Short-term SIM for the US - 2010 edition
 

I've turned up a few threads here on related subjects but there doesn't seem to be any good current info, so let's see if the experts can help!

My last roaming bill for a trip to the US was nearly 1000€. Not gonna do that again. I'm going to be there next week, starting in LAX and ending up in PHX. I need to get a SIM card that will give me a US number, and a big bucket of data. Cheap international calls would be a plus, as would the ability to top it up online and keep it valid for the next trip. I have a friend in LA who can pick up the card ahead of time and give me the data so I can activate and top up online before I leave so it's ready when I land.

From my research, there seem to be a couple of options:

- Get a prepaid SIM from a T-Mobile store and then activate it online. There was a thread here a while back about adding the Sidekick unlimited data tarriff for your iPhone, but this loophole seems to have been closed (though they are still selling that tarriff and I won't be using an iPhone) - http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/Phones/...a-000007a2ac12

- Get a prepaid GoPhone SIM from an AT&T store and then activate it online - http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-pho...nect-plans.jsp

What I'm not clear on is how I get data on either of these (n.b. my phone has 3G on the 1700 band, not 850/1900) so T-Mobile is probably a better match but data speed isn't a critical issue this trip).

I've looked at the Mr SimCard site and a few others, but they all seem to be reselling one of the above.

Anyone have a recommendation?

I am hardly an expert here, but you might consider de-coupling the two and get a Cricket broadband plan for a month (which might even be free, since the first month is touted as free). There is no contract.

http://www.mycricket.com/broadband?u...paign=hero0043

I would also probably look on eBay or CL for someone selling an AT&T gophone sim that has money/time left on it. I've done that a couple of times and been able to get bargains. Was especially nice back when you could use the loophole to get unlimited broadband for $19.95/month.

Bottom line is this - there are no good prepaid data options in the US (at least none that use a sim). I'm assuming you want to pop the sim in a Nexus One?

Cricket, Virgin and Verizon prepaid data all use CDMA, so no sims there.

AT&T has prepaid data, but it'll cost a fortune, and comes in 100MB bundles :(

Yes -the sidekick loophole is indeed closed. What you can look into is T-Mobile Flexpay - this is a hybrid prepay/postpay account with no contract. I think you get a preset spending limit, and as long as your monthly bill stays under this, you are good to go.

Sadly, the T-Mobile site sucks at providing information, so I can't find anything specific on Flexpay options. I think the system may even allow ANY T-Mobile plan to be sold as a flexpay monthly plan - which includes their data only plans.

There are also voice/data options sold as T-Mobile Complete: http://www.t-mobile.com/templates/ge...ro_TMOComplete

Thanks for the info, guys. I called T-Mobile and they said for the Flexpay I still have to take a credit test and sign some kind of contract, it's just not got a monthly commitment. I think I'll pass. Mr. Simcard is offering a few packages that look promising but their site is such a mess I can't figure out what's what. I'll have to call them I guess.

Scott - it's an X10.

As usual, T-Mobile is wrong. Credit check on Flexpay is only necessary on a contract based Flexpay account (I think they call it Flexpay annual) - not their month to month. The way Flexpay works is simple - you add money to your Flexaccount (max $500) and you can pick any plan or services you want.

For "normal" users, Flexpay month to month isn't nice because it doesn't offer any phone discounts.

Try calling them back for more information or a correct answer...

That Mr.Simcard site looks horrible - and i'm guessing they are actually just issuing Flexpay sims as well, cause they don't look serious enough to be a VMNO...

Here is another T-Mo MVNO with no contract data:

http://www.datajack.com/

You should be able to use their SIM assuming you can dig up the data APN they are using for their dongles.

You might want to check THIS out. It does not work on GSM network though.

Straight Talk phones are also sold at Walmart and run on Verizon's CDMA network. It is possible to tether but its against the terms of service.

I thought I would update everyone on the solution I wound up with.

