Also, what kind of plan does your employer have? I have two Nextels, and my bill comes well below $150 @ month. My plan has 500 anytime minutes with free incoming and mobile to mobile, and I average 3200 minutes a month and never go over my anytime minutes.
What cell phone and service plan do you have?
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How is your current coverage/reception? Do you text/send pictures and all that? You might do better with 2 of the prepaid packages they offer. AT&T/Cingular has 1 year expiration periods on $100 refill cards, as does T-Mobile (expiration periods are one of the places they can get you on prepaid... $100 card with Net 10 lasts 180 days from what I can see).
http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service//cell-phone-plans/pyg-cell-phone-plans.jsp
http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/plans/Default.aspx?plancategory=4
I've had Verizon for quite a while and I've never had an issue with coverage/reception in my area, and even in the sticks (where I frequently romp) I can still get at least one bar to get a hold of someone with in case I shoot my eye out or something.
I've had this phone for a month or so now and aside from the reception (generally quite admirable), the battery life (second most important thing to me) has been about as good as I'd hoped for (they quote 440 hours standby and 240 minutes talk) and it's just the size/shape I want. I paid about $50.00 for it, and am happy with my choice so far.
Here's something a few of you might want to look at (check out their forum as well): http://www.cellreception.com/
How is your current coverage/reception? Do you text/send pictures and all that? You might do better with 2 of the prepaid packages they offer. AT&T/Cingular has 1 year expiration periods on $100 refill cards, as does T-Mobile (expiration periods are one of the places they can get you on prepaid... $100 card with Net 10 lasts 180 days from what I can see).
Our reception with Cingular is OK, Verizon is a bit better in some areas. But here's where reading the fine print pays off. Because most of Northern MN is covered by CellOne, ATT doesn't have many towers. When you get the Prepaid phone you can only use AT&T's towers.(T-mobile is the same way)
So as you can see coverage is worse.
In addition they have a $1 per day charge, if you want 10 cents a minute. I use my phone nearly every day so my monthly fee would be $30 a line again.
So as you can see the big 3's prepaid plans don't compare to the virtual providers(Net10, ect.)
FWIW "Net10" and "TracFone" have the same parent company, and I think have the same coverage map. The difference is in the pricing plans.
For my usage, TracFone won out on pricing. The reason I went that way, is because even though TracFone has a slightly higher per minute charge (than Net10), TracFone also has a much lower number of minutes you need to put on the phone every month or three (to keep your service active). So if you are on the lower end of minute usage, TracFone can result in a lower "per month minimum" than Net10 would.
However, since Net10 charges less per minute, it would obviously be the better choice if you actually needed those extra minutes every month...
That's too bad about AT&T; I see what you're talking about. If you look at the map on AT&T's "coverage viewer", there's an almost 100% chance you're currently using someone else's towers in the northern half of the state, but you're not getting charged for roaming because of the national family plan you have. I suppose their setup with the prepaid coverage makes some kind of sense for them. http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-plans/?_requestid=306228
The zip code entry coverage maps for Net 10 denote roaming as literally anything outside the home area. I see they only charge 10 cents a minute for local/roaming/long distance, which I guess is a good deal for prepaid if that's actually the case (so to speak) and the service provided in roaming areas is reliable. Home area coverage from Tracfone is indeed apparently identical to Net 10, see their Jackson Pollock style national coverage maps in comparison:
http://www.net10.com/content/mappopup.jsp
http://www.tracfone.com/includes/content/mappopup.jsp
EDIT: Now the Tracfone isn't working, maybe it will later. Go here, type in a zip code where you know there's no chance of getting coverage, and it will give you a national coverage map.
as well as their zip code entry coverage maps in comparison, which look the same for any given zip code (from what I saw). Note: if they don't look the same, I swear on my mother's grave that they look identical most of the time; it's changed on me three times already. Sometimes the green areas on the Net 10 map look all bloated, and sometimes it looks exactly like the Tracfone map. I'm not making this up. Not saying they're trying to be tricky, maybe the spidery one is their GSM 1900 home area and the fat one is their GSM 850 roaming somehow. That would be interesting if that were the case.
This is from a section in the Tracfone website after you pull up a coverage map using the zip code entry method (I added the bold highlights):
I'm willing to believe you're safe in the green areas with Net 10 or Tracfone, and by appearances at least, you can get roaming almost anywhere else within reasonable constraints, which "generally" costs you double with Tracfone and 10 cents a minute with Net 10.
If you do happen to do all your calling on the northern corners, you might want to also look at prepaid from Alltel: http://www.alltelu.com/plans/pay-per-minute.php
From the coverage map on Alltel's site, it seems like you're alright if you do most of your calling there, but the north central part of the state still gets the shaft and they stick it to you at 59 cents per minute for roaming, which seems more believable to me. Alltel has $100 refill cards with 1 year expiration periods and $55 – $99.99 refills with 180 day expiration periods, but their price per minute is a little higher at 15 cents.
