[Novalug] “What I Did This Summer” or “Goodby Cell Phone Contract”

Mark A. Metz mametz@aol.com
Sat Nov 16 21:22:45 EST 2013


Yep.  And no contract.

Sprint barely touches my area, though.


"Miles D. Oliver" <miles.d.oliver@gmail.com> wrote:
>Ting uses the Sprint network.   I've cut my bill in half for 2 phones
>by
>switching to Ting.
>
>Average  is now less than $50 a month where before w/contract it was
>$110
>plus.
>
>
>
>
>On Sat, Nov 16, 2013 at 8:34 PM, Mark A. Metz <mametz@aol.com> wrote:
>
>> I would go with Ting, but I'm in a rural location and would only get
>2G at
>> best.
>> Otherwise, Ting looks like a very good solution to avoid cell
>contracts.
>> If I were closer to DC I would try them.
>>
>>
>>
>> Jason Kohles <jkohles@palantir.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> Don't learn the hard way (like I did) that Google Voice won't help
>you
>>> here.  You can't forward your Google Voice calls to an international
>>> number, so it's no use if you plan to get a local SIM..
>>>
>>>  When I travel outside the US I end up pointing Google Voice at my
>>> office phone and then forwarding that to a local number..
>>>
>>> --
>>> Jason Kohles - Palantir Technologies - IT Site Engineer
>>>  jkohles@palantir.com - 703-957-5784
>>>
>>>
>>> On Nov 16, 2013, at 7:45 PM, "John Holland" <jholland@vin-dit.org>
>wrote:
>>>
>>>   I did something similiar but not as well researched as you. One
>thing
>>> I would recommend is getting a google voice # you can  forward to
>whatever
>>> cell or other number (or numbers) you are currently reachable at. It
>can
>>> also send you emails of your voice messages but the transcription is
>often
>>> incomprehensible.  (Don't know who else offers anything like this
>but would
>>> be interested to find out)
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 11/16/2013 07:22 PM, Charles R. Head wrote:
>>>
>>> Simply put, I dumped my cell phone contract. I got a very nice smart
>>> phone that was reasonably priced, will run all the apps I need and
>will
>>> work anywhere in the world – all without a contract! I pay $0.05 per
>minute
>>> to talk anywhere in the U.S. and Canada.  When I travel, I'll get a
>second
>>> SIM for that locale when I get there.
>>>
>>> This all started when my wife and I visited Italy and Kenya this
>past
>>> summer. I knew she'd want to go to stores and art museums that I
>have no
>>> interest in, but we'd still need to keep in touch for meals, etc.
>So, what
>>> to do? We knew our U.S. CDMA smart phones wouldn't work essentially
>>> anywhere but in the U.S. So, in Italy, we bought two GSM cell phones
>for
>>> ~$20 each and got 240 minutes of talk time each on SIMs for a local
>telecom
>>> for an additional ~$10 each. They worked great. When we got to
>Kenya, we
>>> pulled the Italian SIMs out and inserted free Kenyan SIMs. We put a
>few $s
>>> of time on each phone and had a fine time there too. No contracts!
>No
>>> commitments! Great prices! Great service!
>>>
>>> When we got back to the U.S., I couldn't help but ask myself why I
>should
>>> have to put up with the expensive, long term contracts we're all
>stuck with
>>> here. I found the answer – *we don't*!
>>>
>>> Here's what I did:
>>>
>>>    -
>>>
>>>    I found that several companies sell dual SIM, multi-band GSM
>smart
>>>    phones. These phones are marketed as “world phones” because they
>will work
>>>    on both the cell phones bands used in the U.S. and the cell phone
>bands
>>>    used in the rest of the world.  [Google:  dual SIM, multi-band
>GSM smart
>>>    phones ]
>>>     -
>>>
>>>    I found that AT&T and T-Mobile both operate GSM cell phone
>networks
>>>    in the U.S., in parallel with their CDMA cell phone networks.
>They sell
>>>    their extra capacity to several cell phone service providers that
>then
>>>    offer service to the public on a pre-paid, no contract basis. 
>[Google:
>>>    pre-paid GSM cell service ]
>>>     -
>>>
>>>    I bought a dual SIM, quad band GSM smart phone for ~$200. My
>phone
>>>    looks like a Samsung Galaxy SIII – the G SIII protective cases
>even fit.
