eric rose
ummmmm, filmmmm
I will be spending 2 weeks traveling through Oregon and Washington states this month. I have an unlocked Samsung S4 and want to know what is the best option for me as far as getting a SIM card that will allow both voice and data. I don't need to much data.
Kate-the-Great
Well-known
Ah, well you'll find SIM cards unneeded in the USA- you may simply invoke the name of George Washington, and a majestic eagle will arrive to relay your message to the recipient.
Okay, okay. Sorry.
AT&T had a pretty good prepaid service last I checked (I have AT&T postpaid currently). I don't have direct experience in the Pacific Northwest, but around here they have coverage pretty much everywhere, and pretty much everywhere there's coverage you'll get at least 4G data. The data speeds are quite good too, better than Verizon (my previous carrier). Prices change a lot and I think all US carriers have similar coverage so it may be worth shopping around a bit and just choosing the cheapest option.
Okay, okay. Sorry.
AT&T had a pretty good prepaid service last I checked (I have AT&T postpaid currently). I don't have direct experience in the Pacific Northwest, but around here they have coverage pretty much everywhere, and pretty much everywhere there's coverage you'll get at least 4G data. The data speeds are quite good too, better than Verizon (my previous carrier). Prices change a lot and I think all US carriers have similar coverage so it may be worth shopping around a bit and just choosing the cheapest option.
eric rose
ummmmm, filmmmm
Thanks Kate. I did some coverage map recon and for where I will be the ATT system seems to be the only carrier with service.
f16sunshine
Moderator
Hi Eric
For Washington and Oregon At&t is probably the best.
I use it and rarely run out of coverage.
They have some pre-paid sim plans.
Should be easy enough to sort out in one of their shops or via the web before you arrive.
Cheers!
For Washington and Oregon At&t is probably the best.
I use it and rarely run out of coverage.
They have some pre-paid sim plans.
Should be easy enough to sort out in one of their shops or via the web before you arrive.
Cheers!
kuzano
Veteran
3g===4g
3g===4g
Don't know about AT&T, but major parts of Oregon and Washington are 3G. Perhaps major metro area's are more.
Whatever you find, be sure to also check 3G vs 4G speeds if that's important.
3g===4g
Don't know about AT&T, but major parts of Oregon and Washington are 3G. Perhaps major metro area's are more.
Whatever you find, be sure to also check 3G vs 4G speeds if that's important.
rscheffler
Well-known
I live in Canada and visit the US seasonally, during which time I typically make several border crossings per month.
In case this interests anyone else, for the last couple years I've used Ultra Mobile. They have a $19 prepaid plan that was the cheapest I could find and gave me what I wanted. It includes unlimited voice, text and international calling to a limited number of countries (including Canada), and 100MB of up to 4G data. You'll have to find a store that sells their SIM and there is typically a $20 activation fee.
So far I've found it works well in the more populated areas I've visited, but looking at their coverage map, it would appear Washington and Oregon are somewhat limited. I believe they use the T-Mobile network.
The reason I went with Ultra was the low monthly package price and sufficient coverage in the areas I usually visit, however there have been times while on an interstate in the middle of nowhere, or on small back roads in rural areas, without coverage (which is kind of when I would want it the most, in case something happened with the car, etc.). I travel in the US seasonally, meaning several trips a month for 4-5 consecutive months. I add credit to the account online from Canada by using callingmart.com (they add a $1 service fee) because the Ultra online commerce system is only set up for US billing addresses. Otherwise, it is possible to set up an account with them to add credit, refill plans, buy more data, etc.
Often 100MB is sufficient, but if I use a lot of Google Maps for GPS directions while driving, it can burn through it relatively quickly. The trick, if I anticipate this ahead of time, is to purchase a $29 plan when I refill, and the additional $10 remains as a credit that can be put towards additional data via a text message once the original allotment has been used ($5 for 500MB). Alternatively, when buying the SIM, specify the $19 plan but ask to add more money to the account, in $5 increments. This would allow you to access more data if the original allotment is used before the first month passes.
