Dirt Cheap Internet and communications

[offroad]

Okay after doing some more testing

1) Always use free WIFI (libraries, etc)
2) Always use free WIFI (coffee shops, etc.)
3) Always use free WIFI (big box stores, etc.)

4) Get a GSM smart cellphone and put TMOBILE $30 plan on it. It gives 5GB data and 100 minutes of talk, unlimited text. --- My bias for smart cellphone is the IPHONE4S for $150 on ebay. But there are awesome new Android phones for $50 that can do the same. Just make sure the phone is not stolen. Tmobile does not have great coverage, but when you get it, its blazing fast. They also are giving away free music connectivity to PANDORA and other web sites, at no data charge.

5) Get a used IPAD2 for Verizon. It has $20 for 1GB or $30 for 2GB for a month, and you can tether it, to your computers as a internet device on Verizon. Tether means it is a wifi internet available upon need. Verizon seems to work everywhere. Only activate UPON DEMAND when the above fails. Remember when your month is up its not under contract. So you refill only if you need it. Or burn it up before the month ends.

6) Get an H2OMobile gsm sim card as a backup data and cell service provider. This company roams on all the AT&T partner towers (not just AT&T towers). Activate a $10 data card for 90 days. It all rolls over and is costly per minute from that $10 but when you need it AT&T is there as alternative UPON DEMAND.

Others will say to get various hotspot devices at $90 per month for 20GB. Sure you can get that, and do well. But would rather spend $33 a month and adjust up when I need to have it.

 

[caseyc]

Just don't do your banking via free wifi signals. Not worth the risk.

 

[offroad]

Found another company hat advertises in AARP and that is Consumer Cellular. It's $10 per month with this plan. And expensive per minute.---- but supposedly they have full roaming on all att partner towers and all att owned towers and all remote towers. So just like you are on att at all times.

 

[Varmint]

I've used T-Mobile here for a few years and noticed that I can tether via bluetooth or wifi with several of these phones. The plan I use costs $30 for 1500 minutes, if I recall correctly, and 30mb data. The older plan I used was $20/mo with 10mb data, I think, and only 400 minutes talk. I've swapped several phones in and out with this, from the open-faced 2610, to several $30 flip-phones, to an i-Phone look-alike. The SIM card is the same on all of them, and though features vary widely, almost any will work.

I'm told this plan is no longer offered, and have no idea what took it's place. I intend to keep it as long as I can. I haven't needed to tether any devices yet, but I'm no fool....Murphy seems to dump on you whenever least prepared, and preparation is everything. Come to think of it, I might have to re-try tethering, just to make sure some "update" hasn't deleted my ability to do this.

 

[Zil]

30 mb? That is like nothing. Maybe you mean gb?

 

[Varmint]

No, they distinctly and repeatedly have told me 30mb. Perhaps they were mistaken (new kids), but then I have little use for data on my phone. Talking minutes is what I got it for, although I'd likely trade some talk minutes for some gigs of data, especially if it all rolls over at the end of the month. As is, I don't use what I have, and if I did I'd likely use it with my shell account, which is txt only. That way I wouldn't have to download all those useless graphics and attachments to my phone.

As most know already, 30mb data may have been a big deal in the 90's, but now you'd seriously have to multiply that dismal number to have any kind of bragging rights about your service. Might be one of the reasons this plan is no longer offered today. As is, I never use voicemail, regardless of how many try to leave them. Never even set that up, and I don't browse on my phone, either. I have a netbook that connects to whatever I want, whenever I want, and I can always use that for any and all data. It has a keyboard. A real one!

I guess choice of phone and plan boils down to what's important to you and what you intend to use it for. I might have to try out Straight Talk, though. My son has it, and he tells me that they use cell towers from other services to accomplish their own voodoo. He gets service where I don't, and then some.

 

[Stroop]

Freedom pop offers free phone services, and wifi hot spots. check them out, almost as good as what you are paying for.

http://www.freedompop.com

 

[kyonu]

As I said in your other thread, Freedom Pop has less coverage and worse speeds than T-mobile... Again, you get what you pay for.

 

[caseyc]

30mb? Seriously?? I would go through that in like...2 minutes!

 

[Tippy Tipi]

I use Cricket. For $66 a month (discount due to using autopay) I get unlimited everything including internet. The catch is that you only get 10 GB of fast internet and once you run through that, it slows down some, but I don't mind. It doesn't slow down all that much. I don't think there's a better deal anywhere for a non-contract phone. I bought the little cheap Samsung 3 (I think that's the number) and I'm all set. I'm quite happy with it. I live where the cell coverage can be a little bit iffy but I don't have any problem at all with it so I guess Cricket is giving very good coverage with their phones now.

 

[decodancer]

Straight Talk, unlimited everything for $45. Got a refurbished Galexy Centura for $20 and good to go. Works on the Verizon network so never have to worry about service.

 

[Zil]

Straight talk cuts data back to very slow at 2.5GB a month.

 

[Tippy Tipi]

I should have added that the $70 a month plan is what I have with Cricket. It's cheaper than having a cell phone plus $100 it would cost for satellite. They take off $4 for using autopay.

 

[offroad]

For wifi find a Starbucks with hotspot. They are using google internet. Was getting 30meg download speed on wifi. It's the fastest I have ever seen anywhere. And free.

---

The following three AT&T mvno companies all charge the same rate for 2.5gigs of $45.

Consumer cellular
Cricket
Straight talk gsm-a

So which is the best of those three? Leaning towards consumer cellular.

There are no cheaper AT&T mvno with this volume of data.

 

[highdesertranger]

read the reviews for consumer cellular. it's nothing like the tv commercials say it is. according to the reviewers, but maybe they all work for Verizon. highdesertranger

 

[PastTense]

Here's a list of prepaid plans:
http://www.allprepaidplans.com/

 

[offroad]

Seems like all the mvno plans are selling you something. Lol. None are completely honest or accurate. Was looking at Verizon plan for $45 and 500m data per month. You can get 3G more data for $20 that lasts 90 days.

Problem is I use 4gigs to 5gigs a month. So grand total is somewhere over $65 monthly.

Other mvno companies have throttling of 3G or 4g or 2g speeds after you use data. Or they slow due to web traffic through their servers.

Slowing speed actually is to your advantage. It saves you money. You don't run out of data. You are encourage to drive your butt over to a Starbucks and use their data. Or you are encouraged to find some other wifi data for free.

 

[Tom_M]

Check out Visible. It is a Verizon owned company and offers unlimited everything including hotspot use for $40/month which includes taxes and fees:
https://www.visible.com/

You can bring that down to $25/month if you join their Party Pay plan:
https://www.visible.com/party-pay

Here's a link to a Reddit site that simplifies joining a Party Pay plan:
https://www.reddit.com/r/VisiblePartyPay/

You can purchase a smart phone for as little as $49 or free if you trade in an old Android phone.