USA: Best options for multiple trips?

[petkow]

Thanks everyone. Just an open point for discussion: Can anyone shed some light onto why networks are so comparitevely miserly with validity period of credit in North America? I would have thought that as long as you keep a credit and are making some chargeable calls once in a while (either in or out) that you should automatically get extended like it appears to be the case in most other parts of the world!

To me it seems strange that only once you have passed a magical $100 threshold, everything gets so much easier, but before that any other topup only gets you a stingy 90 days useage. Are running costs (like 911 service charges) that much higher in the US than in other parts of the world that networks need to have a minimum level of cash coming in every month for every customer on their books, or is it that no network has yet shaken up the industry by breaking away from the norm?

Don't get me wrong... I do know that contract deals in the US offer excellent value for money! I just find it odd that in this day and age most of my European colleagues and associates who regularly travel to the US still shy away from mobile telephony once they are on that side of the Atlantic. It will be nice to see if the maxROAM SIM will eventually get that 10c/min in/out USA charge.

[snaimon]

Originally Posted by petkow

Thanks everyone. Just an open point for discussion: Can anyone shed some light onto why networks are so comparitevely miserly with validity period of credit in North America? I would have thought that as long as you keep a credit and are making some chargeable calls once in a while (either in or out) that you should automatically get extended like it appears to be the case in most other parts of the world!

To me it seems strange that only once you have passed a magical $100 threshold, everything gets so much easier, but before that any other topup .....

Have only LIMITED experience with prepay in US - TMO, VZW and Virgin. Believe Virgin (on Sprint network) has longer validity but is not GSM. Prepay is in my opinion NOT big in US. Most people I know have postpay. I think carriers make more money on postpay. Prepay is a way in -- say for teens or people with poor/no credit. Prepay is no good for heavy users like business people - just too expensive. Also, if they (business people) want to write-off their phone expenses, a monthly bill is easier than receipts for top-ups.

Earlier you asked if the 10 cents intl SMS would stay. Don't know. If the start losing money on that option from heavy use, it will go away.

Stan

[DRNewcomb]

Originally Posted by petkow

Thanks everyone. Just an open point for discussion: Can anyone shed some light onto why networks are so comparitevely miserly with validity period of credit in North America?the industry by breaking away from the norm?

There are some fees and assessments that the government requires that actually cost the carriers a few bucks per line, per month.