Mobile Internet In The Usa

[NanLaew]

On a recent trip I have been using the T-Mobile day-pass; $1.49 for unlimited 2G access for 24 hours. I am an existing T-Mobile pre-paid customer, having transitioned from being a long-time post-paid customer ~ 5 years ago, so I already have a SIM. It was pretty easy, just opened a browser, got re-directed to a personalized home-page which showed my account details, and allowed me to choose the day-pass option. Coverage (metro-Boston) is fine, and I'm getting EDGE with average speedtest results of 220 Kbps down/115 Kbps up. There is a T-Mobile My Account widget/app in the market.

I'm pretty happy with the service, so may just continue to use it. I was going to try AT&T 3G pre-paid but may not as there are some additional issues for me as I am using an un-locked AT&T Captivate (custom Samsung Galaxy S) and I may not be able to register a SIM in that phone based on the IMEI. I guess I can use another phone to register then swap it back into my Captivate but am not sure it is worth the trouble. I have WiFi access, so mainly use 2G when away from the WiFi.

FWIW my One-2-Call pre-paid SIM roams effortlessly here on both AT&T and T-Mobile. I receive SMSes, calls (but don't answer), status messages like *121#, and even the e-Services one-time password which allows me to originate local (intra-Thailand) SMSes on the One-2-Call website for 1 baht per.

It looks like T-Mobile provide the most economical net access. My new unlocked Nexus-S came with a T-Mobile SIM in the box that just needs to be registered so taking that with me to the US on my next trip. If I can get my existing phone number with AT&T (had it for 15 years) transferred to the new T-Mobile service, I will dump AT&T like the sack of sh!t that they are.

[lomatopo]

It looks like T-Mobile provide the most economical net access. My new unlocked Nexus-S came with a T-Mobile SIM in the box that just needs to be registered so taking that with me to the US on my next trip. If I can get my existing phone number with AT&T (had it for 15 years) transferred to the new T-Mobile service, I will dump AT&T like the sack of sh!t that they are.

T-Mobile might be a great choice for you as your Nexus S has that special T-Mo-3G radio (1700/2100, one for xmit, one for xrcv). Just make sure they have coverage in he area(s) you will visit. You can port a number from AT&T to T-Mobile but you may have to do that in person at a T-Mo shop.

Edited January 6, 2011 by lomatopo

[lomatopo]

FYI, AT&T to buy T-Mobile USA

Too early to tell what the longer term impacts might be to those of us who travel frequently to the U.S.?

(Reuters) - AT&T plans to pay $39 billion to buy Deutsche Telekom AG's T-Mobile USA in a deal that is expected to attract intense regulatory scrutiny as it creates a new U.S. mobile market leader.

AT&T, the No. 2 U.S. mobile service, is looking to bolster its constrained network against a near insatiable appetite for videos and data from devices such as Apple Inc's iPhone and iPad users.

But the world's largest deal announced so far this year, which will bump Verizon Wireless from its No. 1 U.S. position, could raise the ire of U.S. consumers and regulators as analysts expect it to result in wireless service price increases. Consumers currently look to T-Mobile USA for some of the best value wireless service rates.

The transaction will increase AT&T's U.S. market share to an estimated 43 percent from 32 percent, putting it well ahead of Verizon Wireless's current 34.5 percent share of U.S. mobile customers, according to Tolaga Research estimates. AT&T will add 34 million customers to its current 96 million subscriber list.

Full story here --> http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/21/us-tmobile-att-idUSTRE72J3JE20110321