Cellular. US provider for Snowbirds?

[BandJCarm]

Another reason I have a GMC. I can sit in the truck with my laptop and be on WiFi, so long as I have a cell signal. We have 6g of data monthly, and use about 1/10 of it. So long as satellite dishes exist, I won't be depending on the Internet for TV!

[Cypressloser]

Originally Posted by -lenny-

I have a prepaid Verizon jetpack with Unlimited for a more reliable data connection while we are south for the winter. Currently in Benson AZ, 4mbps down 11 up.

Our current cell provider (Telus in Canada) I have unlimited talk and text anywhere in North America, two lines is ~$180. My problem is data. We are sharing 11GB between two users($60), and that is not anywhere close to enough (we used 55GB on the jetpack last month). We can't rely on RV park wifi to offset the difference, and while most US providers will work for short trips to Canada, the problem is I have to spend 6-7 months straight up there.

I may have to suck it up and use a Canadian provider, but I am somewhat reluctant as that would add up to just short of $500 per month, for two lines and ~60GB data.

I am sure the reason providers like Verizon and T -Mobile have this fine print, is exactly people like me. I wouldn't mind having a Texas phone number? The providers in Canada don't compete, because they don't have to. Canadians have to over pay for service USA had 20 years ago. It is embarrassing.

This can be hit and miss but it should not amount to $500/mth. My wife and I have been with Bell for 15 years through Costco and with loyalty perks and promotions like on Boxing Day, Black Friday or Back To School we built a nice package that got us to where you want to be for a lot less. The only difficulty is not to get our plan messed up when we get a new phone, check and check again bec. once it's gone it's gone for good. I had Telus for several years until 2003 until they screwed me over one to many times.

[rskeans]

Originally Posted by dahagen

I have T-mobile 55+ and it works great for me. Use the hotspot (unlimited) in RV parks. I have not been out of the country yet but it says good world-wide. So I assume it will work in Canada. And I saved $40 a month over Verizon.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^^^^
I just converted my ATT service to T-Mobile. A second line is only $10. Unlimited hotspot. At least just check them out. In the past they had a lot of holes in their service. This is largely fixed.

[emm-dee]

Originally Posted by BandJCarm

Another reason I have a GMC. I can sit in the truck with my laptop and be on WiFi, so long as I have a cell signal. We have 6g of data monthly, and use about 1/10 of it. So long as satellite dishes exist, I won't be depending on the Internet for TV!

Not just a GMC. All the new trucks have Wi-Fi built in. Just needs to be activated via AT&T, $20 a month for unlimited data. Only problem is the systems sit down when the truck is shut down.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by rskeans

^^^^^^^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^^^^
I just converted my ATT service to T-Mobile. A second line is only $10. Unlimited hotspot. At least just check them out. In the past they had a lot of holes in their service. This is largely fixed.

Agree!

[AZ Pete]

Originally Posted by emm-dee

Not just a GMC. All the new trucks have Wi-Fi built in. Just needs to be activated via AT&T, $20 a month for unlimited data. Only problem is the systems sit down when the truck is shut down.

not really. Probably will in the near future, I hope.

[OldBob]

We use the free Google phone service all over North America. From your phone download the free Hangouts Dialer from your app store. You can dial any phone, even in Canada for free. If you want to receive calls as well you have to register with Google and they give you a free phone number.

[spock123]

Originally Posted by PenJoe

We have a Jetpack that we bought for doing on-line banking only-primarily for balancing the check account while on the road. Trying to get an on-line bank statement consumed our data quickly. Verizon notified us that we were near our limit. But, before we could react, we were .15 over our limit. That was a very expensive .15 GB. Verizon does not allow you to drop a device until the contract is up. That is in the next few days. After about 13 years with them, we will be shopping for a new provider. Great service, but virtually no flexibility.

Do you have phones with Verizon? We have three phones plus the Jetpack plus a iPad that I use to keep up with the bank and credit cards. I check them everyday. With the three phones I have 50 gigs of data. Plus the 15 gigs on the Jetpack. But I have no landline at home, only Verizon

[PenJoe]

Originally Posted by spock123

Do you have phones with Verizon? We have three phones plus the Jetpack plus a iPad that I use to keep up with the bank and credit cards. I check them everyday. With the three phones I have 50 gigs of data. Plus the 15 gigs on the Jetpack. But I have no landline at home, only Verizon

Yes, we have 2 cell phones, a Jetpack and Hum. No land lines in over 13 years. We are extremely cautious about using cell phones for any financial transactions or other banking services. Being new to the Jetpack and the gigs of usage is why we went over. We used the Jetpack for minimal use with the RV and no use since selling the RV. Verizon does not allow you to make changes to a plan with life changes.

We had OnStar with our Silverado and a cell phone, but we rarely used the cell in the truck. We store the Slverado when we travel and disconnect the battery. OnStar closed our account telling us we no longer owned the truck.
Hmmm, it's still in our garage. I sent them emails advising they were wrong, but they never responded. We liked the concept of the Hum device because it took the place of OnStar, but allowed it to be used in the Silverado, the toad, or the RV. The one downside is that Hum documents your highest speed for the month even though it was a matter of seconds doing a pass or getting out of a lane of faster moving traffic. So, if law enforcement or an insurance company had access to this information, all they would be able to determine is that the speed limit was exceeded sometime during a 30 day period. But, they could also construe it as your usual driving habits. It would be like having a field for being parked, but nothing to tell for how long.

