Hi all,
I will be traveling to Jamaica soon and would like to be able to use my phone while there. At a minimum, I would like to at least be able to browse the web and check email. I currently have the unlimited data plan with Verizon. At first glance, it looks like they want to charge $129/mb. That's INSANE! At that rate, i'd be scared to even turn my phone on for fear it might accidently sync with exchange and download 20 meg of email. I've read some on this forum about unlocking the sim card so i can use the phone on another network. Should i consider that for this trip? What would i gain? What's involved? Just swap the sim card? Thanks in advance!
Call 611, and ask for global services. Tell them you want to unlock your phone because you want to use your phone with a different sim card in Jamaica. Then just buy a local SIM card for use with the phone. I don't know how the data works but that's probably your best bet.
FYI, VZ will only unlock if you have been a customer for 6 months or more in good standing.
i've been looking to do the same thing to avoid the $1:50/min roaming fee from sprint. i know digicel is the local service in jamaica. i've found a few vendors on the web that sell sim cards and time but still the fee for data can be still a bit high. i'm not sure if it's better to buy off the web before i get there or just hit a local provider when i hit the island. below are a few links i found to compare for buying the card and service time.
http://www.planetomni.com/SIM_INTL_passport_DTL.shtml
http://www.telestial.com/view_product.php?ID=LSIM-JM02
http://www.mrsimcard.com/s-digiceljam.html
http://www.rangeroamer.com/roaming-rates-start.aspx
I have been a long time customer (more than 10 years) with Iowa Wireless. I LOVE the plan I have, and the rate I haven't been able to find a match to. I'm a big fan of GSM and how I can change phones at will, but alas, I am moving to an area of North Dakota that doesn't have any GSM data, and very poor GSM voice coverage.
I have to move to Verizon (or any other CDMA provider), so I have taken this as my chance to get a new Rhodium to upgrade from my Kaiser to. Yay me.
BUT...
I don't like it, but I have had some financial difficulty, and now must pay a heafty deposit to get 'normal' service from Verizon (which is over priced to begin with).
If I get the Verizon pre-pay unlimited plan *shudders*, can I add a TP2 from eBay by just providing the correct serial numbers?
What about other pre-pay CDMA providers? Wal-Mart's Straight Talk is the right plan at a reasonable price, but can I mount a CMDA TP2 to thier network?
If you have access to MetroPCS in your area, and are willing to jump through a few hoops in getting the device configured, you can use a TP2 there. I have a Sprint TP2 that I bought on eBay running on MPS without issue. Data speeds will take you back to 2003, but the $40 unlimited call/text/data plan is hard to beat.
goldenu said:
If you have access to MetroPCS in your area, and are willing to jump through a few hoops in getting the device configured, you can use a TP2 there. I have a Sprint TP2 that I bought on eBay running on MPS without issue. Data speeds will take you back to 2003, but the $40 unlimited call/text/data plan is hard to beat.
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Click to collapse
Wow, I'll have to check them out. Is MetroPCS GSM, or CDMA based? Unfortunatly (in this case) the TP2 can run both GSM and CDMA... as for speeds, I'm used to a trunkated 20K, so anything is fine with me. *chuckles*
Thanks for the pointers!
Check out Page Plus it resells Verizon service thier data plans are crap 20megs and 50 megs and then prepaid $3 a meg (I think) lol but if you setup you phone right you can get allo the free data you can use. I had some issues but had it working pm me if you want details. thei unlimited plan talk and txt with 20megs of data is ~$40
Otherwise see if US Cellular is in the area still expensive for my plan but better than Verizon.
1000 anytime National plan, free nights and weekends starting at 7pm, free incoming calls txts and pics~$45
+txt plan 750 msgs ~$10
+data $24
+phone insurance ~$6
+taxes ~however much the government steals
gets my bill ~$100 per month
But I do pull about a 1megabit down and reasonable upload with 200ms to 250ms latency in my service area when tethered on my pc and I've only been in two places in all of america I did not get coverage so I like them allso the costumer service is the best I've ever had from ANY COMPANY HANDS DOWN.
If their was one company that deserves a hug in the whole world is US Cellular they are the best!
sorry for typos it's late I'm tired and lazy.
How do you get free unlimited data from Page Plus?
I am also curious as to whether or not you can tie an unlocked Touch Pro 2 to the Straight Talk network. Anybody have any ideas?
