USA: Pre-paid SIM with data volume
Mar 24, 2009, 5:52 am
#16
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 109
the easiest way use a gophone plan is to buy a $10-15 gophone at any major department store and activate it online, then swap the sim card. alternately, get a sim off ebay. at&t discontinued their unlimited gophone data plan last fall, but now there's a 100 meg plan for $20.
They did tell me that I would need to activate it with an ATT phone that I can get on the cheap but that the sim wouldn't work my iPhone then. Is that statement not correct?
Mar 24, 2009, 5:56 am
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 109
That's strange, I was just using the $20 plan with my iPhone 3G. Worked fine - just popped the SIM card in, no additional configuration needed. I bought my goPhone SIM at an AT&T store though. The customer service rep was very helpful - saw that I was holding an iPhone and told me to go for the $20 data pack. Even offered to swap SIMs and add the data pack so I could try it immediately but I was in a rush so did it myself. So yes, it definitely is supported, but AT&T don't want to publicize the fact.
The SIM was activated instore, and I called the 611 automated line to buy the data pack.
The SIM was activated instore, and I called the 611 automated line to buy the data pack.
Hmm, does that mean I need a bank account in the US for that to work? That's rather inconvenient for me, I am dependant of a Credit Card option (or cash?)
Mar 24, 2009, 5:59 am
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 109
Was the SIM registering at all on it? Could you make a call for example? If the phone is unlocked it should work. There is no need to register the phone with ATT, and they do not do any sort of IMEI filtering. If it is just data that is not working you may have not entered the APN correctly. Does the SIM card work properly in other phones?
Mar 24, 2009, 6:41 am
#19
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 960
you should be able to activate it online, but you will need a phone to receive the sms message confirming activation. i'm not if sure you can do that before you get into the usa. once it's activated, just pop the sim into the iphone and it should work.
Mar 24, 2009, 11:49 am
#20
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 190
You'll need a US credit card if you want to top up online, otherwise you can just get a recharge card from pretty much anywhere - drug stores, Best Buy, etc. Just make sure you activate the SIM as prepaid/pay-as-you-go and not 'pay monthly'. Once you're in the US just dial 611 from the phone with your SIM card in it and follow the prompts to activate the SIM, recharge, and purchase the data pack (I think it's called 'medianet').
Mar 29, 2009, 8:40 am
#21
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 11
Hello,
Interesting Thread. I’m wondering if the GoPhone Sim would work with an Xperia X1 (Code free).
Is it possible to activate the Sim with the Xperia X1? Does anybody know If it’s possible to use tethering with the GoPhone Data plan ?
Thanks...
However
Interesting Thread. I’m wondering if the GoPhone Sim would work with an Xperia X1 (Code free).
Is it possible to activate the Sim with the Xperia X1? Does anybody know If it’s possible to use tethering with the GoPhone Data plan ?
Thanks...
However
Mar 29, 2009, 11:19 am
#24
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Mar 30, 2009, 12:31 pm
#26
Moderator Hilton Honors, Travel News, West, The Suggestion Box, Smoking Lounge & DiningBuzz
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I shouldn't think you'd have any problem -- but note: You can blow through 100MB really, really, really fast. Just a few graphics-rich web pages will do it.
Mar 30, 2009, 2:17 pm
#27
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 11
Code:
You can blow through 100MB really, really, really fast. Just a few graphics-rich web pages will do it.
I ordered a GoPhone sim and will try to get this to work. If anyone has some other information I would really appreciate it.
May 4, 2009, 10:36 am
#30
Join Date: Dec 2006
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