Freedompops Global sims (free AT&T)

[jimindenver]

Freedompop offers free AT&T 4G talk, text and data on sims that can go into any unlocked GSM device. I use them in a old unlocked Cricket Galaxy S4 when I want talk and text, in a Global hotspot for running the computers. The hotspot was $30, the phone I use to use on Cricket.

Each sim is just a buck or two, they run sales on both the data only and the talk text and data vesion all the time. Right now one is 99 cents and you get a 2200 ma external battery. The other is $1.99 and you get a selfie stick. Each sim is good for 200 minutes of talk, 500 text and 200 Mb of data plus 500 Mb of friends bonus data free a month. Since the phone and hotspot is unlocked you can have and use as many sims as you want. Spend $10 and have 7000 Mb a month on AT&T's 4G network for free.

You can have the sims on separate accounts and gift the data back and forth. (5 account per credit card) That way you can have 10 sims, load five up for more relaxed hotspot use and leave enough on the givers to stick in a phone to use the talk and text.

You can also have as many as you want on one account. You won't be able to share the data but each is worth 200/500/700, all you have to do is switch the sims as needed.

Each sim will come with two trials. One is a gig of data and unlimited talk and text, the other is for two gigs of data on the data only sim. Both will have a service trial. These will need to be turned off before the end of the month unless you want to continue the paid service. Some shut them off as soon as possible, I use up the data and then shut them off.

Here is a link to the Global hotspot.

https://www.freedompop.com/offer/novatel-mifi2-2tv

And to the sims

http://slickdeals.net/f/8951339-fre...ee-shipping?src=SiteSearchV2_SearchBarV1Algo1

http://slickdeals.net/f/8958591-fre...ee-shipping?src=SiteSearchV2_SearchBarV1Algo1

I'll be happy to explain more about signing up, getting the friends, sharing data, etc.

 

[Classpro]

Jim:  I've followed your suggestion and got a Freedompop sim.  I'm currently on my first month.  I've entered about 20 people's email from internet lists, but only 5 people have accepted, so I still need 5 more email addresses from users.  Any idea where to get names of people who are more likely to respond?

Next step is converting to free plan and deciding whether to pay for rollover.  If I understand correctly, you have multiple sims rather than getting rollover, right?

 

[jimindenver]

You are right, I have 7 sim cards instead of paying for roll over. There are email list for freedompop on slickdeals, facebook and freedompops own forum. I usually add 150 or so from one of the list and it can take a bit for all to accept.

 

[Peterson]

Hi Jim - 

We're deeply in debt to you for the information you share - that likely goes without saying, but I'll just put it out there as a recognition of fact!  While I'm not yet retired, the Freedompop approach sounds like something that would be handy for when I'm traveling and the waypoints don't provide free internet without requiring that you use a code that they'll send via SMS.  Since I don't have global roaming for my cell phone, it effectively means that I don't have internet in those locations, which can make life a little more difficult.  

You've mentioned monitoring your data usage so that you don't inadvertently go over the cap for free data and this is something that I'm not familiar with.  How would I go about monitoring my use to ensure that I don't go over the free cap and into data use for which they would charge?  

Peterson

 

[jimindenver]

Peterson

On both my phones and my hotspots there are ways to watch live usage numbers. A hotspot will have a manager that you can sign into and see it. Your phone likely has it under the data setting. Mine even shows me how much data each app uses.

I would not rely on the online counter because it takes a while for it to show usage. Use it to make sure your numbers jive with theirs every so often to keep them honest.

 

[jimindenver]

I need to add that Freedompop has changed their policy on sharing data. They have limited the data you can get to 500 mb be it through the friends list or by sharing data. So the Sprint hotspots/phones are good AT&T sims just 700 mb. You still get 200 minutes of calling and 200 text if in a phone.

I can tell you that the thing most dislike about freedompop is the thing I have come to appreciate the most. Their app uses wifi to make a call so I can call or text no matter which of my devices connect to the web. That alone is worth the service.

 

[galladanb]

Jim, thank you for being soooo patient and knowledgeable of all things!
You are my idol!!!