The biggest problems I've had with them is use of the SIM with a couple different phones, which each needed slightly different APN set-up. The info is on their site, however, if you've just put the SIM in your phone and it's the only way you potentially have to go online, yet you can't, it can be difficult to do so unless you can find a wifi hotspot, etc. For this reason, I would suggest visiting their site before travel to the US and saving the APN info for future reference, or waiting in or near the store where you bought the phone until you can confirm that data is working.
When my next travel to the US will be more than a few months, I'll let the plan lapse, then buy another SIM the next time I am in the US.
BTW, in Canada, I ditched my monthly Telus plan and ported my number over to the Speakout 7-Eleven prepaid service, which I believe is on the Rogers network. They have some prepaid voice/data plans, but you can also go purely pay as you go for voice at 25¢/minute for local calls and buy a monthly $10 100MB data plan, which if you exceed then costs 10¢/MB. Not the cheapest data out there, but will depend a lot on your typical usage. I'm not constantly checking FB, etc., so it usually works for me. Because I hardly use my phone for voice, it has allowed me to considerably reduce my annual cellphone costs. Another great point about this plan, unlike most in the US and Canada, is that your account credit expires one year after purchase, rather than monthly, and it is possible to activate/deactivate plans when as needed, to preserve remaining credit if you anticipate periods of inactivity, such as extended travel outside of Canada, or if you visit Canada annually, but on an infrequent basis.
In case this interests anyone else, for the last couple years I've used Ultra Mobile. They have a $19 prepaid plan that was the cheapest I could find and gave me what I wanted. It includes unlimited voice, text and international calling to a limited number of countries (including Canada), and 100MB of up to 4G data. You'll have to find a store that sells their SIM and there is typically a $20 activation fee.
So far I've found it works well in the more populated areas I've visited, but looking at their coverage map, it would appear Washington and Oregon are somewhat limited. I believe they use the T-Mobile network.
The reason I went with Ultra was the low monthly package price and sufficient coverage in the areas I usually visit, however there have been times while on an interstate in the middle of nowhere, or on small back roads in rural areas, without coverage (which is kind of when I would want it the most, in case something happened with the car, etc.). I travel in the US seasonally, meaning several trips a month for 4-5 consecutive months. I add credit to the account online from Canada by using callingmart.com (they add a $1 service fee) because the Ultra online commerce system is only set up for US billing addresses. Otherwise, it is possible to set up an account with them to add credit, refill plans, buy more data, etc.
Often 100MB is sufficient, but if I use a lot of Google Maps for GPS directions while driving, it can burn through it relatively quickly. The trick, if I anticipate this ahead of time, is to purchase a $29 plan when I refill, and the additional $10 remains as a credit that can be put towards additional data via a text message once the original allotment has been used ($5 for 500MB). Alternatively, when buying the SIM, specify the $19 plan but ask to add more money to the account, in $5 increments. This would allow you to access more data if the original allotment is used before the first month passes.
The biggest problems I've had with them is use of the SIM with a couple different phones, which each needed slightly different APN set-up. The info is on their site, however, if you've just put the SIM in your phone and it's the only way you potentially have to go online, yet you can't, it can be difficult to do so unless you can find a wifi hotspot, etc. For this reason, I would suggest visiting their site before travel to the US and saving the APN info for future reference, or waiting in or near the store where you bought the phone until you can confirm that data is working.
When my next travel to the US will be more than a few months, I'll let the plan lapse, then buy another SIM the next time I am in the US.
BTW, in Canada, I ditched my monthly Telus plan and ported my number over to the Speakout 7-Eleven prepaid service, which I believe is on the Rogers network. They have some prepaid voice/data plans, but you can also go purely pay as you go for voice at 25¢/minute for local calls and buy a monthly $10 100MB data plan, which if you exceed then costs 10¢/MB. Not the cheapest data out there, but will depend a lot on your typical usage. I'm not constantly checking FB, etc., so it usually works for me. Because I hardly use my phone for voice, it has allowed me to considerably reduce my annual cellphone costs. Another great point about this plan, unlike most in the US and Canada, is that your account credit expires one year after purchase, rather than monthly, and it is possible to activate/deactivate plans when as needed, to preserve remaining credit if you anticipate periods of inactivity, such as extended travel outside of Canada, or if you visit Canada annually, but on an infrequent basis.
ampguy
Veteran
Tmo, Verizon, AT&T all have great coverage in any large area with LTE, There are some sparse areas, mostly in central rural OR, and WA with 3G-4G, and a few dead spots with 0-2G. I'm using Fi, Verizon and Tmo with great coverage, but the Fi will jump on wifi and or ATT/Sprint/Tmo seamlessly as needed.
rscheffler
Well-known
Just stumbled across this by coincidence: Roam Mobility.
