"Dominic Kelly" wrote in
message
news:40487423$1@news.comindico.com.au...
> This query is probably more for the non-Americans...
>
> My family and are visiting the USA (from Australia) for 11 weeks
starting
> 26/3. We want to have a cell phone during our trip, which covers
many
> different parts of the country.
>
> I've been researching this online, and there are clearly a few
different
> options for getting a phone when we arrive. I'm starting to think
that for
> a
> stay of 11 weeks it may well be better to buy rather than rent. Can
> anyone
> tell me whether one can buy or rent a handset or SIM card in LA
airport?
> If
> so, would these stores tend to charge more for the same thing than
could
> be
> obtained elsewhere in the city?
>
First, forget about renting. And buying at the airport is a sure way
to get
ripped off.
Second, if you are driving around the country then you will definitely
want
to buy a phone that supports AMPS. GSM coverage in the U.S. is poor
once you
get outside the city. I.e., in places like National Parks, you'll have
no
coverage on GSM, you may have TDMA or CDMA coverage in some cases, but
you'll often have AMPS coverage from towers outside the park. In
Alaska
there is no GSM coverage except for one small island.
Avoid T-Mobile, Virgin, and Cingular prepaid, none of these support
AMPS on
prepaid.
Options
----------
TracFone. Sold in many department stores, drug stores, hardware
stores,
office supply stores, convenience stores, and supermarkets. Usually a
TDMA/AMPS phone, though in a few areas supposedly they sell CDMA/AMPS
phones.
http://tracfone.com/.
This will be the easiest thing to do. Also sold on-line if you have a
place
that it can be shipped to in the U.S..
20 cents to 50 cents per minute. Probably the lowest initial cost,
their
phones usually sell for $70-80. Not too bad on airtime with the larger
value
refills.
You can sign up for the OLD AT&T TDMA/AMPS prepaid plan
(Free-to-Go). NOT
the GSM-only go-phone. Be certain NOT to sign up for the "go-phone" as
coverage is poor. See: "http://www.1800mobiles.com/3361.html" It isn't
clear
if AT&T Wireless is still selling this in their stores, it's not
on their
own web site. 22-85 cents/minute.
CallPlus is an option, but you have to order on-line, and it has to be
shipped to someone in the U.S.
"http://www.ecallplus.com/" though they will ship overseas. Starter
kit is
$129. Airtime is between 19 cents and 39 cents per minute. No roaming
charges. The best deal for airtime, especially while roaming. You can
use
any used TDMA/AMPs phone with this if you can find one (there are a
lot of
these around), and buy just the service.
Verizon Wireless offers a prepay starter kit for $129. Airtime is 30
cents
per minute for calling from Verizon's area, 99 cents per minute
roaming, 15
cents/minute in-network to other Verizon Wireless phones. Not cheap,
but the
best coverage.
Also see: http://teletoss.bizhosting.com
Steve
http://socalcell.com
--multiplaza.nl.nu-- |