Alternative to using a major carrier

[Lazarus52980]

I seem to remember reading on AT some recommendations for wireless carriers that used the major carries service towers, but charged a lot less (and didn't subsidize phones). Do I remember correctly? Could anyone recommend a few of them to me please?

 

[mnewsham]

MVNO


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_mobile_virtual_network_operators

 

[Ryan]

AT&T just started up a new service called Aio Wireless - you pay for your own phone up front, but the service is drastically cheaper (it's just a prepaid service that uses AT&T's existing network - it's AT&T with a different name.....). You even get LTE. $70 bucks a month gets you unlimited voice/text, and 7gb of data! Plus, there are no taxes or other fees - you pay a $70 flat rate. ANNNND....if you go over your data limit, they just throttle your speed down to 3g, they don't charge you extra. If you don't need that much data, they offer 2gb for $55....

 

[Capt Caveman]

I use Straight Talk and it uses AT&T's network. $42.50/month(got a discount from $45) for unlimited phone, text and 2gb of data(LTE). I use a Nexus 5 with it.

 

[Ravynmagi]

Why not just use T-Mobile? A major carrier with the pricing of an MVNO.

 

[Lazarus52980]

I have to bring my own device, that is fine, but do these places allow you to use a smart phone?

 

[Capt Caveman]

I have to bring my own device, that is fine, but do these places allow you to use a smart phone?

Of course, that's why they have data plans attached.

 

[Lazarus52980]

I am intending to get a Lumia 1520. It looks like in the long run it will be cheaper for me to purchase the phone with cash ($550) and then go on one of these MVNO's at the end of the year when my contract is up.

Sound about right to everyone here?

 

[Gooberlx2]

Why not just use T-Mobile? A major carrier with the pricing of an MVNO.

If the coverage is adequate, that's what I'd do. Unfortunately for me, Tmo has shit signal at my house, so I use an ATT sim on StraightTalk.

I am intending to get a Lumia 1520. It looks like in the long run it will be cheaper for me to purchase the phone with cash ($550) and then go on one of these MVNO's at the end of the year when my contract is up.

Sound about right to everyone here?

That's how I rationalized moving my wife and myself off contract and on to prepaid.
Carrier: ~$150 per month * 24 months + $400 for phones = $4000
Prepaid: ~$95 per month * 24 months + $700 for phones = $2980

Not sure where you're seeing $550 for an unlocked Lumia 1520 though. It's not available yet, but the expected prices I've seen have been ~£594.98, or $952.03

A Nexus 5 is only $350 OTOH.

 

[RossMAN]

I am intending to get a Lumia 1520. It looks like in the long run it will be cheaper for me to purchase the phone with cash ($550) and then go on one of these MVNO's at the end of the year when my contract is up.

Sound about right to everyone here?

Correct and we could recommend a few MVNO's if you can answer one important question.

Which legacy cell phone provider (Verizon, Sprint, AT&T or T-Mobile) has the best coverage in your area?

 

[Sheep]

Why not just use T-Mobile? A major carrier with the pricing of an MVNO.

T-Mobile works fine everywhere I go except for work where there was literally no signal at my 14th floor office. Unfortunately that's a dealbreaker.

I'm with AIO now--slower speeds than I was seeing with T-Mobile (when it worked) but better coverage. I have no complaints so far.

 

[Midwayman]

Why not just use T-Mobile? A major carrier with the pricing of an MVNO.

'cause using an ATT MVNO will have better coverage and their prices include all the BS taxes that aren't reflected in post paid rates.

 

[openwheel]

I use Straight Talk and it uses AT&T's network. $42.50/month(got a discount from $45) for unlimited phone, text and 2gb of data(LTE). I use a Nexus 5 with it.

Didn't they announce 2.5gb of LTE data?

 

[Doppel]

Now that prepaid comes with the best phones and not just old crap, I will never get a contract again.

Today I was looking at an iPhone on virginwireless (sprint network) and the two year cost is fully $1000 cheaper than a two year contract from Verizon.

Two year contracts are fast becoming something financially inept people are drawn to because they can't foot the up front cost of a non subsidized phone. This is somewhat ironic, since normally really poor people have had to get low end phones and prepaid due to bad credit.

It is no surprise carriers have been slow to move to the best phones on prepaid, since the two year plans are unbelievably huge cash cows for them with the much higher total cost to the user.

 

[crashtestdummy]

I was on the bus yesterday and looked around at the "poor" college students all holding $700 phones, and thought it was crazy. It's amazing to me that the cell companies have so successfully convinced people to buy such expensive devices.

There are many options now, thankfully. Most MVNO's are in the same range ($40-60/month/user). I'd recommend getting a GSM MVNO, as it'll make it easier to move between plans if you want to change, and there's more phone variety. T-Mobile, as Ravynmagi said, is in the same price range as these options.*

If you're a low-usage person (especially minutes), consider Ting (a Sprint MVNO). They charge for what you use every month, rather than a fixed plan. Their customer service also has a particularly strong reputation.




*A note on T-Mobile: It's A LOT cheaper with 5 people than with just 1 or 2. Unlimited Talk/Text with 500MB 4G data is $40/person/month with two people, $22/person/month with 5. If you can swing a group of 4 or 5, T-Mobile becomes far cheaper than anything else.