[spock123]

I use iPhones with Verizon and I don’t worry about using my banking information on iPad or my MacBook Pro or iPhone. It’s all I use to check my bank and credit cards. I don’t think anyone can get into my Apple products and I don’t think the government cares about me. I make changes to my Verizon account right much, only trouble is sometimes you can’t change back.

[spock123]

My little great granddaughter uses right much of my cellular data, I have beyond unlimited, which is 22 gigs of cellular data and 15 gigs of hotspot data. I changed the beyond to above unlimited just on my phone. Now on my phone I have 75 gigs of cellular data and 20 gigs of hotspot data for ten more dollars a month, sounds like a good deal to me

[Cypressloser]

Here is a link to the rates we Canadians are expected to pay for WIFI, click on the 2nd link
https://myvehicle.att.com/lpportal-2...US&language=en


https://myvehicle.att.com/lpportal-2...CA&language=en

[PenJoe]

Originally Posted by spock123

My little great granddaughter uses right much of my cellular data, I have beyond unlimited, which is 22 gigs of cellular data and 15 gigs of hotspot data. I changed the beyond to above unlimited just on my phone. Now on my phone I have 75 gigs of cellular data and 20 gigs of hotspot data for ten more dollars a month, sounds like a good deal to me

Our son showed us how to pair our phones to the Internet service provider. When he and his wife visit us, they use our Internet connection. When we are visiting them, we use theirs. When we are at one of our two residences, we use that one. So, basically, we are not power users burning up the gigs. If we still had the RV, it may be different. We try to keep our plan at about a hundred/mo.

For your needs, it appears you have an excellent plan.

Though we have not had a land line for longer than 13 years, we are considering Ooma VOIP for one reason. In a home emergency, 911 dispatch may not be able to pinpoint the cell call location in time. With Ooma, you can provide 911 with the information. With our current ETHX Internet service, it's $14/mo, active anywhere there is Internet. For 911, the area emergency center would have to be aware of the address location.

In Wisconsin, we are just across the river from Minnesota. Because the nearest cell tower is located in Minnesota, a cell call to 911 from Wisconsin connects to the Minnesota State Police. Our neighbor's grand daughter had a tragic UTV accident next door. There was considerable confusion as to the location of the incident. Fire trucks and the ambulance were blocking off a section of road several blocks away from the incident. A medical helicopter landed in the same area. It may have been initially a fatality accident, but the delays certainly could have made a difference in survival. Knowing this, we have coded our phones to the local non-emergency number to assure we make contact with the proper dispatch center. It is something you don't think about until you need it.

[-lenny-]

Originally Posted by Cypressloser

Here is a link to the rates we Canadians are expected to pay for WIFI, click on the 2nd link
https://myvehicle.att.com/lpportal-2...US&language=en


https://myvehicle.att.com/lpportal-2...CA&language=en

Yet another example of how lacking service in Canada is.

[DGKAMBS7]

I am Canadian and have a T Mobile plan with unlimited data and calling to Canada, US and Mexico. I told Canadian companies to get lost until they get real. I use the phone in Canada and US. I also can add 4 others to my account at no extra charge, which I have done. Only drawback is when giving out your cell number to friends and relatives in Canada you are giving them a US number. Solved this problem by getting a talk only (pay $100 a year) Canadian line. Cheap phone and no contract. Use the T Mobile phone for all my data and calling but have the Canadian phone for Canadians wanting to call me.

[Edmondw]

Can't beat Republic wireless at $15.00/ mth. Cheaper to keep service and number while in Canada than to use Canadian service providers if in U.S. For 6 months.

[Wicked Ace]

I use Google's Project Fi becuase it is inexpensive and flexible.

https://canadiankilometers.boardinga...canada-review/

[Nanuuk]

My wife and I have two phones with Freedom Mobile. My plan is for 8GB of data (1GB at full speed when roaming), 2400 minutes of Canada/US calling, US and International Roaming for $59 CAD a month. My wife has 10GB (with only 250MB of full speed data when roaming), 2400 minutes of Canada/US calling, US and Internal Roaming for $50 CAD a month.

The combined $110 CAD per month gives us all we need for our travelling needs in Canada and the US. Freedom Mobile has struck a number of reciprocal agreements with US carriers from what I understand (T-Mobile for one) that allows them to offer these type of plans.

Now if that doesn't suit your needs they also offer one time travel passes for crazy amounts of data. For example, Big GIG Roam $100 for 20 days of 10248MB of data and unlimited voice and messaging.

[-lenny-]

Originally Posted by DGKAMBS7

I am Canadian and have a T Mobile plan with unlimited data and calling to Canada, US and Mexico. I told Canadian companies to get lost until they get real. I use the phone in Canada and US. I also can add 4 others to my account at no extra charge, which I have done. Only drawback is when giving out your cell number to friends and relatives in Canada you are giving them a US number. Solved this problem by getting a talk only (pay $100 a year) Canadian line. Cheap phone and no contract. Use the T Mobile phone for all my data and calling but have the Canadian phone for Canadians wanting to call me.

This is exactly what I am looking for. Do you use large amounts of data in both countries? With extended periods out of USA? The fine print says they “may” terminate service if we use too much data in Canada. If you would prefer to pm me, please do. Thank you.

[DGKAMBS7]

I don't use huge amounts of data, but, I do listen to Spotify and I use the phones GPS. It is an unlimited data plan but I haven't read the small print. I provided my 2 yr. old LG Android phone from Fido. They unlocked it after my contract was up. I'm very happy with T-Mobile.