation section)

[andriykoua]

Put me on the donee list too.

lmao. sure. I will need your email for PayPal donation that will be visible

[Pigeu]

You shouldn't need to wait to switch plan I think. I switched mine from $2/day to $3/day on My T-mobile profile page few days before my departure. Once I was in the States and turned on my phone, it was automatically on the plan that I previously opt'ed.

I'd use $3/day plan in the city if speed is your concern. Worse case, just waste $1 on the day if you think $2/day plan is good enough. Just switch change plan 00:00.

I tried to access my acct on tmobile website but you need a pin that they send through text... tried popping in the sim but I think I have to be in the US to receive it?

You may switch your pan via T-Mobile portal.

what's tmobile portal?

[andriykoua]

I tried to access my acct on tmobile website but you need a pin that they send through text... tried popping in the sim but I think I have to be in the US to receive it?



what's tmobile portal?

https://my.t-mobile.com

[Pigeu]

okay.. that's where I was trying to sign up but you need a pin to make an acct. nvm I'll just figure it out when I get there. thanks though

[hoob]

Recent holiday travels took me through Buffalo, Washington DC, Kansas City, and Charlotte. In all four cities I saw 3G/HPSA signals on my Bell Samsung Galaxy S with my T-Mobile PAYG SIM.

As it seems that most metro areas are moving up to 3G on frequencies supported by Bell phones, I switched to the $3/day plan! Also topped up another $100 on my account so I don't have to worry about recharging it later on.

[andriykoua]

Recent holiday travels took me through Buffalo, Washington DC, Kansas City, and Charlotte. In all four cities I saw 3G/HPSA signals on my Bell Samsung Galaxy S with my T-Mobile PAYG SIM.

As it seems that most metro areas are moving up to 3G on frequencies supported by Bell phones, I switched to the $3/day plan! Also topped up another $100 on my account so I don't have to worry about recharging it later on.

yep, if you check the updated OP, I have included the link to "refarmed" areas where T-Mobile has 3G/HSPA. Btw, I hope you topped up while on Pay per Use, or better, check when your funds expire.

[nite4evr]

Where can I check when my fund will expire?

[hoob]

yep, if you check the updated OP, I have included the link to "refarmed" areas where T-Mobile has 3G/HSPA. Btw, I hope you topped up while on Pay per Use, or better, check when your funds expire.

Yup, I noticed that. Yes I topped up while on PAYG and have checked that my balance was deducted on a daily basis that stopped after I returned to Canada.

The T-Mobile portal doesn't show any expiry for my funds. It shows this:

YOUR CURRENT PLAN:
Current rate plan: $3 Daily UL Tlk Txt Wb (200 MB 4G) - $3/month
Account balance: $96.00

Not sure what the $3/month means, but probably just a number they have to display. I will check my balance again in February

BTW saw this promotion today. It might be of interest to travelling Canadians. Anyone know how easy/hard it is to sign up for NetZero accounts with Canadian credit cards? Looks to be based on SPrint's WiMax infrastructure, not truly 4G/LTE.

http://www.netzero.net/?refcd=DRTV00

http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/19/n...e-go-hands-on/

[andriykoua]

Where can I check when my fund will expire?

https://my.t-mobile.com

[hoob]

https://my.t-mobile.com

There is no indication on my T-Mobile portal when/if my funds expire.

[andriykoua]

Yup, I noticed that. Yes I topped up while on PAYG and have checked that my balance was deducted on a daily basis that stopped after I returned to Canada.

The T-Mobile portal doesn't show any expiry for my funds. It shows this:

YOUR CURRENT PLAN:
Current rate plan: $3 Daily UL Tlk Txt Wb (200 MB 4G) - $3/month
Account balance: $96.00

Not sure what the $3/month means, but probably just a number they have to display. I will check my balance again in February

BTW saw this promotion today. It might be of interest to travelling Canadians. Anyone know how easy/hard it is to sign up for NetZero accounts with Canadian credit cards? Looks to be based on SPrint's WiMax infrastructure, not truly 4G/LTE.

http://www.netzero.net/?refcd=DRTV00

http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/19/n...e-go-hands-on/

change your plan to Pay Per Use and you will see this:

Account balance:
$51.46
Account status: Active
Use by:
11/27/2013 9:00:00 PM

In fact, keep your plan in Pay Per Use until you are ready to go to US.

[hoob]

change your plan to Pay Per Use and you will see this:

Account balance:
$51.46
Account status: Active
Use by:
11/27/2013 9:00:00 PM

In fact, keep your plan in Pay Per Use until you are ready to go to US.

Thanks.. I changed the plan to the PAY BY THE MINUTE option, and now the expiry shows up on the main page as expected. I will switch back to the PAY BY THE DAY $3 option prior to the next trip. But it's not clear to me how leaving the account on this option affects funds expiry (90 days? no expiry? etc.)



For reference the PAY BY THE DAY options only deduct from your balance on days where your SIM connects to the network. So there's no daily charge unless you're phone is on and online with the T-Mobile SIM.

[woodywest]

Thanks for posting this thread... I have often wondered how I could access local phone coverage while travelling in the US... It would be nice to order pizza or call stores for info, etc.

The sheer volume of the thread is a little overwhelming, so I apologize if these questions/scenarios have been addressed:

I generally travel to the US 3-5 times a year for about 3 days each time... I would use it for local US calls as well as to call/receive calls from home through Google Voice... I would be interested in data also, but it isn't as important:

• Is it worth pursuing a mobile connection in the US?
• Would pay by day be the best alternative?
• If so, could costs be incurred on days where I am back in Canada with telephone turned off (i.e. wrong number, telemarketers, etc.)?
• Do I have to do anything to keep the account active (i.e. what if it is 6 months between uses)?
• Is it best to purchase a phone for travel?
• If so, which do you recommend?
• If not, would my Bell iPhone 4S need to be unlocked to use a SIM from an American carrier?

Thanks in advance for any info/advice you can provide.