 

[s44]

I am intending to get a Lumia 1520. It looks like in the long run it will be cheaper for me to purchase the phone with cash ($550) and then go on one of these MVNO's at the end of the year when my contract is up.

Sound about right to everyone here?

Except for the part where you're using Windows Phone. ..

Today I was looking at an iPhone on virginwireless (sprint network)

Friends don't let friends pay for Sprint.

 

[crashtestdummy]

Except for the part where you're using Windows Phone. ..

I think it depends on the user. I was actually impressed at how nice Windows Phone is to use. I find Android and even iOS to be too cluttered for my tastes, and like the way I can scale the size of the metro icons in WP8.

Now, third party app support is definitely lacking, and you don't have the openness of Android, where you can load apps not approved by a central authority. I totally get why that's a problem for the hardcore users. But I think that for 70% of users, Windows phone will do just about anything you need. The only thing "missing" from the point of view of a typical smartphone user is a quality YouTube app. That's really it, though.

 

[rh71]

I'm tired of paying $70/mo. for my Verizon Galaxy Nexus since I'm mostly on free wifi. Since it's VZW CDMA, I can't really BYOD anywhere. I would love if activating it on Page Plus were simple, but it's a lot of work from the looks of it.

Even if I do TMobile and a Samsung Galaxy S2 for hardly anything, that's still $70/mo. Having a smartphone is just too expensive anywhere. I wish I could just have it for wifi. Not to mention I only use 100 voice minutes - and I'm paying $70/mo. for it. Convenience fee.

 

[RossMAN]

I'm tired of paying $70/mo. for my Verizon Galaxy Nexus since I'm mostly on free wifi. Since it's VZW CDMA, I can't really BYOD anywhere. I would love if activating it on Page Plus were simple, but it's a lot of work from the looks of it.

I assumed the same thing and discovered I had nothing to worry about.

http://www.exclusivecellular.com/free-pageplus-activation.html

The final steps didn't work immediately afterwords, the following morning I checked and to my amazement it worked. It only took a few minutes and best of all it was totally and absolutely free. If you have to port in, that might be a little more involved but I would definitely check out that link and they have some eBay auctions as well.

Even if I do TMobile and a Samsung Galaxy S2 for hardly anything, that's still $70/mo. Having a smartphone is just too expensive anywhere. I wish I could just have it for wifi. Not to mention I only use 100 voice minutes - and I'm paying $70/mo. for it. Convenience fee.

I wish I were in your shoes (only needing 100 minutes), the infamous T-Mobile $30/mo plan only available through Walmart would be my #1 choice.

 

[Trombe]

Take your pick, both are $30/month prepaid
If you're at 100 minutes per month and don't text a lot a paygo plan will be much, much cheaper.

100 minutes talk | Unlimited text | First 5 GB at up to 4G speeds
This plan is only available for devices purchased from
Wal-Mart or devices activated on T-Mobile.com

1500 minutes talk/text | 30 MB of data | Offer only good in-store

 

[rh71]

I assumed the same thing and discovered I had nothing to worry about.

What phone do you have - is it a 4G LTE? Are there any limitations on it afterward? It says LTE phones are $60 but you got it to work without sending it in?

Why/how are they doing it for free if PagePlus charges?

 

[RossMAN]

What phone do you have - is it a 4G LTE? Are there any limitations on it afterward? It says LTE phones are $60 but you got it to work without sending it in?

Currently using an LG L9 which will be upgraded in the near future. Sorry no 4G LTE, I think it's using HSPA+ or whatever it's called.

Why/how are they doing it for free if PagePlus charges?

Good question, I wish I knew. It makes no sense but I'm not arguing with something that's easy and free.

 

[lothar]

What phone do you have - is it a 4G LTE? Are there any limitations on it afterward? It says LTE phones are $60 but you got it to work without sending it in?

Why/how are they doing it for free if PagePlus charges?

I'm pretty sure you can't get 4G LTE on PagePlus unless something has changed.
Probably has Verizon 3G which is slow, although not as dog slow as Sprint 3G is.
But it's still slow compared to AT&T and T-Mobile 3G, nonetheless.

 

[Lazarus52980]

Correct and we could recommend a few MVNO's if you can answer one important question.

Which legacy cell phone provider (Verizon, Sprint, AT&T or T-Mobile) has the best coverage in your area?

I believe it is AT&T. I have been using them for quite a few years and I don't have any dropped call issues or other reception problems.

 

[Doppel]

I'm tired of paying $70/mo. for my Verizon Galaxy Nexus since I'm mostly on free wifi. Since it's VZW CDMA, I can't really BYOD anywhere. I would love if activating it on Page Plus were simple, but it's a lot of work from the looks of it.

Even if I do TMobile and a Samsung Galaxy S2 for hardly anything, that's still $70/mo. Having a smartphone is just too expensive anywhere. I wish I could just have it for wifi. Not to mention I only use 100 voice minutes - and I'm paying $70/mo. for it. Convenience fee.

You could look into republic wireless. They will have a motox soon and they are very cheap. Virginmobile has a $45/month plan with 1200 min unlim data or 55 for unlim all. Virgin does 4g lte but its coverage is only in major cities.