I finally ordered a card from Mr. Simcard. I got a T-Mobile SIM with 500 minutes of talk time, unlimited texting (including international) and unlimited data (subject to whatever TOS T-Mobile has) for $59. It's good for a month from the date I activate, which is tomorrow. They shipped it to my hotel in LAX so all I have to do is pop it in and I'm good to go.

Their web site is an absolute disaster, and the checkout-and-pay process is many times worse than the browse-and-shop process. This includes going over to a different domain to pay, having to use PayPal, and then receiving an email after checkout demanding that I pay again with PayPal using the link provided.

I called them and have to say they were friendly, knew the answers to all my questions, and confirmed shipment and delivery dates no problem.

My search through the web for a solution to this problem led me to many places full of (mostly business) travelers gnashing their teeth over just this situation. This makes me think there may be an opportunity here. ^

Thanks for all the replies!

Come back and tell us how things went - maybe we can start a sticky then ;)

You bought a T-Mobile SIM through a 3rd-party instead of directly from T-Mo itself? Do their stores not know how to set you up?

Do you only need to set the APN for the network?

How much are the AT&T prepaid 100 MB bundles?

1) There are no prepaid data options on T-Mobile
2) Most phones have APN's settings stored in their configuration
3) $20/100MB :D

and 4) it was shipped to my hotel so I don't have to dick with finding a T-Mobile store and convincing whatever minimum-wage idiot is holding up the counter there that I can indeed buy whatever this thing is.

Well, in their defense - I don't think anyone at T-mobile knows what this is, because it certainly isn't a standard product. I wonder if Mr.Sim uses Flexpay and just resells that? Unless they are large enough to be their own MVNO...

Another way to go is to get a Verizon unlocked phone and activate on PagePlusCellular.com. You get free activation + 50 minutes, reload at $10 for 100 minutes, minutes last 120 days, roll over with refill. Activation takes 20 minutes or so after entering info on the website. Not really good for data, however.

Or for someone who is looking for a sim card for their unlocked GSM phone...

What he bought does not exist from T-mobile. You can not get that plan from them. Great deal, and great somebody figured a way to package it to sell.

You didn't read the OP, did you.

Hi FWIW I have been researching this for some time, for the phone I have used a company called ekit, found at www.ekit.com Data is still a little expensive.

When I arrived to my hotel tonight the Fedex was waiting for me. It was a standard T-Mobile SIM already activated. I just popped it into the phone and it worked. As soon as I powered on I got a text letting me know my FlexPay balance was $5. So it looks like I got their standard "Even More Plus" on FlexPay with an extra five bucks credit. No complaints here, it was worth it to avoid the hassle of trying to find one once I got to the US.

FWIW there is a shop in the newly remodeled TBIT at LAX selling the same thing. Their price sheet said $55 for one month unlimited. I didn't ask about data. The shop is to the left as you come out of customs, all the way to the end of the building past the public phones.

TBIT?

So EDGE speeds on T-Mo?

No, I'm getting good 3G everywhere in town.

I use the Tmobile prepaid. It is the only one I can find in the US for which the time does not expire. I go to the US often, but also sometimes go six months or more without being there. The TMobile lets me solve that problem. When I'm not is the US I forward it to my Vonage US number so I still get incoming calls. So far that seems the cheapest and more reliable deal. There is a problem, their coverage is not as high quality as are a couple fo others seem to be, notably Verizon. The flexibility makes TMobile my choice anyway.

T-Mobile has different 3G frequencies though, doesn't it? Different than the standard use overseas?

Just back from the US and used MrSimCard for the second time. Agree, the site is horrible, but customer service has been good, both times I've had a call or email a day or two into the trip to check that all is OK. I do use an iPhone and have bought the month's service with unlimited data and international call plan. Got good 3G service over LA and NYC, decent EDGE service in Palm Springs on the whole. Certainly better than I used to experience with O2 in the UK.