Verizon Wireless Basic Pre-Paid Plan
I've got a Blackberry through work and use that to read my work mails and for calls. I was still using the HTC P3600 as my PDA/MP3 player/Navigation/snapshots/movies/games/etc. and was thinking it's time for an upgrade. The TP2 seemed to be a worthy successor... thank god - I was waiting long enough. Anyway, I was also looking for a plan that I could use every now and then without any monthly commitments and related high charges. So the Verizon basic pre-paid plan seemed ideal for my situation - it costs 99 cents per day you use it - while giving you unlimited data for that day. I'd get a $100 charge so they let me keep my number for 1 year and I'd get OTA data for every third day during that year. So much for the plan...
First attempt: Try to get the Vz TP2 with the basic pre-paid plan. FAILED ... although the pre-paid guys told me the phone would work with the plan, they wouldn't be able to sell it to me without a monthly plan. I could have gotten it for the month-to-month price and then cancelled the plan after the first month - but I didn't want to go that far.
So I bought the phone through eBay. Slight complication - but I am very happy with my new phone so far!
Second attempt: Get the Vz pre-paid plan setup to my new TP2 that I bought off eBay. FAILED althought initially I was informed the pre-paid plan would WORK with the TP2 - Verizon Wireless refuses to set it up with the TP2 (which they will recognize as soon as you give them your MEID). They told me "the pre-paid network is not able to handle the traffic generated by the TP2 phone" right, like there's a separate pre-paid network....
Third attempt: PENDING I want to get some low-cost CDMA phone, either off eBay or from Vz directly (~$40 dollars one-time costs) and set that up with the basic pre-paid plan. Then I'll just "repair"/clone that phone's ESN to my TP2 and theoretically will be able to use my TP2 finally with the Verizon Wireless Basic Pre-Paid plan.
Anyone has any thoughts or - even better - real life experience? Will this work? Any ideas for a cheaper solution? I don't mind the workaround - it's fun so far...
Bizzled - THIS IS EXACTLY the kind of information I wanted to know! I'm reading this intently, I can't wait to hear how this went. I have a little bit of time before I have to change companies, I'd really like to do this...
I think I can get you a phone that is from VZ... used to be on the network, let me know if you need one, I'll go do the research on my end.
Page Plus is a prepaid service that uses the Verizon network. They will activate any unlocked CDMA phone (even phones from another carrier).
Most Verizon PDA phones work out of the box with no unlocking or anything needed.
See here:
http://www.pagepluscellular.com/
Sounds like exactly what you are looking for.
bizzled said:
I've got a Blackberry through work and use that to read my work mails and for calls. I was still using the HTC P3600 as my PDA/MP3 player/Navigation/snapshots/movies/games/etc. and was thinking it's time for an upgrade. The TP2 seemed to be a worthy successor... thank god - I was waiting long enough. Anyway, I was also looking for a plan that I could use every now and then without any monthly commitments and related high charges. So the Verizon basic pre-paid plan seemed ideal for my situation - it costs 99 cents per day you use it - while giving you unlimited data for that day. I'd get a $100 charge so they let me keep my number for 1 year and I'd get OTA data for every third day during that year. So much for the plan...
First attempt: Try to get the Vz TP2 with the basic pre-paid plan. FAILED ... although the pre-paid guys told me the phone would work with the plan, they wouldn't be able to sell it to me without a monthly plan. I could have gotten it for the month-to-month price and then cancelled the plan after the first month - but I didn't want to go that far.
So I bought the phone through eBay. Slight complication - but I am very happy with my new phone so far!
Second attempt: Get the Vz pre-paid plan setup to my new TP2 that I bought off eBay. FAILED althought initially I was informed the pre-paid plan would WORK with the TP2 - Verizon Wireless refuses to set it up with the TP2 (which they will recognize as soon as you give them your MEID). They told me "the pre-paid network is not able to handle the traffic generated by the TP2 phone" right, like there's a separate pre-paid network....
Third attempt: PENDING I want to get some low-cost CDMA phone, either off eBay or from Vz directly (~$40 dollars one-time costs) and set that up with the basic pre-paid plan. Then I'll just "repair"/clone that phone's ESN to my TP2 and theoretically will be able to use my TP2 finally with the Verizon Wireless Basic Pre-Paid plan.
Anyone has any thoughts or - even better - real life experience? Will this work? Any ideas for a cheaper solution? I don't mind the workaround - it's fun so far...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you buy a verizon branded TP2? Just curious, since I'm dealing with my own issue with verizon.
@cdmccul - I'll definitely share the results once I'm done. Got a Verizon Phone already for the cloning process... just need to figure the cloning out now. Thanks for the offer though!
@SaltyDawg - thanks for the hint. I won't go with PagePlus though since they charge you $1.20/MB for data and that's all I'm interested in for my future TP2 plan...
