Data plans for two months in the US?
 

I have an unlocked data card, and shouldn't have a problem picking up a SIM off of eBay. However, I can't find any US providers that don't require a one or two year contract for data (with a $175 - $200 cancellation fee). Nor can I find any prepaid data providers in the US.

I was hoping to have GPRS or 3G data for a couple of months in the US.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks,

Kelly.

I think you can get a prepaid Blackberry/Sidekick plan from T-Mobile that costs you $1/day for unlimited. That' s a tad spendy but it is an option. I think you just get a T-Mobile SIM and when you activate it tell them you have a Sidekick.

Unfortunately, I don't have either a Blackberry or a Sidekick, and I've heard that these plans won't work on a regular data card? I'll see if maybe I can find a Sidekick somewhere...

Thanks!

Kelly.

Sidekick use a special APN. Blackberry uses a special APN, but contract Blackberries include unlimited data. I don't think they legally include tethering, but I know people who have done it.

Here is a link to a similar thread going on Howard's Forum:

http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1266163

Hello,
i am also in need of a data/voice solution for about 4 weeks in Juyly of this year in the western USA (Cal, Nevada, ARizona).
I'm searching for a way to use my current GSM phone (TyTNII) for both voice and data (connected to my laptop) for the time period we will be in the US.
I've searched the net for some clearer advice, but have not really found any.
So, does anyone have any tips for me?
thanks in advance for any help...

ok, got a bit smarter now.
Just spoke to ATT. Basically, i can get a monthly plan, that i can cancel after one month.
In this plan i can choose how many monthly minutes i want (300 $39,99, 400 49,99, etc.), and then on top of that i can choose a data flatrate plan for an additional $20 per month.
The SIMS can be sent to my hotel as i arrive.
This sounds pretty good.
I'll keep searching.
Still looking.

Zgadgeter,

Do you have established US credit? I've known about several month to month options, but I assumed that they were not an option for most non-residents. I've passed British and Canadian credit checks, but had some indicia of residency for these countries.

yes i do.
What sort of options would you suggest for month to month?

ATT which you all ready discovered. Sprint has one for $10 more a month. You have to pay the unsubsidized rate for the data card. Helio has an option but it is limited to its PDA phone. ATT will let you do a data card on their month by month plans.

Ok,
so ATT is probably the best? When i rang them they said i can orde the card a few days before we arrive, an have it sent to the hotel. Then i can cancel the card prior to the next month's charge getting on my credit card.
The plan would be for both data and voice.
When i arrive in the US, and put the card into the phone, the voice part works automatically.
But, i need to setup the phone to use the data options.
Here in Europe there are cab files for the different data carriers in the various countries to help set up the phone.
Do you have any idea how i would set up the phone in the US to use ATT?
thanks.

ATT is probably your best plan. The question is do you want a 3g card for your collection. If the answer is yes, buy an unlocked card off e-bay. Then go to ATT buy a SIM and put it on month to month. If you bring your own equipment you can go month-to-month. Most people at ATT don't know this, so bring in an article off the web. There is a USA Today article that I pulled up on Google a month ago.

You can also buy an unactivated SIM off e-bay and then call and 800 number and fight to get activated with them.

Google on "wap.cingular"

HowardForums.com has several threads with details of a lower cost data option from ATT that does not appear to be documented on the website. I have not tried this option yet, but plan to test soon. Here are some details that I've pulled from the forums.

ATT Go Phone Pay As You Go now has Unlimited MediaNet for $19.99 per month. The $1 daily fee only applies when a voice call is made or received. It does not apply to texting or data usage only.

http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-pho...repaid.jsp#pyg does not currently document monthly MediaNet.

Connection Settings
Connection Name: MEdia Net
Data Bearer: Packet Data
Access Point Name: wap.cingular
User Name: <leave blank>
Prompt Password: No
Password: <leave blank>
Authentication: Secure
Homepage: http://device.home

MediaNet has to be purchased every 30 days. To purchase packages, simply call Automated Customer Service (611 from your handset or 1-800-901-9878 from a landline phone) and select the option 'Buy Features.' The cost of the package is taken from money you have on the account.

AT&T does not charge for SIM cards in-store. Just go in, tell them you want to set up a new Pay As You Go line... and the SIM card is free. Usually, to save time, they won't even set up the account in-store, and will just hand you the card (it helps to ask... they don't want to waste the time in-store to do it). Note: This only only applies to corporate-owned stores.

Good to know. ATT is pretty relaxed about the data usage on contract Medianet accounts. Let's hope they are the same way on prepaids.

Nobody seems to have mentioned the Tmobile alternative: FlexPay. Of course Tmobile only has EDGE working in most areas, but the Flexpay method is a reasonable alternative to prepaid.

Basically FlexPay is an intermediate payment arrangement between prepaid and postpaid (with contract). Flexpay allows you to choose normal postpaid plans, but without a contract (and of course no subsidized phone purchase either).

Here's what I did: went to a Tmobile store and signed up for the most basic voice plan $30/mo for 300AT PLUS unlimited Tzones data for $6/mo. With taxes, it comes out to be about $40/mo. They normally want to tack on an extra $5/mo BUT if you give them a credit card number, this charge is waive. There is no activation fee and they give you a new SIM with a new number.

So that's $40. No contract. I paid them for ONE month of VOICE+DATA (unlimited). I never paid them again. BTW the data STILL works. I never canceled the account either.

So one $40 payment and I got 300AT minutes for one month and unlimited Tmobile data for the past 8 months.

Now the $6 Tzone data is a little squirrelly -- it is proxied web + email and no other ports. If you need full data, it is $20 instead of $6 (so the total would be about $57 instead of $40). But if all you need is web+email, then the $6 Tzones is fine (and there *is* a way to get stuff like Slingbox by playing with ports).

Anyways, it is a pretty cheap way to get unlimited data on Tmobile for a few months. (And if you feel bad about the arrangement, you can always pay Tmobile $40/mo, which still isn't too bad for unlimited data without a contract).

This is a belated update, but you now get most TMobile contract items on Flexpay which is a prepaid solution where you basically purchase contract style services ahead of time.