Cell Plans

[Skip51]

I want to change my cell plan from Verizon due to cost. I'm looking for input on other providers coverage and quality across the country. Also, if anyone has experience with Verizon's pre-paid plan I like hear about it.

[bikendan]

We're T-Mobile customers and we are switching to the 55+ Plan.
Two Unlimited lines for only $60 with taxes and fees included.

[CedarCreekWoody]

I switched to att to get better coverage, and have been pleased. Do avoid the att prepaid monthly phone. I bought one and it wouldn't work where other att users had great service. I finally found out it does not roam like regular att phones, it uses only their own network. They failed to mention that, of course.

[Halfmast]

I switched to Cricket Wireless a couple years ago and bought their Samsung G4, though you can bring your own phone and number. Now owned by and uses AT&T towers. Never had a connection issue in US or Canada.

$45/mo (total charge - no taxes or fees) if auto-billed to a credit card. Unlimited talk/text US/Canada/Mexico. 8gb data.

[PhoneDude 8289]

We have been using Consumer Cellular for the last 3 or 4 years. They use AT&T towers and you can bring your phone and port your number. We tether our computers to the phones while out with the RV. Our bill runs $40. - $45, not much data use when we have wi-fi available. It went as high as $65 on our long trip. Those prices are for two lines and 10% discount for having a AARP membership. We always use our phone data for banking, personal bill pay, email and such when away from home. We never stream movies on our phone data.

[SmilinBeard]

Originally Posted by Halfmast

I switched to Cricket Wireless a couple years ago and bought their Samsung G4, though you can bring your own phone and number. Now owned by and uses AT&T towers. Never had a connection issue in US or Canada.

$45/mo (total charge - no taxes or fees) if auto-billed to a credit card. Unlimited talk/text US/Canada/Mexico. 8gb data.

We switched to Cricket too. We were camping and had no service with TING, and our guest had no problem. We have 5 lines and all the data we need for under $100.

[wannabeowner]

We recently switched from Verizon to the T-Mobile 55+plan (if at least one member of a couple is 55 then you qualify). As Bikendan said -$60 a month, unlimited plan, includes all taxes and fees. So far, we're happy.

A few years ago, T-Mobile and ATT were planning to merge but it didn't happen. T-Mobile did get an opportunity to buy up a lot of cell towers, though, and now their coverage equals Verizon. Time will tell if the coverage truly holds up as we travel further, but so far so good. Can't beat the price.

[JLeising]

We have an issue - at our ocean house (Half Moon Bay CA) Verizon and ATT work, but T- Mobile does not. At our city house (Emerald Hills CA) only T-Mobile works. Sprint doesn't work either place.
Turns out Consumer Cellular uses both ATT and T-Mobile towers - if and only if they supply you with a "T-Mobile" type SIM card. Their ATT type SIM card, in my experience, won't work on T-Mobile towers. So, with Consumer Cellular and T-Mobile type SIM cards, our phones work at both houses. Voice and data.
My experience traveling - no service in Canada, voice only (no data) in most of Alaska. About $45 a month for both phones with, as I remember, 1G of shared data.

[GreenImp]

Originally Posted by Skip51

I want to change my cell plan from Verizon due to cost. I'm looking for input on other providers coverage and quality across the country. Also, if anyone has experience with Verizon's pre-paid plan I like hear about it.

I've been with Verizon for 10-15 years (AT&T before that). About 3 years ago give or take, I switched from the standard post paid contract setups to the prepaid side of Verizon in order to save money. I use very little data so it was a better deal for me. It has worked flawlessly the entire time. I did recently discover that I was missing out on "Visual Voicemail" as they don't offer that to their prepaid customers yet (didn't miss what I didnt know existed).

The only reason I didn't switch to a cheaper MVNO that uses Verizon's network (Straight Talk and Total Wireless for example) is because we tether our computers to the phone when camping and it's is not officially allowed with any Verizon MVNO. There were (are?) workarounds, but I prefer to play by the rules.

Xfinity has recently launched a new MVNO service that uses Verizons network and allows tethering. It's $12 per GB plus taxes with no other costs or $45 (I believe) for "unlimited" everything. There are 2 catches though...you must be an Xfinity customer with some other line of service, and they so far do not allow BYOP. I will likely switch to the $12 plan as soon as they allow BYOP. I can't wait for that first $12 bill! (I average 6-700MB a month)

[Skip51]

GreenImp,
Apologies for my ignorance but please define MVNO and BYOP.

[marinerjoe]

BYOP is bring your own phone. Don’t know the other one.

[GreenImp]

I was writing out an answer in my own words and decided my words weren't good enough, so here is a copy/paste from Wikipedia...

A mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), virtual network operator (VNO), or mobile other licensed operator (MOLO), is a wireless communications services provider that does not own the wireless network infrastructure over which it provides services to its customers. An MVNO enters into a business agreement with a mobile network operator to obtain bulk access to network services at wholesale rates, then sets retail prices independently.[1] An MVNO may use its own customer service, billing support systems, marketing, and sales personnel, or it could employ the services of a mobile virtual network enabler (MVNE).


BYOP stands for bring your own phone. Currently, Xfinity does not allow this and requires you to purchase a new phone through them in order to switch to their service.

[ORvideoguy]

I’m another happy Consumer Cellular customer. As it’s been stated, they use the AT&T network but with very flexible usage options.

You can go with their lowest phone plan which includes 250 minutes of voice for $15. Then add on data based on how much you need/use. You can start with the lowest data plan which I think is 1GB a month but they offer 3GB, 5GB and 10 GB plans as well. You only pay for whatever tier you plan to use. And if you go over they don’t penalize you they just bump you up and you can drop back down the following month.

The phone minutes and data can be shared between additional phones, each phone you add is an additional $15 per month.

[rapiniii]

Originally Posted by bikendan

We're T-Mobile customers and we are switching to the 55+ Plan.
Two Unlimited lines for only $60 with taxes and fees included.

We've had the 55+ plan for a month and are very happy with it.

[Handydc]

Been on Cingular for 2 years now. It uses the AT&T network. Been all over the USA and excellent coverage. Very happy. Great rates. Check it out. I saved over $80/month by moving from AT&T.

[merrykalia]

We have been Straightalk customers for about 10 years and we have 3 phones. Each phone is on it's own plan and each get 8 gig of data service each month, unlimited calls and texts. You can BYOP or purchase one of theirs.

Ours gets Verizon service and the only place we have been on the E coast that did not have service is about 30 miles from home in the Eastern Kentucky mountains.

It's $43.45 per month and we are enrolled in the auto-pay.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by Handydc

Been on Cingular for 2 years now. It uses the AT&T network. Been all over the USA and excellent coverage. Very happy. Great rates. Check it out. I saved over $80/month by moving from AT&T.

Cingular?
Cingular hasn't been around since 2007.
I was a former Cingular customer and had to go to AT&T.

[Handydc]

Originally Posted by Handydc

Been on Cingular for 2 years now. It uses the AT&T network. Been all over the USA and excellent coverage. Very happy. Great rates. Check it out. I saved over $80/month by moving from AT&T.

cingular = cricket