Cheapest prepaid data plans

[Headcase_Fargone]

I figured this thread would be a better place to ask than starting a new thread since it's somewhat relevant:

Do any of the other carriers offer a similar plan to TMobile's $30 unlimited data/text + 100 minutes plan? I'm seriously considering buying my next phone outright and switching to this plan, but I'd really prefer not to be on TMobile if I can help it.

 

[pm]

I figured this thread would be a better place to ask than starting a new thread since it's somewhat relevant.

There's not a lot of traffic in MD&G. I'm of a mind that more threads - as long as they aren't these legal threads - are always a good thing. So I took the liberty of moving this into another thread....

Maybe we should do a sticky thread of cheapest plans... maybe this thread could be that sticky... we'll see I guess.

Do any of the other carriers offer a similar plan to TMobile's $30 unlimited data/text + 100 minutes plan? I'm seriously considering buying my next phone outright and switching to this plan, but I'd really prefer not to be on TMobile if I can help it.

Boost mobile - which is based on Sprint's network - have a $50/month unlimited everything, but after 18 months, it drops to $35/month. (see the slider in the lower-right on this page)
http://www.boostmobile.com/shop/plans/monthly-unlimited/

Straightalk - which is on AT&T's network - have $45 for unlimited everything
http://www.straighttalk.com/

These two, plus T-Mobile's prepaid are the cheapest that I know of for data.

 

[Headcase_Fargone]

Is anyone here using StraightTalk? I'd be interested in hearing some experiences. Since they're contracting with AT&T to use their network, do customers get treated like second-class citizens like what happens with roaming agreements?

 

[ilkhan]

For using a smartphone and a good amount of data without many minutes the TMo plan is hard to even come close to.

I'm on that plan, and when my next phone gets released I'd consider swapping to ATT for the better coverage and frequency choices, but the monthly rate is hard to beat.

 

[Headcase_Fargone]

$30 is tempting but TMobile is a pretty small carrier with, from what I understand, not great coverage. I'd be willing to pay $45 a month to use AT&T's larger network.

As for voice minutes I rarely use any, and even if I did I have GrooveIP which seems to work really well.

I intend to pick up a Galaxy S3 when it comes out, so I should be able to choose whichever network I want.

You say you want to switch for better coverage. What's your experience with the TMobile plan that makes you say that?

 

[ilkhan]

I've got a fairly weak signal at home, but I mean better coverage in general. Mostly its the not-oddball frequencies that I would want. Though HSPA+ is damn quick and TMo is better about that than ATT.

 

[pm]

Is anyone here using StraightTalk? I'd be interested in hearing some experiences. Since they're contracting with AT&T to use their network, do customers get treated like second-class citizens like what happens with roaming agreements?

Here's some Straighttalk threads:
Straighttalk and iPhone
Holy *&%$, Straight Talk customer service is awful

 

[preslove]

I have good service with a t-mobile contract (I use pandora in my car and only have dropouts on this one isolated stretch of road) I'm thinking about jumping to the $30 plan when my etf hits $50 in 6 weeks and then getting a cheap flip phone on Page Plus & buy an $80/2000 minute card for them. I'll tie them together with google voice and just forward the texts to my smartphone. Given my voice usage, That $80 card will last me at least 6 months. So, my monthly telecom costs will be at most $42 and change.

I've been kind of wanting another phone, too, because I don't have a land line and it feels kind of weird to just having one device that can break to communicate with anyone.

 

[Pliablemoose]

I have 3 phones on Straight Talk now, have never successfully ported a number with them, LOL.

The nice thing about Straight Talk is that you can get TMobile or ATT SIM cards in full size or micro SIM size now.

Also, consider Virgin Mobile, they have the Moto Triumph, and offer unlimited data/text + 300 voice minutes for $35/month

 

[dfuze]

The T-mo for $30 deal looks really good and I wish I could jump to it from my jailbroken 3gs (paying $25 a month for 500mb data) but being stuck at 2g speed and not wanting to try to find another phone right now stops me.

 

[janas19]

I'd recommend Virgin Mobile. Minutes and price wise, they're about even with other plans. But they are the only no-contracr carrier I know of that offers 4GB/mo. at 3G speeds.

 

[Headcase_Fargone]

I'd recommend Virgin Mobile. Minutes and price wise, they're about even with other plans. But they are the only no-contracr carrier I know of that offers 4GB/mo. at 3G speeds.

What about the TMobile one we're discussing here? No contract there, and "unlimited" (probably throttled in reality) data at pseudo-4G speeds.

 

[preslove]

I'd recommend Virgin Mobile. Minutes and price wise, they're about even with other plans. But they are the only no-contracr carrier I know of that offers 4GB/mo. at 3G speeds.

T-Mobile's $30 plan gives you 5 gb at 3.5G HSDPA + speeds. In my area TMO's coverage is better than VM (sprint without Verizon roaming).

 

[janas19]

Yeah, I guess y'all are right. I just like Virgin Mobile for the extra 200 minutes a little better. But T-Mobile's plan sounds good. :thumbup:

 

[soccerballtux]

Is anyone here using StraightTalk? I'd be interested in hearing some experiences. Since they're contracting with AT&T to use their network, do customers get treated like second-class citizens like what happens with roaming agreements?

ST AT&T here.
watch your data closely and stay below 100MB/day (more annoying, on road trips want to stream audio in car) and 2GB / month (not hard considering all the wifi everywhere) and you'll be fine. They call you if you use too much and sometimes just cut you off.

