www.localphone.com

As BigFlyer mentioned, a Localphone incoming number works great for this; I wanted to add that they're currently having a sale where the setup fee (typically $3) is waived so you'd only pay $1/month for a US incoming number. Works great with Google Voice (among other uses).

That would require some pretty significant backend infrastructure relative to just piggybacking on the existing AT&T and T-Mobile prepaid systems.

It is an evolving business model, they see themselves as offloading distribution, customer service, billing overhead and credit risk carried by low ARPU customers to third parties.

It has been done well, it has been done poorly.

Nearly free international calling
 

You can make international calls on Straight Talk with a calling card using an access number and they are nearly free. I use one called "Lovers Card" (hehe) that I get from firstphonecard.com- about $18 buys me about 25 hrs of calling to Canada, for example- well less than a dollar an hour. Europe and S America are only a little more expensive.

A trick I used when I was on Verizon was to list my local calling card access number as one of my five "Friends and Family" numbers. Thus, any time I made a call using that number I was not charged minutes. I called Canada and France frequently and paid only calling card rates. Plus if I thought I might go over my monthly minute allocation I made domestic calls as well with the card, effectively transforming my limited plan into an unlimited minutes plan with only trivial calling fees.

Google Voice int'l rates are usually less than these calling cards and don't charge the fees - and you can make a non-wifi call via Google Voice using their website dialpad which will trigger a local (free) call to their US phone gateway, connecting you to the intl number from there.

my understanding of Straighttalk is that you can't access ultra fast 4G on AT&T such as LTE. Is that so? I'm concerned about data rates.

Depends on the SIM you choose. If you have a TMO network phone and select the TMO SIM, you get access to their fast 4G network (not LTE, but as fast as they offer today.)

If you have a ATT network phone and select the ATT SIM, you get access to their 4G network and all related 4G technologies except LTE (for now).

Their data is unlimited, but they will freeze or cancel you if you exceed 2GB per month or suddenly run up hundreds of Mb's in one day. For most people (except those constantly streaming content on their devices or downloading big files), their unlimited plan should work perfectly.

So you don't get LTE if you pick the AT&T network? I wonder if that eliminates the advantage of choosing AT&T vs t-mobile if you can't get LTE with their sim?

I went to the Maui Walmart today, they had the fancy extra large iphone5/straight talk wireless displays, but they said they didn't get any iphone5's yet. They have no idea if/when they will get them.

-David

T-Mobile "4G" is not technically 4G it is more like Faux 4G as it is HSPA+ (still plenty fast however)

at&t is running both 4G (LTE) and Faux 4G (HSPA+) with Straightalk on at&t you will not be able to access their 4G LTE network but you would be able to access their Faux 4G network without issue.

Puerto Rico and St. Thomas should work on Straightalk as at&t has native networks there.

Dan

**Warning** Rumor Straight Talk is Dropping the ATT Network
 

A lot of buzz over at Howard Forums about Straight Talk phasing out support for the ATT network. Straight Talk has stopped selling an ATT specific SIM card (although their generic unlocked GSM SIM should work on the ATT network) and might eventually leave ATT altogether and become a TMO partner exclusively for GSM support.

If you are on ST right now, and using their ATT network access because the TMO network is simply unacceptable for MVNO coverage, you should keep a close eye on this development and be prepared to switch (Net10, Redpocket, etc) should this become official.

Well, if that is the case it might be a GOOD thing. TMO might let them do LTE, which I am sure ATT will not.

The TMO network is far inferior to ATT, especially the MVNO side that won't permit partner roaming.

What I'm curious about (unconfirmed by ST) is the existence of roaming agreements with other GSM carriers across the country to fill gaps, but I understand the system will not offer a signal provided the phone can detect even an unusable signal from TMO.

notice
 

notice the use of the word MIGHT. TMO is going to try and take marketshare from other carriers, and I think they are going to begin to really push their BYOD strategy either at the TMO or the PAYGO or the MVNO path. With their clear investment now in LTE which will work with current and previous gen iphones, they MIGHT just be making a play for the city dweller and corridor commuter to offer service, but at a lower price point than traditional carriers.

time will tell

It's easy to make "almost free" international calls from the US via your cell phone on any network. Buy a cheap phone card with a domestic access number (I get mine at firstphonecard.com- I have used the "Lover's Phone Card" but there are many. Sweet how the Chinese name these things). They tend to run a penny or a couple of pennies a minute- a $20 card gives me maybe 36 hours or so of talk to Canada and maybe half that to Europe....anyway, the cost is trivial, doubtful much more than a dollar an hour to most places. Program the access number in as one of your contacts and, with straight talk's unlimited $45 plan, talk away.

Google Voice is also a good way to make international calls dirt cheap if you have a gmail account.

If you are still stuck with Verizon, you can add the domestic phone card access number as one of your five "Friends and Family" contacts, and thus not get charged minutes.