Prepaid Wireless Plans

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It's difficult to fight the greed of telecom industry in the USA ;-). There is no real "pay as you go" plans. And data plans are expensive. Please note that one hour of regular internet usage (e-mail, web) means data transfer about 20 megabytes. For example in Ukraine one day unlimited 2G internet is $0.20 (ten times less the T-mobile charges), 3G around $1 for 100MB.

The US industry tries to cultivate phone addicts with their 2 year plans ;-).

Still there are some "not completely bad" options for moderate and low volume users in the USA:

Average offerings
- Amazon Kingle 3G plan.
- Google Chromebook 3G available with Chromebooks (which are not exactly tablets or phones ;-). Verizon 3G WWAN included with this device for 2 years (up to 100MB per month). With your Chromebook, you can get online at 10,000 feet with free Gogo in-air internet passes. Your Chrombook comes with 12 free passes (estimated $150 value) that you can use over 2 years on domestic US flights. This is data only plan which you can enhance with $5 a month Skype to be able to make voice calls.
- PTel Mobile (PlatinumTel) is also similar to Tracfone service (uses T-Mobile network) for very low usage (emergencies and checking schedule, weather). Minimum cost per year is $100. It make sense for smartphones as it charges just 10 cents per megabyte of Internet traffic ($10 per 100MB), 5 cents a minute for calls, 2 cents per SMS. You can pick up a PTEL SIM card on EBay for $0.99 (you need to select right size). The problem is that they sell "service days" like Tracfone, and unused minutes bought with "service day" cards are expiring in one year, unless you buy $100 card (price model identical to Tracfone)
  
  Real Paygo_ Multiple denominations are available, each with a set number of service days: $10 good for 60 days, $20 for 90 days, $30 for 120 days, $40 for 150 days, $50 for 180 days, and $100 for a whole year. Data billing might seem delayed since we accrue your data usage until we are able to bill a full penny, which means we do not round up your data usage. Unused balance from $10, $20, $30, $40 and $50 carries over for 365 days from date it was originally loaded onto the account. Unused balance from $100 carries over until depleted. To maintain your Real Paygo service, a new PIN must be loaded on/before service days
- Air Voice Wireless uses AT&T network and have one of the most affordable AT&T based pay as you go plans,
  - $30 per 150 days of service, includes $1 maintenance fee, 10 cents a minute for voice calls, 7 cents per megabyte of data. Unused minutes roll over to the next service period.
  - $10 is required for each 30 days of service ($250 voice minutes or 500 text messages), so annual minimum is $120. Data are 6c per MB. Additional minutes are 4 cents a minute, 2 cents per SMS.
  - Here is one Amazon review (by Beeber):
    
    I didn't see this SIM at Amazon when I purchased, or I would have bought it here.
    Where I live, I only have one option, att, and though it is an OK company, the pay-as-you-go price is 25 cents/minute AND NO ROLLOVER MINUTES. I have purchased several other SIMS in the past year (all claiming to use att towers) and nothing worked. I hardly use the phone, but DO need it occasionally.
    
    I bought this Airvoicewireless SIM, popped it in my Razr V3i, activated online (one minute), and I was all set. Now I pay 10cents/minute, and as long as I buy more minutes before 90 days is up, they roll over forever.
    
    They have no-contract plans for people who text or MM alot, but I don't need those functions. If I want to send the occasional MM or text, I can, but it will cost straight airtime. No biggie.
    
    I now have crystal clear reception at a very reasonable price.
- "Lycamobile"are less known provide but they look cheap at 2c a minute and text at 5c with no time frame limit. See customer review at UNLOCKED LG A341 Quad Band Flip Cell
- Walmart's 1GB plan for $20 a month ($240 a year). Useful for really heavy users. Most people will not use more than 1GB a month on tablet and cell phone on the road if they have home computer.
Pure data plans, no voice
- TruConnect gives you access to their network for $4.99 per month ($60 a year) You pay additional 3.9 cents per MB They offer MiFI 3G Mobile Hotspot $4.99 per month plus 3.9c per MB. Hotspot device for only $59
Not so good offerings
- [No Go] AT&T Gophone has 10c per minute, 1c for 5KB($2 per megabyte!!!) plan should never be even tried. This is ridiculous offer outside of pure voice calls usage. But even with them Tracfone is competitive. It is important to understand that AT&T has a hidden monthly fee for connectivity ($10 a month or $100 for one year service). You should never try to use this plan with smartphones, unless you block Web access in them (0 quote for traffic on Android phones), or you will royally fleeced. BTW it can be used only with AT&T basic phones or with unlocked GSM smartphones that you bought elsewhere. AT&T Lumia 520 ($99) is not qualified for this plan, but you can try to unlock it after purchase and use with this plan only for voice calls (if limiting Internet traffic quota is possible on windows 8 phones)
- T-Mobile 4G mobile broadband gives fast speeds on any mobile device so long as you are in an area with 4G coverage ( Speeds are regularly in the 8-12 Mbps range with 4G LTE providers.) but for a price of $3 a day for 4G (only first 200MB are at top speed) and $2/day for unlimited 2G web.
- Virgin mobile (Prepaid Mobile Broadband Plans Virgin Mobile): $5 a day that you use 200 MB a day 3G, unlimited 4G. Makes sense only if you are in their 4G coverage area.