I haven't tried it, so can't comment. But it could be a good solution for short trips. Since you'll be a couple weeks, it might be more worthwhile finding a SIM once in the US. There's a good discussion about it at Howardforums, which is a good place as any to check mobile phone options/info.
With Roam Mobility you could do talk, text and data for $4 CA/day for the first two weeks, then $1/day for each additional day. Two weeks would cost 55 CAD (plus one time $10 SIM purchase). They give you 400MB/day of 4G, which is substantial, but I guess isn't a high priority for you. They also have a talk and text plan for $3/day, as well as other options.
The biggest benefit of this, from what I can see, is you'll have the SIM when you arrive in the US and it will start working immediately. You won't need to spend time finding a store to buy a SIM.
Edit: because this interests me too, for future US travel options, I've been browsing some reviews and looks like Roam Mobility also uses the T-Mobile network, which might not give you as good coverage as others are saying AT&T does for WA & OR. You can check their coverage map to determine if it meets your requirements.
A US based option could be H2O Wireless. Looks like you can buy the $10 SIM at places like Target and Best Buy, etc. and they have a $10 pay as you go plan with up to 200 minutes voice and 100MB data (actual amount will depend on how much of each you use as they're pay as you go at 5¢/min voice and 10¢/MB data). Based on their coverage map, they are likely a much better option for WA & OR. Having researched this a bit more, they have a lot of one star reviews on Amazon, which probably need to be taken in context of the complaints relative to your needs. But it seems customer service is a problem with this company.
Looking into this even more, living in Canada but occasionally traveling to the US and other countries, there are some 'world SIM' options out there. One is Truphone. The interesting thing about them is for use in a few countries, including the US, and UK, they function pretty much as a domestic operator with quite competitive, if not the cheapest, rates. In the US, everything is 9¢ min/text/MB. Some of the incoming stuff is free. Sure, data will add up if you use a fair amount. But so far from what I've been reading, it's a pay as you go service and your stored value does not expire or require occasional top-ups. Their website is a bit unfriendly for answering some of the nitty-gritty questions one might have, but there is a good discussion at Howardforums. Cost of the SIM is $30 US, but you get a $15 credit. If you're very frugal with usage, you could probably get by with just that for your trip. Another bonus is they operate on both the AT&T and T-Mobile networks, which means good WA & OR coverage. From what I have read so far, it seems their customer service is pretty good. And you can use them worldwide in most countries, which saves having to source local SIMs or deal with costly roaming.
BTW, the assumption has been that your phone is made for GSM networks.
I haven't tried it, so can't comment. But it could be a good solution for short trips. Since you'll be a couple weeks, it might be more worthwhile finding a SIM once in the US. There's a good discussion about it at Howardforums, which is a good place as any to check mobile phone options/info.
With Roam Mobility you could do talk, text and data for $4 CA/day for the first two weeks, then $1/day for each additional day. Two weeks would cost 55 CAD (plus one time $10 SIM purchase). They give you 400MB/day of 4G, which is substantial, but I guess isn't a high priority for you. They also have a talk and text plan for $3/day, as well as other options.
The biggest benefit of this, from what I can see, is you'll have the SIM when you arrive in the US and it will start working immediately. You won't need to spend time finding a store to buy a SIM.
Edit: because this interests me too, for future US travel options, I've been browsing some reviews and looks like Roam Mobility also uses the T-Mobile network, which might not give you as good coverage as others are saying AT&T does for WA & OR. You can check their coverage map to determine if it meets your requirements.
A US based option could be H2O Wireless. Looks like you can buy the $10 SIM at places like Target and Best Buy, etc. and they have a $10 pay as you go plan with up to 200 minutes voice and 100MB data (actual amount will depend on how much of each you use as they're pay as you go at 5¢/min voice and 10¢/MB data). Based on their coverage map, they are likely a much better option for WA & OR. Having researched this a bit more, they have a lot of one star reviews on Amazon, which probably need to be taken in context of the complaints relative to your needs. But it seems customer service is a problem with this company.
