LouisB

So, am I right to say in the US you get a bum deal on cellular contracts?

In the UK having been on Three for years, with unlimited data and internet in 25 countries (including USA) for around £20 / $25 then when I look at US deals they all seem a bit depressing.

I'm a heavy data user, limited text, infrequent calls. Any recommendations for best provider and plan?

Already not having a US number is proving an issue since my UK cell won't fit into many online systems and forms.

kimilseung

Rent a US number for a few months. Skype let you do it, I am sure others do too.

LouisB

Ahah that's an idea! Thanks

tom169

Services like Localphone will let you rent a number and have it redirected to another number in a transparent way. I do this the other way around by having a UK number my gran can reach out on (gave her some peace of mind) that redirects to my US cell phone.

I feel your pain on the price point. I were on Three and had the unlimited deal which ended up on about £20 a month.

I'm now on T-Mobile and have 3GB of 4G LTE and unlimited slower speed (I think it is 3G). However, I've found that I rarely use over 1.5GB. The reason being is that whilst I'm out my phone will switch onto cable WiFi hotspots. My Pixel will then automatically tunnel the connection through a VPN making it harder for a malicious person to steal transient data. I'm not sure if these hotspots are free for everyone, or just because I pay for cable internet.

So take a look at your usage... do you really need unlimited?

I pay $43 all in with no contract. Remember that a lot of the prices you see out there for phone deals will add taxes and fees on top. Recently there has been a swing to stop this practice by there finally being some competition, but most still operate this way.

You may also find that if you need more lines (such as family members) it can become cost effective to team up and buy a plan together.

kimilseung

I hover between 1 and 1.5 gigs a month too.
I am on Project Fi, which probably isnt geared towards the OPs needs, but here it is for comparison purposes, it is $20 for phone and text then $10 per gig (billed to the cent, no minimum charge),
plus my extras pf $5.68:
Taxes & government surcharges
State Sales Tax $1.47
County Sales Tax $0.70
State 911 Tax $0.25
Local 911 Surcharge $0.70
Other fees
Local Gross Receipts Tax $1.23
Federal Universal Service Fund $1.20
Federal Regulatory Assessment Fee $0.13

jhynds

My wife and I just moved to the States, AT&T wouldn't give us a contract as we have no credit history in the US. We ended up getting a 'GoPhone' plan from them - 30 day rolling contract.

petitefrancaise

T-mobile have pretty good pre-paid plans with unlimited data.

I would NOT recommend skype. You can't personalise your voicemail message and you can't receive texts - outgoing texts have your skype id and not the phone number.

I bought one a few weeks back and it's crap and expensive.

I posted about this a few weeks back
http://britishexpats.com/forum/usa-5...-890910/page3/

mrken30

If you need a US number now, transfer to togglemobile in the UK. You can transfer your UK number and get a local US number on the same phone.

Do you need all your data to be 4G? I pay just over $17 a month for unlimited data,text and US calls. I also get 1000 mins of UK calls included in that plan. However I only get the first 100 MB as 4 GB. If I want more 4G data I can pay for it. Look for MVNOs in the US.

I am currently on lyca mobile, but was previously on ultra mobile, both T-mobile MVNOs

petitefrancaise

Ting is a good mvno (t-mobile one).

markonline1

To answer the original question, you won't get anywhere near a deal like you did with 3 over here, and yes, US cell contracts are shite!

mrken30

The same can be said with internet providers and TV providers. The UK has good deals on all of these.

Nutmegger

In terms of coverage, have always found Verizon the best in the tri-state area, and have thus bit the bullet on contracts with them as I know I'm not going to change providers. That said, I have never paid for an iPhone, I get a new one every two years as a perk of the contracts. (I also get an 18% discount per month as I work for a nonprofit.)

mrken30

Coverage does vary a lot by different providers. It's similar to how the UK was in the 90's with Orange, Mercury, Cellnet and the other one.

markonline1

Definitely internet. I think our tv package is similar to what we paid sky.

mrken30

Netflix is pretty much the same price