Have fun sorting through this, hope you can find something that works for you.
The zip code entry coverage maps for Net 10 denote roaming as literally anything outside the home area. I see they only charge 10 cents a minute for local/roaming/long distance, which I guess is a good deal for prepaid if that's actually the case (so to speak) and the service provided in roaming areas is reliable. Home area coverage from Tracfone is indeed apparently identical to Net 10, see their Jackson Pollock style national coverage maps in comparison:
http://www.net10.com/content/mappopup.jsp
http://www.tracfone.com/includes/content/mappopup.jsp
EDIT: Now the Tracfone isn't working, maybe it will later. Go here, type in a zip code where you know there's no chance of getting coverage, and it will give you a national coverage map.
as well as their zip code entry coverage maps in comparison, which look the same for any given zip code (from what I saw). Note: if they don't look the same, I swear on my mother's grave that they look identical most of the time; it's changed on me three times already. Sometimes the green areas on the Net 10 map look all bloated, and sometimes it looks exactly like the Tracfone map. I'm not making this up. Not saying they're trying to be tricky, maybe the spidery one is their GSM 1900 home area and the fat one is their GSM 850 roaming somehow. That would be interesting if that were the case.
I agree. Net 10 has a little snippet about this on their website. Telcel is apparently a subsidiary of América Móvil, which has a roaming agreement with Smith Bagley, Inc. (CellularOne) for GSM 850/1900 coverage according to this website, so: "super-theoretically" Net 10 and Tracfone have a roaming agreement with Cellular One under those bands, assuming the site is updated regularly and I'm not reading into it incorrectly.
This is from a section in the Tracfone website after you pull up a coverage map using the zip code entry method (I added the bold highlights):
I'm willing to believe you're safe in the green areas with Net 10 or Tracfone, and by appearances at least, you can get roaming almost anywhere else within reasonable constraints, which "generally" costs you double with Tracfone and 10 cents a minute with Net 10.
If you do happen to do all your calling on the northern corners, you might want to also look at prepaid from Alltel: http://www.alltelu.com/plans/pay-per-minute.php
From the coverage map on Alltel's site, it seems like you're alright if you do most of your calling there, but the north central part of the state still gets the shaft and they stick it to you at 59 cents per minute for roaming, which seems more believable to me. Alltel has $100 refill cards with 1 year expiration periods and $55 – $99.99 refills with 180 day expiration periods, but their price per minute is a little higher at 15 cents.
Have fun sorting through this, hope you can find something that works for you.
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Well, When in Las Vegas, Southern Utah, North of Idaho falls, ALL of Montana, parts of Canada and places in the greater Salt Lake Valley, BOTH my Virgin Mobile phone (which uses the Sprint backbone) and my Nextel do not work.
Both at the SAME TIME and SAME PLACES. I'd say they are on the same network!
Bill
PS: My wifes Net10 worked EVERY place my Virgin Mobile or Nextel would not.
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The one that the state is on. State contract.
Free night and weekend mins starting at 09:00pm.
I don't know, they give me the thing and I try to use it. Not impressed with it at the least.
Bill
They both have the cheap Motorolla phones. They are blue and non-flip.
Excellent battery life and work well.
Take are, Bill
Both Net10 and Tracfone have GSM and CDMA phones available. That's why on Tracfones site they have two maps depending on the phone. They only sell the GSM ones to people in my area. I think they use Alltel's network and not verizons, which would explain this and the poor coveage.
Alltel is not available in my area, unless they use Verizon's network their coverage would be poor.
Alltel is not available in my area, unless they use Verizon's network their coverage would be poor.
My experience with my own TracFone's over the years, is that the roaming is really very good (works most places, including some that many cell phones don't).
As to the double-price roaming, that's "old news". It used to be like that, but on some of their current model phones (including the one I am currently using), they are now giving roaming at the same (1 unit per minute of talk) rate as "in network". As a result, if you have such a phone, there is no penalty for "roaming", and your phone just works at the one unit per minute of talk rate.
As to choosing between "NET10" and "TracFone", I think I would personally make that decision based upon how much you plan to talk in the month. From what I can tell, the minimum you can keep a NET10 phone active for is $15/month (i.e. a $30 "300 minute" card every 60 days). However, even though TracFone minutes are more costly, a TracFone can be kept active for less than $7/month (i.e. a $20 "60 minute" card every 90 days), which is less than 1/2 of the NET10 "minimum minutes". Yes, you will pay more "per minute" with TracFone (although some TracFone minute options are very close to the NET10 rate), but TracFone also has lower mimums you are required to buy (to keep your service/number active). So personally I am staying with TracFone, because I use considerably less than $15/month of air time. However, if a user was consistently using more than $15/month of air time, than NET10 would probably be a better deal (as NET10 generally has lower costs per minute of air time, even though it does have a higher minimum minute purchase).
