FreedomPop Launches “Free” Global Data Hotspot And SIM - and Competition?

[GadgetKen]

When FreedomPop Global restocks sim cards, I may get one of those too. But I'm in no rush since it's really a data only sim card and it doesn't have coverage in several countries I need it in. The current FreedomPop Global mifi device would just be a paperweight in Bermuda, where I know Piranha and InMarSat will work just fine there. I like FreedomPop CDMA Sprint in the US for the complimentary gigabyte I get on each of my FreedomPop devices, but their FreedomPop Global GSM offering looks like it still is a "work in progress".

I just got an email from Piranha that my order is marked as shipped and they also included a complimentary second sim and to take both sims when traveling (I ordered one with GBP50 on it and they also are including a spare with GBP5 on it). Unlike FreedomPop Global, Piranha appears to have no shortage of sim cards The phone numbers on both sim cards (one is Jersey City, NJ and the other is El Dorado Springs, MO) are registered as "Mobile-Telecom North America Mobile" when I checked the numbers on WhitePages.com. I used to have a Telna postpaid sim card but cancelled it when their rates changed shortly before their being acquired by G3 Telecom of Canada. I'm guessing Piranha has some sort of agreement with Telna/G3; Piranha rates are very good for voice in the countries I need it in. For instance Bermuda is less per minute for outgoing international calls back to the US than what I would pay for a local prepaid sim card on Digicel or CellOne (local carriers charge a flat BM75 cents/minute for international long distance where Piranha is USD42 cents/minute).