Pay as you go cell phone service

[cymro]

Hi everyone,

I am new to this forum and am finding lots of good information here. We are planning to drive our trailer from NW Ontario to SW Texas this winter, spending quite a bit of time in the Big Bend area. I know that the cell phone service is sketchy in this area. Does anyone have any suggestions as to which provider we should go with? We would like to find a pay as you go/ prepaid package which includes data.

thank you!

 

[Tom]

Welcome to The RV Forum. With a user name like that, you must have some close Welsh connections  ???

It's been a while since we've been on the road, but hopefully "current" travelers will jump in their experience in those areas.

 

[Larry N.]

We're pleased with our Consumer Cellular service. Though their data offering isn't quite as large as some, it's been adequate for us, and service is good. It uses the AT&T network.

 

[Frizlefrak]

It doesn't matter who you chose.....you won't have any cell service in the Big Bend area (unless they've done something recently that I don't know about).  I haven't been in a few years, but there was zero service south of Alpine, Tx.  No radio either unless you have Sirius/XM. 

 

[cymro]

Thanks for the welcome Tom, yes I do have Welsh connections. I was born there a long time ago.

Larry thanks for the suggestion about Consumer Cellular, and Frizlefrack thanks for your input also. I know that there is no cell service in Big Bend itself, I was just wondering which service worked best in the areas that do have service. We have extensive experience of camping off the grid in fairly remote parts of NW Ontario where we live and do have Sirius radio in the truck.

 

[Tom]

... yes I do have Welsh connections. I was born there a long time ago.

Small world, me too (click the Hosts button above and click on my picture there). Only a Taff would make the connection  ;D

 

[Frizlefrak]

Thanks for the welcome Tom, yes I do have Welsh connections. I was born there a long time ago.

Larry thanks for the suggestion about Consumer Cellular, and Frizlefrack thanks for your input also. I know that there is no cell service in Big Bend itself, I was just wondering which service worked best in the areas that do have service. We have extensive experience of camping off the grid in fairly remote parts of NW Ontario where we live and do have Sirius radio in the truck.

You might consider Cricket....there are no contracts, it's month to month and the service is about as inexpensive as it gets.  We have two Cricket phones and they work great.  They have plans starting at about $35 a month with unlimited voice and text.  Nice thing with Cricket is you can shut service off when you're not using it, and turn it back on 3 months later with no hassles.

http://www.mycricket.com/

 

[gc1966]

Straight Talk.. I also root the phone and use it for a wifi hotspot

 

[FireBean]

http://www.virginmobileusa.com/

Similar to Straight Talk... I too rooted and use it for a hot spot.

Either no contract plans (unlimited data/txt) or pay as you go, Verizons network.

I have been with them for over 3 years, I usually get my phone from Amazon or Ebay.

V/R
FB

 

[Larry N.]

It's not necessary to root phones to get a hotspot anymore. On my Huawei 8800 from Consumer Cellular (Android 4) I just run the FoxFi app (don't confuse it with the Firefox browser), and it's a hotspot, without having to root it. Incidentally, Consumer Cellular is also month to month, no contract. There are probably others, but those using either the AT&T or Verizon networks are most likely to have broad service coverage, especially outside of cities.

 

[Hfx_Cdn]

    Welcome from the East Coast, DW & I were married in Sudbury, and our first 2 kids were born in Northern Ontario, but by the northwest, I'm guessing near the Manitoba border.
    We have used a Tracfone for years, and have traveled Florida to California twice with no difficulty in obtaining signal anywhere that you would expect signal.  However, I have never used the data of the smart phone.  It is a system that you buy time/minutes and use it as you go, as opposed to a monthly contract that the other posters are using.  We upgraded our phone last winter and it came with triple minutes, and we can call anywhere in Canada or the US for straight minutes, be sure to check if that is available on the other plans, as it can get expensive if they charge a premium to call home, and you have a talkative daughter like we do.  BTW, Tracfones are available at a lot of retailers, we got ours on sale at Target at 50% off.
    Welcome to the Forum, enjoy your trip.  Don't forget to check the weather before heading to Big Bend as it does get winter weather.

Ed

 

[jackrobnett]

Page Plus Cellular uses Verizons network and has the best coverage. They will activate any Verizon 3g phone including iphone 4 and 4s. I have one of each on their system. DW gets by on a $12.00 plan.

 

[John From Detroit]

I will second the fact that Verizon has the best overall coverage.. Of course it does not matter if they do not cover where you are parked.

I am kind of anti-Verizon for other reasons... But some of the re-sellers may well take care of that (Like Page Plus mentioned above)  I'm with T-Mobile. not nearly as good a coverage, but... Where I need it I got it. Where I don't need it, I don't.. Works well for me... But then I got lucky.

 

[SeilerBird]

I am with T-mobile and not with Verizon for the same reasons John mentions.