PAYG mobiles in US?

Aragorn · 01-10-2007, 11:36

Hi,

A question for those who regularly visit the US.

We are visiting DC for a week soon with my brother's family and was thinking about getting a couple of PAYG SIM cards for the trip, probably Cingular GOPhone SIMs, so we can keep in touch while out and about.

Can I just clarify -
GoPhone PAYG unlimited implies that for $1/day you get unlimited mobile - mobile calls - is that correct?
I know local landline calls are free - how about local calls to a landline from a mobile or are they 10c/min?
There is a Cingular dealer 1/2 mile from the hotel - I assume I can just buy a SIM from them (with the $10 activation credit), activate it in the store and put it in my US compatible, unlocked phone?

TIA

SMHarman · 01-10-2007, 16:37

When you going? I can go into a store and ask. My parents are coming to visit soon and I should probably do the same for them.
Unlimited M2M looks correct, local calls to / from a landline will be 10c incoming and outgoing.
I think cingular gophone is not locked to handsets (unlike say TracPhone). As I said will check as I have a k750i I could put a chip in and they could use.

Aragorn · 01-10-2007, 16:41

Were off in just under three weeks

It would be good to know for certain.

SMHarman · 04-10-2007, 20:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aragorn

Can I just clarify -
GoPhone PAYG unlimited implies that for $1/day you get unlimited mobile - mobile calls - is that correct?
I know local landline calls are free - how about local calls to a landline from a mobile or are they 10c/min?
There is a Cingular dealer 1/2 mile from the hotel - I assume I can just buy a SIM from them (with the $10 activation credit), activate it in the store and put it in my US compatible, unlocked phone?

TIA

About right. The rates stuff is as shown on the ATT site so looks correct.
I went into the ATT store and asked if I could use GoPhone in my handset and they said they would have to test it blahdeblah.
I turned off my phone pulled the battery out and handed it to her so she could put the gophone sim in it and she replied 'oh it already has an ATT chip in it so GoPhone will work' I said 'yes but this is a contract chip' reply, 'no matter'.

As long as the phone has GSM1900 or better still GSM850 or both then you will have coverage.

ATT is slowly killing off its GSM1900 coverage as they are using the frequency for 3G instead, this means in some places you get no coverage with a GSM1900 only phone (like the whole of Vermont!) but most places are fine.

I'll be doing the same with my k750i for my parents when they visit next month.

Aragorn · 05-10-2007, 15:52

Thanks again SMH.
Only 15 days to go