Looking into this even more, living in Canada but occasionally traveling to the US and other countries, there are some 'world SIM' options out there. One is Truphone. The interesting thing about them is for use in a few countries, including the US, and UK, they function pretty much as a domestic operator with quite competitive, if not the cheapest, rates. In the US, everything is 9¢ min/text/MB. Some of the incoming stuff is free. Sure, data will add up if you use a fair amount. But so far from what I've been reading, it's a pay as you go service and your stored value does not expire or require occasional top-ups. Their website is a bit unfriendly for answering some of the nitty-gritty questions one might have, but there is a good discussion at Howardforums. Cost of the SIM is $30 US, but you get a $15 credit. If you're very frugal with usage, you could probably get by with just that for your trip. Another bonus is they operate on both the AT&T and T-Mobile networks, which means good WA & OR coverage. From what I have read so far, it seems their customer service is pretty good. And you can use them worldwide in most countries, which saves having to source local SIMs or deal with costly roaming.
BTW, the assumption has been that your phone is made for GSM networks.
eric rose
ummmmm, filmmmm
I guess I should have asked this question 2 weeks ago - duh. Leaving tomorrow so my only option seems a US side purchase. I think I will check out the ATT options due more to my intended locations than anything else. Many of the option that I can get from Canada use the network with poorer coverage along the coast. If I was going to a major center I would certainly utilize these options.
Thanks everyone!
Thanks everyone!
rscheffler
Well-known
No worries. I learned a lot for my own upcoming travel later in the summer and fall. I might continue using Ultra for the rest of the year and also add a Truphone SIM for those times when traveling with my GF so we can call each other if needed. It will also let me hop to the AT&T network if I need to use the phone and T-Mobile is unavailable.
It would seem AT&T is the network you want.
I found a decent breakdown of all (or most) of the prepaid options available here. The recommendation for light voice and data requirements on the AT&T network is either Airvoice's $10/month plan or Airvoice or H2O's Pay as You Go. AT&T also has a $2/day unlimited voice option, with a $1/100MB data add-on, but I'm not sure how easy that one is to set up. On that plan, you only pay $2 if you perform a billable action, such as place a call or send a text. If you don't use the phone, you don't pay. But of course you have to have a credit in your account, so if you don't use it, you'll eventually lose it. Also, without the $1 data add-on, you'll be charged $2/MB data. So you'd probably have to go online each day you intend to use data to add the $1 add-on. Might be worth checking out, but could also be a hassle. My guess is you're better off with Airvoice or H2O. Browsing the Airvoice pay as you go options and it looks pretty decent. You can go as low as $10 which will last 90 days. Can't find where to buy a SIM from a store, but it might be possible to get it at a Western Union location, since you can also buy refills there. H2O might be easier to find because they're sold at Target, Best Buy, 7-Eleven and a bunch of other places.
It would seem AT&T is the network you want.
I found a decent breakdown of all (or most) of the prepaid options available here. The recommendation for light voice and data requirements on the AT&T network is either Airvoice's $10/month plan or Airvoice or H2O's Pay as You Go. AT&T also has a $2/day unlimited voice option, with a $1/100MB data add-on, but I'm not sure how easy that one is to set up. On that plan, you only pay $2 if you perform a billable action, such as place a call or send a text. If you don't use the phone, you don't pay. But of course you have to have a credit in your account, so if you don't use it, you'll eventually lose it. Also, without the $1 data add-on, you'll be charged $2/MB data. So you'd probably have to go online each day you intend to use data to add the $1 add-on. Might be worth checking out, but could also be a hassle. My guess is you're better off with Airvoice or H2O. Browsing the Airvoice pay as you go options and it looks pretty decent. You can go as low as $10 which will last 90 days. Can't find where to buy a SIM from a store, but it might be possible to get it at a Western Union location, since you can also buy refills there. H2O might be easier to find because they're sold at Target, Best Buy, 7-Eleven and a bunch of other places.