>>>    -
>>>
>>>    I got a U.S./Canada SIM that gives me cell phone service for
>$0.05
>>>    per minute. I buy service in $10 chunks, but several other
>options exist.
>>>    I've used my service around the D.C. area and in Portland, OR. It
>worked
>>>    fine in both places.
>>>
>>> I didn't provide any brand names above because I'm not shilling for
>>> anyone. Moreover, there are several different sources of both the
>smart
>>> phones and SIMs – some of which may well give better deals for you
>than
>>> what I got. Lately, I've seen some nice new phones I would like to
>have
>>> bought – but they came out after I bought mine. Nevertheless, if you
>really
>>> want to know what I bought and who I'm getting service from, I'll
>tell
>>> those who ask.
>>>
>>> Also, although data plans are available from the same service
>providers
>>> that provide GSM cell phone service in the U.S., I didn't get one. I
>just
>>> set up my phone to connect via WiFi when it's available (and FREE –
>I'm
>>> cheap! Yeah, I know. You'd never guess.).
>>>
>>> Drawbacks? Well, the price per minute is probably higher than you
>can get
>>> with a long term contract. However, for me, that difference is a
>trivial
>>> portion of my total cell phone cost and is totally overwhelmed by
>the
>>> benefit of not having a contract. Also, the coverage provided by the
>AT&T
>>> and T-Mobile GSM systems isn't as good in the U.S. as some CDMA
>systems.
>>> Nevertheless, I've found that I get totally sufficient connectivity
>around
>>> the D.C. area and in the other places I've visited since I started
>this one
>>> person revolt. It all depends on where you need to go. Oh – don't
>forget,
>>> phones like mine work all over the rest of the world too. That's
>something
>>> you can't say about your typical U.S. smart phone.
>>>
>>> So, come on in, join me. The water's fine – and you get to stick one
>in
>>> the man's eye!
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ------------------------------
>>>
>>>
><https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v1/url?u=http://www.avast.com/&k=fDZpZZQMmYwf27OU23GmAQ%3D%3D%0A&r=v1iNBg6KzBTGdLxNtAuO53QULfz8FRTeimt6z44YsZY%3D%0A&m=qq9HVfKCnS%2FQNb6iQfKEbyAIFHTYDS9hfkq6lRw7bEw%3D%0A&s=dc2c9cdf99edaa989e4992e76c6124ca41c44adfa3964a28a80b5f280812ab5a>
>>>
>>> This email is free from viruses and malware because avast!
>Antivirus<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v1/url?u=http://www.avast.com/&k=fDZpZZQMmYwf27OU23GmAQ%3D%3D%0A&r=v1iNBg6KzBTGdLxNtAuO53QULfz8FRTeimt6z44YsZY%3D%0A&m=qq9HVfKCnS%2FQNb6iQfKEbyAIFHTYDS9hfkq6lRw7bEw%3D%0A&s=dc2c9cdf99edaa989e4992e76c6124ca41c44adfa3964a28a80b5f280812ab5a>protection
>is active.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Novalug mailing
>listNovalug@calypso.tux.orghttp://calypso.tux.org/mailman/listinfo/novalug
><https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v1/url?u=http://calypso.tux.org/mailman/listinfo/novalug&k=fDZpZZQMmYwf27OU23GmAQ%3D%3D%0A&r=v1iNBg6KzBTGdLxNtAuO53QULfz8FRTeimt6z44YsZY%3D%0A&m=qq9HVfKCnS%2FQNb6iQfKEbyAIFHTYDS9hfkq6lRw7bEw%3D%0A&s=b5683a746cd7273d0b061cd309b10dbf706fd5c2f80e4482be6f1a07d7969bc3>
>>>
>>>
>>>   _______________________________________________
>>> Novalug mailing list
>>> Novalug@calypso.tux.org
>>>
>>>
>https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v1/url?u=http://calypso.tux.org/mailman/listinfo/novalug&k=fDZpZZQMmYwf27OU23GmAQ%3D%3D%0A&r=v1iNBg6KzBTGdLxNtAuO53QULfz8FRTeimt6z44YsZY%3D%0A&m=qq9HVfKCnS%2FQNb6iQfKEbyAIFHTYDS9hfkq6lRw7bEw%3D%0A&s=b5683a746cd7273d0b061cd309b10dbf706fd5c2f80e4482be6f1a07d7969bc3
>>>
>>> ------------------------------
>>>
>>> Novalug mailing list
>>> Novalug@calypso.tux.org
>>> http://calypso.tux.org/mailman/listinfo/novalug
>>>
>>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Novalug mailing list
>> Novalug@calypso.tux.org
>> http://calypso.tux.org/mailman/listinfo/novalug
>>
>>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.firemountain.net/pipermail/novalug/attachments/20131116/aad37ab7/attachment.htm>


More information about the Novalug mailing list