You also need to understand that data and voice are interchangeable thanks to VOIP. That does not bring you considerable savings. For example you can install Skype on AT&T Gophone and use $5 per month unlimited calling paying only for the data, skype cost would be $60 a year not much cheater then Tracfone annual plat at $100. If you use less than 80M of data a month, then at 5c per megabyte that's just $4. Assuming VOIP consumes around 20 Kbps that's 4000 seconds or around one hour. At 10c per minute you would pay $6 instead with much less troubles. So here using Skype you would lose $3 ($5+$4-$6) a month. But if you can use at least half of those minutes via WI-FI or need to call a single foreign country you can come as a winner.

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NEWS CONTENTS

20131103 : Fed Up With Skype Here Are 6 Of The Best Free Alternatives ( Fed Up With Skype Here Are 6 Of The Best Free Alternatives, Nov 03, 2013 )
20131101 : Scratch Wireless offers 'free' mobile service that uses WiFi for calls and text ( Scratch Wireless offers 'free' mobile service that uses WiFi for calls and text, Nov 01, 2013 )
20131101 : Online personal number, online business number with voicemail - Skype ( Online personal number, online business number with voicemail - Skype, Nov 01, 2013 )
20131011 : Amazon.com Simple Mobile Activation Kit including Sim Card Cell Phones & Accessories ( Amazon.com Simple Mobile Activation Kit including Sim Card Cell Phones & Accessories, Oct 11, 2013 )
20131011 : 4.4 Cent Tracfone Minutes - Tracfone Tips ( 4.4 Cent Tracfone Minutes - Tracfone Tips, )

Old News ;-)

[Nov 03, 2013] Fed Up With Skype Here Are 6 Of The Best Free Alternatives

VoxOx

With VoxOx, you can easily make audio or video calls to your friends. VoxOx-to-VoxOx calls are entirely free, so if your friends all use VoxOx, then you'll all benefit. However, VoxOx can still be used to call real telephone numbers and send text messages at cheap rates.
On their overview page, it's immediately apparent that VoxOx really likes their free features. Here's what you get for free: personal phone number, voicemail, inbound calls/texts/faxes, conference calls, chat and social features, file sharing, and more. VoxOx is available on Windows and Mac.

Tnny5, September 7, 2012

How did you miss Tango and Talkatone?

[Nov 01, 2013] Scratch Wireless offers 'free' mobile service that uses WiFi for calls and text

Nokia 520 provides this functionality out of the box. Also compare with Skype $5 per month plan (only voice, no SMS).

If you've ever struggled with a monthly cell phone bill, you've probably looked for cheaper alternatives like prepaid plans from big box stores or startup carriers like Zact and Ting.

Well, what's cheaper than free? That's exactly what Scratch Wireless aims to offer with what it claims is the world's first free mobile service, which launches today. It manages to do so with a modified Android OS that pushes the phone to connect to WiFi for pretty much everything -- calls, text and data. However, if you do want to use your phone outside of a WiFi area, that's when the charges come in. Scratch Wireless has a partnership with Sprint to offer $1.99 per day for up to 30 minutes of cell calls and another $1.99 per day for up to 25MB of data. There's also a monthly $14.99 pass for either 250 minutes of voice calls or 200MBs of data.

Both daily and monthly passes are entirely optional, and it's up to the consumer to add those services. Payment is not recurring, and there's never a contract. Regardless of which you choose, Scratch promises us that text messaging is always on and free. CEO Alan Berrey tells us that Scratch Wireless wanted to take a different tact from traditional cell phone service. "There's no unnecessary cost with us," he says. "We have no towers, no FCC, no leasing locations to deal with." Because of this so-called "WiFi First" strategy, the phones will work internationally as well, as long as you have access to a WiFi network of course.