MadM3rlin said:
Did you buy a verizon branded TP2? Just curious, since I'm dealing with my own issue with verizon.
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Yes I did.
bizzled said:
@cdmccul - I'll definitely share the results once I'm done. Got a Verizon Phone already for the cloning process... just need to figure the cloning out now. Thanks for the offer though!
@SaltyDawg - thanks for the hint. I won't go with PagePlus though since they charge you $1.20/MB for data and that's all I'm interested in for my future TP2 plan...
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$1.20 per MB? That's only if you take the standard plan.
http://www.pagepluscellular.com/Plans/Talk n Text 1200.aspx
That says you get 1200 minutes, 1200 text messages, and 50 MB of data for $29.99 per month (which is the same as the $1.00 per day that you were talking about on Verizon). And data is billed at .60 per MB if you go over the 50 MB.
I looked at PagePlus, but the web site wasn't working well for me, and it appears as though they won't get me a phone number near where I need one. Doesn't mean I won't try a different area code, but for now, if I can get Verizon to work, that would be 'better.
However, Verizon doesn't have any LOCAL numbers to exactly where I am. The closest town to where I am moving to is considered long distance to where I will be living.
cdmccul said:
I looked at PagePlus, but the web site wasn't working well for me, and it appears as though they won't get me a phone number near where I need one. Doesn't mean I won't try a different area code, but for now, if I can get Verizon to work, that would be 'better.
However, Verizon doesn't have any LOCAL numbers to exactly where I am. The closest town to where I am moving to is considered long distance to where I will be living.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just port your number in. Keep your existing number. If you don't have an existing number, buy a cheap prepaid phone and then port that number.
SaltyDawg said:
Just port your number in. Keep your existing number. If you don't have an existing number, buy a cheap prepaid phone and then port that number.
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Click to collapse
I'll have to see if I can find any - the town I'm moving to isn't THAT small, but I haven't found any local cell numbers. I'll have to do more research, there's got to be somebody... That or I'll try to do something with the GoogleVoice thingy I read about a while ago.
Well if push comes to shove, you can port landline numbers too. So you could sign up for a landline from whoever the local phone company is, and then after a few days port it out to your cell phone.
Just wondering if you anybody has still be able to get passed AT&T's "smartphone" higher data rate.
I have an LG non smart phone that I am thinking about using to purchase the unlimited messaging and data plan for $30. Then swapping my sim back to my fuze.
But I dont know if AT&T has gotten wise to this or not.
yep they seem to catch ya quick now ....we signed up 3 weeks ago and got the unlimited data plan with our 2 pantech impacts ..then i bought a fuze a week later
and within 3 hours of turning on the fuze the nailed me and changed me over to the 2gb smartphone plan ...so unless someone knows a way around this looks like att gets to screw us some more
or if someone can figure out how to block the imei ..cause i think thats how they can tell
Just my experience but yesterday I had to go to the AT&T store to put the $30 data plan on my HTC Fuze. What happened was I put my sim card in my first gen iPhone so it activated the $15 data then I put my card back in my Fuze so for the last two months I had an iPhone plan running on the fuze and they never said anything but after about a week I stopped getting 3G service so I guess as the saying goes you get what you pay for. If you want to, try it but beware if anyone does have the $30 unlimited data plan if you even switch it off for a second you can't get it back good thing was that the iphone was a smartphone with unlimited data.
Signed up with AT&T years ago. Been staying with them contract free because I get the $15 medianet internet.
From what Ive seen, if you never call or contact AT&T, you're fine.
I have a Fuze and a unlocked Telstra Diamond, both with $15 a month medianet on our family plan.
Never been contacted about a change, and have been running on these phones for well over a year. (and on my phone, I frequently go around 5-10gb a month of data). Before these, we had a treo 750, and a palm centro on the medianet plan, and before that a Treo 650.
The 750 and up have all been considered "smartphones" yet Ive never been forced to upgrade.
I should note that I have never bought a phone through AT&T and all of these have been unlocked phones bought on ebay, and just switched out the sim.
As always YMMV.
Yeah IDK. When I swap in my sim card to the LG, AT&T online changes my device. Then when I put my sim back into my Fuze, it will pretty much instantly change it back on the website. Even if I go in and manually change it, it will revert right back my Fuze.
I just think it is a rip off that smartphones get charged more for the exact same network access.