Advantage for me is much as alanw says, I get it sent to my home address in the UK before I travel, the SIM is activated a day or two before I go, so all I have to do is swap SIMs on landing, change the APN on the iPhone (a one-time change) and I'm ready to go. Don't have to find a store, explain what I want, etc, etc. Because I currently only go to the US a couple of times a year, I'm happy to let the SIM expire and get a new one with a new number each trip. I forward my UK number to the temporary US number and make sure I call people back rather than have long calls diverted to me from the UK. I have not hit problems with data limits and use data extensively on the move for maps, email, Slinging and general surfing.

:confused:

I think it was *you* that didn't read the OP. He was looking for a data enabled sim card, not a way to get a prepaid CDMA phone.

Pretty clever of them actually. Did you pay $55 for unlimited voice and data? Because that makes their margins really slim on this stuff. Still, awesome to know of this option.

That's what I paid from Mr. Simcard, the shop in TBIT had the same price but they didn't break out whether it was for data or whatever and I didn't ask. I figure they must get a commission for lighting up new numbers or something because otherwise they aren't making squat.

wco81: Yes, they do, and my phone supports both worldwide and T-Mobile US frequencies.

I'm quite interested in the idea of a pre-paid sim card for calls and data, after receiving my latest bill in for a US trip - £300. Glad I stumbled across this thread.

Although not a technophobe, I could do with some help regarding what steps I would need to take in order to get my phone set up to take a pre-paid US sim card. I currently use a Blackberry Bold on Vodafone in the UK.

I visit the US on holiday maybe one or two times a year.

The problem with a Blackberry is that it requires a special kind of data plan, a generic one won't work, as it won't allow access to the Blackberry data servers. You will probably get it working with web and some other basic apps, but email is going to be a problem.

Thanks,

Will have a look around and see if I can find anything suitable.

I take it that I need to get my phone unlocked to allow me to take a US sim card, and then it's just a matter of swapping them over.

I'm back from my trip. The service from Mr. Simcard was great. It worked as advertised, and they sent me an SMS after I arrived to let me know I could call anytime if I needed help.

The only drawback was that my handset didn't automatically configure the APN; I had to set it up manually. Since I didn't have internet access at the time I just plugged in the values I remembered from when I was a VoiceStream subscriber and it worked fine - I had fast 3G pretty much everywhere I went.

I would use them again.

Hi

I read this thread with interest a while ago, and bought the T-mobile unlimited data sim at the beginning of April which arrived at my house, ready for my Florida trip starting 28th April. So far so good. Then i get the following email last night

Seeing as i only wanted the sim card for the unlimited data and not calls (and i've already paid $80) this has suddenly become very expensive. Any ideas or alternatives would be appreciated.

hey guys, i need 2 basic SIM cards that can provide me with cheap local calls as well as international calls. Any suggestions?

I've been looking at the gophone sim card but it does not seem to be available on the AT&T website. They seem to want me to buy some rotten phone when i can use my own gsm unlocked handset from asia.

thanks!

I believe that you have to go into a store to get SIM only, unfortunately.

EDIT: With that said the cheapest GO phone right now is only $10 with free shipping. You can't really go wrong at that price.

If you need just a sim card, check it on Ebay. You can find them under $5. This is just one example.

This leads to 'NEW AT&T ATT Orange Sim Card 3G GoPhone Prepaid Phone'.

Better not tell Orange (part of France Telecom), they're a bit picky about others using what they regard as ther trademark. :p

In that case, they might just switch to a blue one! ;)

Browsing for solutions for Canada, I see that MrSimCard now has a solution for the US again, with unlimited data for 30 days for $100. Clearly I haven't tried their new solution, but I will later in the year...

I'm a bit of a beginner on this one, so please bear with me!

If I have an HTC Desire (UK, Vodafone) and want to use the sim package from MrSimCard that is mentioned above (or indeed any other, cheaper, data package that might work?):

• What exactly do I need to order?
• What do I need to do on the phone to make to make it work?
• What is an APN? How do I change it, and what would I need to change it to?
  

Thank you!

You'll need to unlock the phone, first of all, so it will work with a non-Vodafone SIM: http://www.htcsimunlock.com/htc-desire-unlock.html

The Desire will automatically configure itself for the appropriate APN when you insert an AT&T or T-Mobile SIM.