Nappster

jjmb

look up posts by petitefrancaise on this subject. She has a wealth of info

Olly_

Maybe a bit late if you've cancelled your AT&T account but you could have ported your number to Google Voice and then used the Google Voice app to make/receive calls and texts.

petitefrancaise

if you have a US gmail account, then you can get a US phone number from google voice. You'll need to install an app to make and receive calls. Any calls made to this new number can be directed to voicemail as well.

Also you can buy a number from a third party and have it ring to your cell phone and use it to make calls. I used to have some info on this but not sure where it is right now...

Steerpike

I've been very happy with the way a Google Voice number has worked as a secondary number on my primary cell phone in the US; not sure how it will work internationally. If you only have one phone - a UK phone with a UK voice/data plan - you'll need to add a data plan on that phone to give you a 'data' connection while in the US, to be used by the Google Voice service, I believe. This means you won't need a 'voice' plan, and won't be paying for 'minutes', but you will be paying for data while in the US.

Alternatively, you can get 'pay as you go' service with very low overheads. When you try to get such service from, say, Verizon, there's a lot of pressure to upsell you to plans with fixed monthlies, but you can hold out and just get a plan where you buy a 'block of minutes' with zero monthly fees or overheads. The downside of these is that the minutes do expire, and if you were to try to go 9 months without using the number you'd probably lose it (that is, they won't assign you a number indefinitely if you don't maintain some level of usage). So as a minimum, you'd need to fire up the phone and use it while in the UK once in a while.

If you have any friends left behind in the US, you could ask them to add you (your number/phone) as a device on their plan. I had a spare iPhone and needed an extra phone, so just added it as a 'line' on my existing plan. It shares the minutes and data 'pool' from the main plan, and only costs $20 extra per month so the overhead there is just $20. Your friend may need to 'up their limits' for the months you are in town, if you use it a lot (typically, the data portion, since the rest is typically unlimited).

TheKingOfHearts

UK contract on Three that includes your international roaming for your day-to-day UK activities and visits over here plus a US Google account with Google Voice (Utilised through the Hangouts app) for a US cell number works perfectly. I did it myself for almost 2 years.

Steerpike

How much do you have to pay for the 'international roaming' part for 'visits over here'?

robtuck

T-Mobile, on some plans, include International by default I think, if switching the UK account is on the table.

TheKingOfHearts

Nothing, that's what includes means

Go Roam | Roaming free of charge in 71 destinations | Three

Steerpike

I just followed a few of the links on the page, and I saw this, relating to usage in the US:
Calling a UK number: Comes out of your allowance.
Calling an United States number: £1.40 per minute.

So calling back to UK is included but calling another US number is not included. HOWEVER - if you follow your advice and use a Google Voice number, then that runs on the 'data' plan, and the data plan is free to use in the US.

Duncan Roberts

Maybe look at Google Fi. I'm pretty sure there are things you can do to have multiple numbers ring to the same account and because it's Fi, data is included in the plan at regular prices, calling depends on if it's WiFi or cell so can range from free to a small additional charge per minute. Plus, in general, international calling is dirt cheap. Like 1c a minute on US plans to call the UK.

Steerpike

Remember that calls to UK can be charged differently depending on the destination 'type'' - calls to land lines are dirt cheap but not so for calls to cells. I think this is changing, though - but the 'calling plan' I have personally still operates this way.

mrken30

Take a good look at toggle mobile. They allow a US and UK phone number on a single account. The Sim cards can only be bought in the UK