Freedom pops website is not too clear on all of this, at least to me...

You say spend 10 bucks and have 7 GB's of free data. Can you explain in a little more detail?
Doesn't each sim have to be activated? Isn't that 20 bucks alone?

And I'm assuming you swap the sim for more data when one runs out, right?

I'm just not seeing how that works, lol! Please help?

Surely, they know what your doing when you buy 10 SIM cards, and would then
smack the gotcha on you for it? I'm missing something....

 

[jimindenver]

They promote multiple accounts. In fact right after you but the first sim they offer you another on the same account. Do not take it as it can not get any extra data. At times they give away devices just to get people signed up. When the sims are 99 cents you can buy as many as you want as long as you only have 5 accounts/ 5 emails on one card. It does cost $5 each if you turn off the auto top up but then you can not go over.

 

[galladanb]

So, one sim equals one account?
How many sims / accounts per activation?

Still not clear, I guess, Sorry!

 

[galladanb]

"When the sims are 99 cents you can buy as many as you want as long as you only have 5 accounts/ 5 emails on one card. "

Huh? Not sure what this means...?

"It does cost $5 each if you turn off the auto top up but then you can not go over. "

Huh? Not sure what this means...?

And the current offer is a (I think?) Franklin 850 hotspot with 2Gb of free data. (There is a $20 activation fee!)

So, One would get the free hotspot and five or ten sim cards??????

And again they are not real clear on this, but I think the "FREE" part is subject to cancelling the data plan at @20 bucks (or more) per month after the promo runs out.
Right?

And if that is the case, and you cancel the plan, can you then apply free sim cards to the hotspot that was just cancelled????

OR am I overthinking the whole thing?????

Sorry, Im not yelling at you, Im just confused.... (Sadly, my normal status, LOL!)

 

[RMtnMik]

They promote multiple accounts. In fact right after you but the first sim they offer you another on the same account. Do not take it as it can not get any extra data. At times they give away devices just to get people signed up. When the sims are 99 cents you can buy as many as you want as long as you only have 5 accounts/ 5 emails on one card. It does cost $5 each if you turn off the auto top up but then you can not go over.

Jim,   I am looking at Freedompop for cell service. I read all I could find about freedompop on their website, which was not a lot of info about how it actually works, except that it is all done using WiFi (hotspots) and they use AT&T towers (in the case of GSM phones) to get access in order to make a cellular telephone cell call on their service.  Is everything going to be data useage with Freedompop, even voice and text?
I do know that they are different from "real" cellular carriers.
  Do you recommend  getting my main cell phone plan with FreedomPop? Or would it be better if I go to a carrier like AT&T, Verizon, Sprint or T-Mobile to buy a basic cellular plan? I'd like to buy a cellular service but I am limited as to what I want to pay each month for cellular.

 

[jimindenver]

It is possible if your usage is that low. I posted in the 3G hotspot thread about plans from Redpocket starting at $60 a year and can be used on the carrier of your choosing. At $5 a month it is only 100/100/500 but it could be on Verizon if you wanted. There are other plans with higher allotments.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/132288143818?afsrc=1&rmvSB=true

 

[John61CT]

The key for most of us is geographic tower coverage outside populated areas.

Verizon leads ATT by a little, depends on where you are.

But Sprint is **very** thin on the ground. T-Mobile has continued to aggressively build out over the past few years, and often gives much better bandwidth because they're not as oversubscribed like the top two.

Going with a reseller or an MVNO is always going to save money compared with direct, as long as you don't need customer service, and are willing to shop around for the deals that match your usage patterns.

IMO never ever lock into a contract, buy your hardware separately from your service provider.

 

[MrNoodly]

It looks like it's location dependent (See if your location qualifies). What if I'm traveling all over the country?

 

[John61CT]

Yes the more you travel outside well-populated areas the more important good coverage is.

ATT + Verizon would have you as well covered as possible.

Or either of those for voice/text coverageplus one of the cheaper less-coverage two for cheap price per GB, high-volume data streaming.

