Prepaid GSM SIM for USA?

[RTuesday]

Originally Posted by wisniak

Hi,

My friend is about to travel to Canada and the US.

Is there any prepaid GSM SIM prepaid plan available that will cover both countries?
Are there plans that enable voice AND data?

For voice, eKit Simple Calling have a SIM that covers both the USA and Canada, roaming on multiple carriers. It roams on T-Mobile and AT&T in the US, and Rogers (GSM) and Telus (3G) in Canada, plus some minor carriers.

I've been using it for several years now, it's reliable.

eKit have several different sims. The one I use is 9c/min in the US (calling and receiving), 29c/min in Canada, PLUS a 50c connect charge per call. It has a US number. There are other "international" oens with a UK number as well that are less suitable for your needs, be sure to check carefully which one it is.

The best place to buy eKit sims is direct from eKit, on eBay, cheaper than their own store.

For short term prepaid data, there isn't really any affordable option in the USA and Canada with good coverage. But free wi-fi is everywhere (example: at 90% of the McDonalds in both countries), so it's easy to avoid having to use mobile data.