A Lot of steps but this is the cheapest way to enjoy Smartphone without all the hassle of $100 bills
1. Sign up for google voice and get a number
2. Visit Walmart online or in store and buy their $30 plan for 100 minutes, unlimited text, and 5gb of Data (alot)
3. Buy their cheapest lil phone ($30)
4 Activate that lil phone on tmobile.com
5. Get a different android GSM Smartphone (hopefully you already have one)
6. Take the sim card out of the cheap lil walmart phone and place it in your smartphone
7. Go to android market and buy Groove IP ($4)
8. Port your old number to Google voice (optional)
Now you have 5gb of data, unlimited text on both your cellular and google talk and unlimited minutes using Groove IP all for what?
$30/month...minus the walmart phone and the $4 for the app!!!
(only reason why you have to buy the walmart phone is because the plan is exclusive to phones bought at walmart but what you do with it after activation is your business...and then go online to tmobile to re-up the $30 each month...)
No on asked and Didnt know where exactly to post this...but I have done this. And although I had to pay $100 ETF to get out of my old contract...this plan has paid dividends. Im saving $65 a month. Only thing to be cognoscente of is that the Groove IP does use data at about 20kps up and down so if your using service only on 4G you might burn threw your full speed data quickly...I always put my phone on wifi as soon as I get home. Enjoy!
Dam, wish we had prepaid plans like those in Canada
you can work for a corporate store or a third party store and most of the time depending ont the provider you get almost 50% off your bill
This is brilliant! Probably the only thing better is to have someone else (ie. company) paying your phone bill.
Nice! Great way to save, OP!
Depending on your luck, you might be able to get away with a Prepaid activation kit ($7 max). It requires a new level of Hell to get working if the signup doesn't work, though (since technically the customer service reps don't have direct access to the plan if that's what you use).
I just thought I would relate my newbie story on this for any other newbies.
My son bought a TMobile 4G Slide from Ebay a few months ago for $50 and used it on TMobile Prepay no problem, then wanted to move it to Consumer Cellular (he's a low volume user so their plans would be a much better deal for him)
So he asked me to move the phone. I did make him root it for the experience but since the financial stuff required credit cards and he's only 16 I took care of the accounting stuff.
So first thing was ordering the SIM card from CC. That came the next week and I plugged it into his phone. No dice, the phone wanted a network unlock code. I expected that but just wanted to check.
So I called TMobile for the unlock code. Got transferred to pre pay tech support. Ok no problem. Pre Pay TMobile tech support says 'we won't unlock it because there's an amount owing, call our contracts dept."
After wasting an hour or so getting transferred around it finally dawned on me the issue - TMobile has separate tech support departments for Prepay and Postpay accounts. Because this phone had been originally bought on a Postpay account, the Prepay support people couldn't lookup **** on the IMEI number. So I call back in and this time ask for a representative and asked to get transferred to postpay customer service.
I finally get a knowledgeable rep. from Postpay who can look up the IMEI number. He tells me "the IMEI on this one is perfectly clean, there's no outstanding insurance claims or unpaid bills" So much for the dingbats in the other support group.
But, there's a problem. The rep explains that the only way to request a network unlock code on a TMobile phone is to call in, identify yourself as the contract holder (with the phone number of the account, and the PIN) for the matching account that was last used on the phone. If the phone was sold as prepay then you have to call in as the last prepay telephone number to come up on the phone, if the phone was originally sold as post pay you have to call in as a post pay account holder for the account the phone's IMEI was last used on. He said go back to the guy you bought the phone from and ask them to network unlock it.
So I'm stuck. So I dig around in my junk box and come up with an older TMobile 3G slide. This is the predecessor to the 4G slide, it was made by HTC and was used on my wife's TMobile post pay account (which is still active) until she upgraded. So I call into TMobile with that phone, give them the IMEI and a few days later I get an email from TMobile with a network unlock code for the 3G.
I stick in the Consumer Cellular SIM to the 3G and it comes up. But, it cannot get on the CC data network. Voice and text work fine, data does not. I call CC's tech support and they try a bunch of different things, nothing works. They say "well sorry you will just have to upgrade your phone"
So now I'm back to the 4G Slide. So I start searching the Internet can come up with http://unlockcode247.com/ They want $4 to unlock the phone, I figure what the hell. I send them the IMEI and the money and a few hours later I get an unlock code.
The code works, the phone gets on the CC network, and now both voice and data are working just fine.
As I'm in the UK I didn't even bother with Tmobile when I bought my 4G Slide a couple of years ago.. Bought a code on Ebay from somebody with high rating.. Quick and easy.
I did neither, since I came across this post:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1848234
Why pay for a code or hassle with T-Mo when the code is already sitting on the phone?