cordelli

I've been using t-mobile prepaid since April of 05 after a billing mess when Cingular took over my AT&T account. I love it, and wish I did it much earlier.

Coverage depends on where you are, a few blocks or miles or towns or whatever and it could make a huge difference. In our old office, Cingular had no coverage, T-mobile was full strength. Three blocks away, totally opposite.

I got my SIM on e-bay for $11, changed the number to a local number. For international calls I use a calling card, way less money.

futaris

You might also want to consider using a European SIM (with GPRS) if you're just going to be using it for SMSing. European SIMs such as Virgin don't charge to receive SMS. And you can use one of the Java SMS programs to SMS over the internet with the correct outgoing number.

Landing Gear

UAV, I don't have any problem with you disagreeing with me; I assume the reverse is equally true.

I have two phones because I WANT to have two phones. VZW is the best coverage in the US. Period. I have been their customer since 1988. I have never landed in a US airport without a 5 bar signal. That includes LGA, JFK, EWR, ATL, MIA, DCA, ORD, SFO, LAX, DEN, DFW, ad infinitum. In fact, the ONE case where I had a signal problem in my domestic travels over the past ten years concerned the suites at the Four Seasons Scottsdale only because they are built into the side of a mountain and NO CELL SERVICE will work well. Otherwise, VZW is great in PHX, TUS and even Sedona.

There is a website for cell phone buffs called http://www.howardforums.com. I would suggest that anyone who wants some informed comments from cellular users go there.

I suggested VZW for the OP because:

• It has great national coverage.
• It appears to work in all the areas OP needed including Puerto Rico.
• I personally know that it is terrific at JFK, one of the airports he listed.

By the way, the minimum price for a prepaid VZW phone (a Nokia 2366ipp) is $89.99 INCLUDING the setup charge. This includes a $10 credit toward airtime. http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/s...ulsePlanDetail

This is the Inpulse plan. There are other plans.

In the past week, I have talked to a French person and a Spaniard, both visiting New York, who had the misfortune to get T-Miserable SIM cards.

It is frustrating to keep getting drop offs in the middle of business calls. I have a permanent French number on Orange because I use my phone for business and I need a good network in Europe and a European number from a European carrier. For me, using a Cingular or T-M number in Europe would not make sense.

I don't know for what OP needs the phone, business or pleasure, and whether or not cost is that big an issue.

As far as I am concerned, you get what you pay for.

Hope you agree.

spurg

t-mobil are easier to get. cingular is better. i have both. have a great trip!

pdhenry

That's the coverage map for the contract plan (includes coverage achieved by roaming on other carriers). A clearer representation of the prepaid coverage map is here.

pdhenry

According to this HowardForums thread, TMobile prepaid roams just fine in Puerto Rico, by the way.

Landing Gear

Thanks for quoting HF. Like Flyertalk, it's a great resource for a specialized subject.

If you go back there, you'll find many messages over the years putting down TM in New York City It's not called "T-Miserable" in New York for nothing.

Dubai Stu

People who are interested in prepaid SIMs for a country pose different questions than individuals interested in contract accounts. First, prepaid roaming agreements are not usually as extensive as contract ones because a provider will not provide prepaid roaming on a provider that has delayed reporting. In Europe, many carriers have gotten around this by implementing call back schemes when you are roaming to control both the incoming and outgoing calls. I don't think any US carriers are doing this yhet.

People purchasing a prepaid SIM for a country rarely want to invest in a new handset. There is a comfort factor in using your own handset and most handset deals raise the price of a SIM card. There are exceptions to this rule. I bought a combination in Mexico that was less than a SIM card in many countries. This aversion to purchasing second handsets generally cuts against the US CDMA prepaid providers (Verizon and Virgin Mobile). Sometimes coverage issues force you there, but it always makes them the perenially second choice in the short term visitors market.

This same aversion hurts what I like as a good visitor's SIM to the US which is the 7-11 Speakout Wireless Prepaid GSM phone. The 7-11 network is an MVNO ont he Cingular network. The rates are good, but unremarkable, but what is interesting is the fact that they give you year between recharges.

At this moment in time, Verizon has the best coverage in the US, but Cingular is closing in on them. I don't like Verizon and their current policies. Back when they were Bell Atlantic, they were great, but the evil V pulls some nasty stuff. They also have high roaming rates.

By the way, for frequent international travelers, a company in Hong Kong just came up with a phone I was hoping for for a long time. It allows two SIM cards to work simultaneously in the same phone. At Euro399, it is a little pricey, but I thought I'd pass it on for those who are interested:

http://2simphone.com