Originally Posted by Boraxo

This is great for international travelers who don't care about high speed data and don't mind bad coverage.

After 3 years with AT&T (and before that a decade with Sprint) I switched to T-Mobile. What a mistake. Voice overage was okay but not as good as AT&T outside major metro areas, but the data coverage was even worse. Most of the time I found myself on Edge network, couldn't even get 3G much less LTE. This was mostly in the SF Bay Area (but not in the city). These were not remote rural areas but simply suburbs or build up resorts. And then there was the final straw: I called T-Mo before I went to Cabo and specifically asked them to confirm that my phone would work in Mexico (they did) and to add a special plan. When I landed I discovered that my phone was unable to roam (despite trying signals from several carriers) - no service at all.

So now I am back with AT&T. To those who are switching to T-Mo I have only one warning: You get what you pay for. T-Mo will save you money, but it may not be worth the price if you travel frequently and need reliable service outside your home area, or if you get frustrated with slow internet/data speeds. I am not a fan of AT&T's duopoly pricing and gouging for international texts/data/voice but has never failed to deliver in my travels to 4 continents from the California mountains to the Niger delta.

Additional note: With free calling via Facetime (or Viper) and free high speed data via most hotel wifi (and starbucks) my bill for international use is usually quite reasonable.