 

[soccerballtux]

I have 3 phones on Straight Talk now, have never successfully ported a number with them, LOL.

The nice thing about Straight Talk is that you can get TMobile or ATT SIM cards in full size or micro SIM size now.

Also, consider Virgin Mobile, they have the Moto Triumph, and offer unlimited data/text + 300 voice minutes for $35/month

Triumph has signal reception issues, was designed and manufactured by Huwai not Motorola, so be careful. If it didn't have the reception issues I would be a virgin mobile customer now. Was a very nice piece of hardware 8 months ago for your money....

 

[Headcase_Fargone]

ST AT&T here.
watch your data closely and stay below 100MB/day (more annoying, on road trips want to stream audio in car) and 2GB / month (not hard considering all the wifi everywhere) and you'll be fine. They call you if you use too much and sometimes just cut you off.

100MB a day? Really? Forget that. I can learn to live with a 2GB monthly cap but 100MB a day is stupid low.

Thanks for the info, I'll be avoiding them now.

 

[DaWhim]

cheapest prepaid data plans? truconnect.com

it is a mifi and what I use. absolute minimum cost is $5/month. the data is 4 cent for mb. i paid about 7-8 bucks for last month for data.

there you have it, the chespest. it is on sprint 3g, btw.

 

[Headcase_Fargone]

cheapest prepaid data plans? truconnect.com

it is a mifi and what I use. absolute minimum cost is $5/month. the data is 4 cent for mb. i paid about 7-8 bucks for last month for data.

there you have it, the chespest. it is on sprint 3g, btw.

You had me up until the bit about Sprint 3G. After being with Sprint for the last two years I'm trying to get far away from them and their abysmally slow data network.

 

[DaWhim]

You had me up until the bit about Sprint 3G. After being with Sprint for the last two years I'm trying to get far away from them and their abysmally slow data network.

their 3g data is heck a lot faster than 2g. why would i want uber fast data speed when it just mean the bills add up faster.

things i use my phone data for: chat/email/fb/whatsapp/gps locking/gv texting/calling

 

[Headcase_Fargone]

their 3g data is heck a lot faster than 2g. why would i want uber fast data speed when it just mean the bills add up faster.

things i use my phone data for: chat/email/fb/whatsapp/gps locking/gv texting/calling

Sprint's data network is unusably slow in the Houston area. My 3G speeds have been in the 300kbps (that's .3mbps) range lately and their pseudo-4G Wimax tops out at 1.5mbps. So yes, their 3G speeds are closer to other networks' 2G speeds.

I'm not the only person experiencing this either. There are threads with countless others complaining about Sprint's network of late both here and on other forums.

Usage has nothing to do with it. If I'm paying for a service I expect that service to be provided. In that regard I'm completely fed up with Sprint and want nothing more to do with them.

 

[swanysto]

Sprint's data network is unusably slow in the Houston area. My 3G speeds have been in the 300kbps (that's .3mbps) range lately and their pseudo-4G Wimax tops out at 1.5mbps. So yes, their 3G speeds are closer to other networks' 2G speeds.

I'm not the only person experiencing this either. There are threads with countless others complaining about Sprint's network of late both here and on other forums.

Usage has nothing to do with it. If I'm paying for a service I expect that service to be provided. In that regard I'm completely fed up with Sprint and want nothing more to do with them.

They are updating all the big metro area towers right now. They are supposed to be done come September. It's kinda similar to what happened to ATT when they got the iPhone. They had to hurry to update the towers to allow for the greater amount of users. I haven't really been bothered by it, cause my area still gets 10+mb wimax, so I just use that all the time. Could be a problem when they move to LTE and my phone is not compatible though.

 

[Headcase_Fargone]

They are updating all the big metro area towers right now. They are supposed to be done come September. It's kinda similar to what happened to ATT when they got the iPhone. They had to hurry to update the towers to allow for the greater amount of users. I haven't really been bothered by it, cause my area still gets 10+mb wimax, so I just use that all the time. Could be a problem when they move to LTE and my phone is not compatible though.

Sprint's 3G has been intolerably slow since I moved to the carrier two years ago, long before they got the iPhone. That definitely had an impact, though, but it only made things go from bad to worse.

It may not even be a tower issue since Wimax is extremely slow as well. Backhaul maybe? At any rate I certainly don't plan to be with them come September to find out.

 

[soccerballtux]

100MB a day? Really? Forget that. I can learn to live with a 2GB monthly cap but 100MB a day is stupid low.

Thanks for the info, I'll be avoiding them now.

there's a dude that's been using like 2-300 MB on back to back days no problem.
We don't really know what the hard cap is. I just don't want to test it. We just hear the stories of people who got cut off (though it's been a while) and they say things like "i wuz doin jst a littl netflx strming tv shows n they cut me off wtf!!"
IE they were watching multiple Netflix episodes per day and are suprised they got cut off. Basically as long as you don't stream netflix and do your app updates at home, you should be fine.

 

[z1ggy]

Hey does anybody here live in CT? Specifically south east CT? I am considering getting one of these no contract plans, but I am not sure what carrier to get. Right now I have the iphone4 on ATT. Can anybody also recommend an android phone to go with the unlimited plan, or can you put any phone on the plan? Ideally, I don't think I would want to spend over like $100 bucks on the phone b/c I will just use an iPad probably for all the heavy data stuff on my home wifi. Seems like TMo or ATT is in the lead right now ?