Dude, it's too easy! Cellular One! (This really does seem too easy, something's not right...
) Did you look at their monthly and prepaid plans? The state coverage for MN looks identical to AT&T for both prepaid and monthly, and the rates for both are well under your current bill (by about $20/$15 respectively). You probably have to figure on $100 worth of activation and junk with a monthly, but still. Alright, I'm cashing in my chips. Promise.
It just looks like something that would fit, but maybe you've had bad luck with them in the past or something. Good luck with Net 10 or AT&T or whatever, seriously. Signing off...
My wife uses a Motorola phone with Verizon Wireless. It's the only service that will work at our house.
My cell phone plan is eerily similar to MarkC - none.
My cell phone plan is eerily similar to MarkC - none.
Son of a ----!
I truly hope you can find something good that isn't so expensive one of these days. Best of luck with Net 10 if you decide to go for it. I see Verizon has an "America's Choice 65 Plus 2-line Calling Plan" for the low, low price of $60.00; are the golden years far off for you folks? Maybe there will be some more competition in your area by then if they aren't. Have a good one T-Keith; you've been a good sport putting up with me: that skill might come in handy dealing with the phone company... or was it the other way around?
PagePlusCellular prepaid. No daily fee, minutes are valid for 120 days and carry forward if you recharge before they expire. Minimum recharge is $10 for 83 minutes. You can use any Verizon phone (or ampd phone except for the Motorola E816 Hollywood) because PagePlus piggybacks onto the Verizon network.
I have four phones on PagePlus - LG VX4500, Motorola Razr, two Motorola E815. That's for the wife, two kids and myself. We use the phones just to keep in contact and know where we each are. Overall, I'm paying under $20/month for 4 phones.
The Razr was an ampd phone and I moved it to PagePlus when ampd went bust. The other three were purchased off ebay and activated by ebay seller UglyEric. $3.99 to activate and comes with 100 free minutes. Just be sure to buy a Verizon phone, anything except the Motorola E816, and you're all set.
I have four phones on PagePlus - LG VX4500, Motorola Razr, two Motorola E815. That's for the wife, two kids and myself. We use the phones just to keep in contact and know where we each are. Overall, I'm paying under $20/month for 4 phones.
The Razr was an ampd phone and I moved it to PagePlus when ampd went bust. The other three were purchased off ebay and activated by ebay seller UglyEric. $3.99 to activate and comes with 100 free minutes. Just be sure to buy a Verizon phone, anything except the Motorola E816, and you're all set.
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To no one (or Mr Noone!) in particular:
Net 10 appears to charge for non-answered calls and busy signals. That's not good. My better half has her phone off constantly.
I "believe" I'll be best of with T-Mobile prepaid: $25 for 130 min for 3 months. That comes to 19.2 cents per minute or 4 minutes per day for 3 months.
Net 10 appears to charge for non-answered calls and busy signals. That's not good. My better half has her phone off constantly.
I "believe" I'll be best of with T-Mobile prepaid: $25 for 130 min for 3 months. That comes to 19.2 cents per minute or 4 minutes per day for 3 months.
Take a look at
http://www.ecallplus.com/cellular/locus-gsm.html
You can usually use your old ATT GSM phone with a GSM starter kit for $24. If you talk one hour/month it will cost $10/month. See the rate table for more info, the price per minute goes down if you talk more.
They use ATT's network, so if your coverage is OK now it still will be.
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I'm comparing Locus Platinum (Verizon CDMA network) and Locus Mobile (GSM network). What's the difference between CDMA and GSM? I know I can google it, but maybe someone can explain the difference in a nutshell without me having to strain my little grey cells.
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I'm comparing Locus Platinum (Verizon CDMA network) and Locus Mobile (GSM network). What's the difference between CDMA and GSM? I know I can google it, but maybe someone can explain the difference in a nutshell without me having to strain my little grey cells.
GSM is pretty much worldwide. CDMA is primarily North America. They are completely different network tecnologies.
You can put another $im card in a GSM phone and use it in other countries.
I believe CDMA tends to work further from a cell tower, so has some advantage in the boonies.
For a more technical description, I would have to Google it too.
To the avearge user, it doen't make a rats rear end of difference.
I carries a CDMA and my wife carries a GSM so we are covered most places we go in the US and Canada. And would be in other countries if we got anothe SIM card for her phone.
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