 

[jimindenver]

Location when it comes to the address connected to a Freedompop device is then checking if there is service there. They will not accept the account if there is not.

Verizon and AT&T are so close with Verizon getting the nod until I find out if the Mobleys roaming evens the field. I would have said they were enough except at times the other two really kick their overloaded butts. The Rockies sealed the deal when the big boys were overloaded or not there and T-Mobile and Sprint lit it up.

Sprint vs T-Mobile? When it comes to LTE I find them to be half and half for seeing one but not the other. Pure foot print goes to Sprint though. T-Mobile can cover huge areas with its band 12 IF your device gets it. Sprint has their 3G network in places you would never expect to make a phone call. For me basic functionality and footprint wins.

I ordered the Redpocket deal. You get 3 sims to use depending on what service your phone uses.

 

[John61CT]

Whoops

 

[jimindenver]

So to update this. Two things have happened to affect these AT&T sims. First Freedompop changed their policy on gifting and receiving data. So now each sim is good for only 700 Mb. Second is that Freedompop has left the global sims and is only doing the LTE AT&T sims. You have to upgrade to the new sims or the account is useless. They said the global sims would still work but none of mine do.

Upgrading is easy. The once global hotspot gets HESP+ even though it says LTE in the settings. My Samsung Galaxy 4 gets LTE and is pretty spiffy too. The thing I will miss about the global sims is if you went to netflix you would get different movies than we get here.

 

[frater secessus]

Last time I checked my FPop global sim was still working, bouncing between Tmo and ATT. I did have to set the APN to that foggmobile value. I'll play with it again this week.

 

[RossCoe]

I have a global sim- data only for my ipad. This has the 700 mb of data that I collected from "friends".   Then I have 2 global sim voice,text,data,  and 2 lte sims voice, text, and data.  It was a nightmare getting 2 of the 5 sims set up properly, or getting them at all.  I was able to cancel all the freebies and cancel all the pay for services easily, and getting refunds was easy for their screw ups.  The global sims are about 2 years old, and the lte sims are about 6 months old.  

Set up separate email accts if you want the extra free data.  Lack of knowledge caused me to have 2 sims on the first account and the free data only applies to the 1st sim set up on that account.  The other sims cannot collect free data if on the same email account.

Also, turning off auto top up costs you $5, returned to you as a credit, but that credit has to be activated every month by going to your billing page, opening the 2nd tab (credits) scrolling to the bottom, and clicking activate credits.

Also, I have read you will lose your number if it is not used for several months/ or they turn off your account which is easily turned on again by clicking reactivate./ or they charge you a penny to make sure your credit card is still active.  

I have had to turn on my data only sim just now, haven't used it in months, I also had my global sim turned off after being active for months, then it was  inactivated and  I needed to reach out to get it turned back on and had to get a new number.  It didn't cost me anything but headaches and time, but getting help takes days via email.  If you have the pay for services, you can call in to get help faster.

My numbers seem to be OK, Global and lte sims all seem to be working.  I try to make calls once a month to make sure they are still working OK.  

Other than having $30 tied up in credits for turning off auto top up, that's the only fees I paid, except for the purchase of the sims.  Globals were $4.99, and lte's were 99 cents.  
I have never really tested them out for long term, so I have them just for back ups.

I had them all before getting on t-mobile's service for their family plan, and that has been working out great for us in the northeast on t-mobile.  I somehow snagged a lifetime 20% discount (hook-up),  a promo upgrade for all lines called one plus, free netflix, and kickback discounts.  For 4  lines it has been costing us $104.00 every month for unlimited everything.  All but 1 of us get the $10 kickback discount monthly.  (stay under 2 gb/month and they give you $10 for every line that does it- saving an additional $30/month).  Otherwise, use unlimited and give up that give back.

So having the lte sims running on ATT will cover what t-mobile misses, but their coverage has been amazing so far for the last 6-8 months.  

Hope this helped explain a little more with freedom pop.  If you use it wisely, it can be totally free every month for a spare phone or a tablet for emails and non data hogging stuff.