Right now Scratch only offers one phone with the specially modified OS, and that's the Motorola Photon Q for $269. Berrey did promise us that a long list of Sprint-compatible devices is in the pipeline, but we should note that this modification is unique to Android, so we wouldn't expect anything with iOS or Windows Phone to be in Scratch's portfolio.

While the non-WiFi daily and monthly data allotments seem mighty skimpy to us, Scratch is clearly aiming its service primarily for those who are constantly in range of a WiFi network. "We believe consumers ought to be able to buy a compelling Android device and not pay for a plan when they already have a wireless network in their home or office," said Berrey. If that sounds intriguing to you, hit the source for more info or head past the break for the promo video.

[Nov 01, 2013] Online personal number, online business number with voicemail - Skype

It allows you to exist on pure WI-FI

Your own number that anyone can call from their phone and you pick up on Skype wherever you are in the world.

Learn all about it here

Select numbers from a variety of area codes in several countries/regions – no more expensive international rates for your friends, family and clients.

Whether you're moving abroad, travelling, or simply need a global presence for your business, your Skype Number will ring wherever you are.

Pick up on Skype using your laptop, mobile or tablet.

Get a Skype Number now from just $5 per month* .

[Oct 11, 2013] Amazon.com Simple Mobile Activation Kit including Sim Card Cell Phones & Accessories

November 3, 2011
M TOP 1000 REVIEWER VINE VOICE

Don't trust Simple Mobile!
Amazon Verified Purchase
I signed up for Simple Mobile because they advertise a $40 unlimited talk, text, and "up to 3G" web plan. After I signed up and paid for one month, I learned that they throttle their data on that plan to 119 kbs. 3G data typically runs between 500 kb/s and 3 gb/s. 2G data, on the other hand, can go up to 150 kb/s. So, their "up to 3G data" is actually a 2G data plan!
When I called their corporate HQ, they admitted that they throttle data, but claimed that 119 kb/s is at the "low end of 3G." When I asked for a refund, they refused. I ultimately disputed the charges on my credit card and received a full refund.
My advice: Don't trust Simple Mobile.
Update: Since this review was first published, Simple Mobile was acquired by American Movil, which also operates Tracfone Wireless, Net10, and Straight Talk Wireless. They've since changed their policies very slightly. The $40 plan is now throttled to 230 kb/s.

4.4 Cent Tracfone Minutes - Tracfone Tips

Tracfone Triple Minute for Life (TMFL) has clearly turned up the heat on the other prepaid phone companies. Tracfone's brand-new Triple minute mobile phones offer prepaid phone with rates that are finally competitive with contract phone accounts. Take a look at TracFone.com to see the recently released Triple Minute for Life phones. Traditionally Prepay mobiles were considerably more costly to utilize per minute compared to contract cellular phones.

Triple Minute phones from Tracfone can get you minutes for as low as 4.4 cents each.

Tracfone vs T-Mobile Prepaid - Tracfone Tips

T-Mobile like Tracfone has a simple Prepaid Cell phone plan. They have a graduated rate depending on how much you spend. Tmobile also has a 15% bonus (Gold Level) after you have spent $100 on minutes. You get instant Gold level Status as soon as you add a $100 refill.

T-Mobile Rates

$10 for 30 minutes (33 each) or 35 minutes (28.5 each) after Gold Level has been reached.

$25 for 130 minutes (19.2 each) or 150 minutes (16.66 each) after Gold Level.

$50 for 400 minutes (12.5 each) or 460 minutes (10.7 each) after Gold Level.

$100 for 1000 minutes (10 cents each) and you are at Gold Level for this phone.

Once you reach T-Mobile Gold Level for a phone your minutes will not expire for a year. Before you reach Gold level your minutes will expire in 90 days. As long as you keep your phone active your minutes will roll over.

[Oct 11, 2013] H20 wireless.

H2O Wireless (formerly O2 Wireless, not to be confused with O2 of Europe) is a United States-based prepaid GSM phone and Internet service. It is the brand of mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) Locus Telecommunications via AT&T's network.

Basically, it's a nickel for text and phone calls. Pay $10, get 200 minutes. Pay $20, get 400 minutes. Or simply pay $100 and get 2000 minutes to use in 12 months (about $8.33 a month). I had to pay $9.99 for the SIM. Bought it at the BestBuy store rather than waiting for it to be shipped.

Lycamobile Special Offers

Free SMS in roaming countries. 2c/min, 4c/text, 6c/MB, 4G data

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