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Visiting the US for a couple of weeks. Best option for cheap data? |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Leyland
Posts: 1,971
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Visiting the US for a couple of weeks. Best option for cheap data?
Hi,
I'm off to the US in about a month or so. What's the best option for data out there? I'll be on the road a lot as I'm visiting family and friends spread out between Houston and Arkansas. Using my UK mobile SIM isn't an option as they charge £15 for 100mb of US data. Thanks, Rik. |
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#2 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: South Wales
Posts: 312
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T-Mobile US Tourist SIM for $30
or a 3 UK PAYG SIM with an add-on with data which you can use abroad at no extra cost with the 'Feel like home' service. |
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#3 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Leyland
Posts: 1,971
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Quote:
T-Mobile US Tourist SIM for $30
or a 3 UK PAYG SIM with an add-on with data which you can use abroad at no extra cost with the 'Feel like home' service. |
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#4 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 6,288
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Quote:
Thanks, I thought the 3 deal was only available if you'd been with them on pay and go for three months
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#5 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: London
Posts: 391
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With Three FAH you should top up whilst in the UK and if possible use it a bit, to show some usage in the UK. If you only top up and then use it abroad they may suspend it.
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#6 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 521
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How much data do you think you'll need? The T-mobile plan is 2GB really - then gprs speeds though it doesn't stop apparently. Three will give you 12GB. They do though channel all traffic back to the UK so latency really does take a hit in the USA. overall speeds vary quite a lot from good to frustrating in my experience. Of course since I'm already a 3 customer I'd go with that option.
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#7 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,452
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Oh for gawds sake leave yr smartphone at home and enjoy your holiday!!!
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#8 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Suffolk, East Anglia
Posts: 665
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Quote:
Hi,
I'm off to the US in about a month or so. What's the best option for data out there? I'll be on the road a lot as I'm visiting family and friends spread out between Houston and Arkansas. Using my UK mobile SIM isn't an option as they charge £15 for 100mb of US data. Thanks, Rik. https://www.simplemobile.com/wps/por...nlimited-plans You can buy the nano sim here: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/USA-Simple...UAAOSwLnBX5Axc |
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#9 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Berkshire, UK
Posts: 279
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Quote:
Oh for gawds sake leave yr smartphone at home and enjoy your holiday!!!
If you're not interested in using a smart phone whilst you're on holiday then that's your choice of course, just skip past the thread. But purposing reading a thread that you clearly have no real interest in and then posting an unhelpful comment is quite honestly pathetic! OP, another option is Straight Talk mobile - available at any Walmart Store: https://www.straighttalk.com/wps/por...p/serviceplans |
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#10 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Leyland
Posts: 1,971
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Quote:
How much data do you think you'll need? The T-mobile plan is 2GB really - then gprs speeds though it doesn't stop apparently. Three will give you 12GB. They do though channel all traffic back to the UK so latency really does take a hit in the USA. overall speeds vary quite a lot from good to frustrating in my experience. Of course since I'm already a 3 customer I'd go with that option.
I used to be with Three a couple of years ago and whilst speed tests etc would show great speeds in the US the reality was that it would barely work.. For example, youtube videos wouldn't play. I noticed everything, as you say, is piped back to the UK through some kind of VPN as the BBC website was ad free on mobile data but full of ads when connected to the local wifi. |
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#11 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Leyland
Posts: 1,971
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Quote:
How is a comment like this contributing to the OP's question??
If you're not interested in using a smart phone whilst you're on holiday then that's your choice of course, just skip past the thread. But purposing reading a thread that you clearly have no real interest in and then posting an unhelpful comment is quite honestly pathetic! OP, another option is Straight Talk mobile - available at any Walmart Store: https://www.straighttalk.com/wps/por...p/serviceplans Walmarts are everywhere so I'll check them out, too. |
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#12 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 613
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I've used T-Mobile USA as I wanted to try some more advanced features and a 3 UK 321 PAYG SIM with Feel Like Home. Didn't get any data roaming on T-Mobile with Feel Like Home at the time and it is limited to 3G/HSPA.
Remember to check that your handset is unlocked and which network bands it supports as they are quite different to the UK. AT&T use bands 2 and 5 for 2G/3G. Bands 2,4,5 and 17 with 12, 29 and 30 for 4G LTE depending on market. 2G is being phased out all together shortly. T-Mobile USA use band 2 for 2G, bands 2 and 4 for 3G and bands 2,4 and 12 for 4G LTE. I believe Straight Talk is a MNVO with national agreements with the big four networks so should be good coverage wise. |
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#13 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Leyland
Posts: 1,971
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Quote:
I've used T-Mobile USA as I wanted to try some more advanced features and a 3 UK 321 PAYG SIM with Feel Like Home. Didn't get any data roaming on T-Mobile with Feel Like Home at the time and it is limited to 3G/HSPA.
Remember to check that your handset is unlocked and which network bands it supports as they are quite different to the UK. AT&T use bands 2 and 5 for 2G/3G. Bands 2,4,5 and 17 with 12, 29 and 30 for 4G LTE depending on market. 2G is being phased out all together shortly. T-Mobile USA use band 2 for 2G, bands 2 and 4 for 3G and bands 2,4 and 12 for 4G LTE. I believe Straight Talk is a MNVO with national agreements with the big four networks so should be good coverage wise. |
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#14 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 613
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Quote:
Thanks, I should have mentioned I have a Nexus 6P so it should work on all but Verizon/Sprint. I know for a fact I won't get 4g as the US use different bands for 4g which aren't compatible with non US versions. I miss the days when having a TRI-BAND phone was sufficient.
Also missing is CA support on the US bands but at least you can still get a signal. My experience of using the 6P on T-Mobile USA in California last year: http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2123401 |
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#15 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 1
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You might also want to check out Target's website. Interestingly they now have a "UK" site with payment in GBP and shipping to the UK . Not checked out prices.
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