<p>Hey, so I will start college this month in US.</p>
<p>My area will have at&t and verizon (they say verizon has a better service there and at&t is avoidable).</p>
<p>I tried looking up Boost but it was hard to reach them. Any other low frills cheap service providers you could recommend?</p>
<p>Anyway, all these plans online are confusing!!</p>
<p>How much does the bill normally come every month?</p>
<p>Help??</p>
<p>First things, you said you’re international, do you have a SSN?
Most cell phone companies that have a contract will require you to have one as they do a credit check. If you don’t have a SSN some companies won’t give you a contract, others may just have you pay a deposit which is about $300+</p>
<p>International calling is also expensive on these networks so you should look into that especially if you plan on calling home a lot.</p>
<p>Does your area have metro pcs?</p>
<p>I recommend you look more towards prepaid providers. They usually don’t even require your name to sign up. Yes, Boost is good, if you’re a heavy user and really like to use the web, etc.</p>
<p>If you plan to just talk and text, here’s a few good ones:</p>
<p>1.) PagePlus Cellular (reseller of Verizon, my provider) – I pay $29.95/mo for 1200min/1200txt/50MB. They also have various plans ranging from $0.04/min to $0.10/min depending on how much you prepurchase at a time. My parents’ costs usually end up to be ~$50/yr. You will need to purchase a compatible handset though; it does <em>not</em> use GSM (with SIM cards) like everywhere else in the world. Purchasing thru a dealer, however hard they are to find, is strongly recommended.</p>
<p>2.) StraightTalk (resller of Verizon) – 1000min/1000txt/100mb for $30/mo or unlimited for $45/mo. Phones and plans can be easily purchased at WalMart, unlike with PPC. However, like PPC, it also does not use SIM cards.</p>
<p>3.) H2O Wireless (reseller of AT&T) – they have this unlimited talk+text plan for $40/mo. I think they also have a free international calling plan for $50/mo, but that should be double-checked. They also have a few good by-the-minute plans. This one, you can use your own GSM phone, and they do provide a SIM card.</p>
<p>Hey thanks! Straight Talk looks good, but it doesn’t support international calls.</p>
<p>Any other providers?</p>
<p>If TMobile services your area, I highly recommend them. If you buy a $100 prepaid card, you get 1000minutes which translate to 10cents a minute. However, international calls aren’t cheap. You can look online to see how much it is then perhaps buy an international calling card where you call a local access number, enter a pin number, then your destination number and it’ll connect you that way. </p>
<p>Granted TMobile will count minutes when you connect to the local access number, and the phone card will count minutes when your recipient answers, it’s often cheaper this way than purposefully getting an calling plan, especially if it’s a major country.</p>
<p>Another option for calling international is to use Skype, where you call a phone using your laptop/desktop.</p>
<p>Nope no T-mobile…I’m going to Bozeman, MT.</p>
<p>Is a landline available where you will be residing?</p>
<p>Yeah, but I guess I still need a cell…</p>
<p>Oh and if I use Verizon can I bring my own Mobile from here or do I need to buy a mobile set from Verizon, if I take the Prepaid plan?</p>
<p>Some time ago I had a similar problem. Finally, I decided to get a phone from Virgin Mobile. I’ll pay $299 for BlackBerry Curve 5530 and then $35/month. I’ll get 300 minutes plus unlimited texting and, which was important for me, data. It’s cheaper than major networks (especially since if I signed a contract, I would have to pay each month during summer, when I would not be even using their phone) plus, unlike some other prepaid providers, I still have a decent phone.</p>
<p>federernadal - landlines are more cost-effective and there are fewer ways the phone company can hide fees. Smartphones are an even bigger money drain - stay away from those things.</p>
<p>You should check for metropcs, it has unlimited international text and calling for only $10 a month and there plans start at $40 a month including taxes and fees. Plus its prepaid so no contract or SSN.</p>
<p>And If you get a smart phone, its unlimited call and text plus unlimited web.</p>
<p>Virgin Mobile. 25$/month for unlimited texting and data and 300 anytime minutes. PM me for a start up coupon code that would get you 60 free minutes if you decide to go that route :)</p>
<p>I’ve heard that verizon is a lot more reliable, though, if you are willing to spend the money.</p>
<p>How about Straight Talk?</p>
<p>StraightTalk is like Verizon, except it doesn’t roam on Sprint. As long as you don’t go to the boondocks, though, you should be OK.</p>
<p>For international calling, I suggest that you purchase a calling card. It’ll usually be much cheaper than what your cell phone provider can give.</p>
<p>I’m also international</p>
<p>I got AT&T, still on their old plan, will get one of their new tier systems when I arrive if I like it. They got this international call option which is like an extra $10-20 a month but u get to use the same amount of minutes as local calls so that saves me a load of cash.</p>