Roaming in the U.S.

BigCon

Can't use the search function at the moment so here goes:

I'm going to the States later on this year and I need to know what, if any prepaid sim cards will work. I was there last year with a speakeasy (086) card that would receive messages, but wouldn't make/receive calls.
According to Vodafone/O2/Meteor none of them have prepaid roaming agreements with any U.S. carrier, but I've heard rumours that it is possible to use an Irish pre-paid sim out there?

Also, the last time I was there (on the west coast) I couldn't buy a U.S. prepaid sim card there anywhere (they looked at me quizically when I asked them if they sold any). Do they sell them anywhere?

Meteor are the only ones who allow you to roam in the US on prepaid. You'll need to follow their tedious roaming registration though (top up by €60 and supply a credit card number).

Guy:Incognito

not true. my cousin went over last year. he used him 02 sim the whole time while over there after being told by 02 that it wouldnt work. He had bought a vodafone sim that didnt work after he was told it work. On the vodafone issue i dont think they activated roamiong properly.

Stekelly

Stekelly wrote:

not true. my cousin went over last year. he used him 02 sim the whole time while over there after being told by 02 that it wouldnt work. He had bought a vodafone sim that didnt work after he was told it work. On the vodafone issue i dont think they activated roamiong properly.

Not meaning to sound troll-like, but was it a fluke? The original poster mentioned that he could only receive SMS with a Speakeasy SIM when he was over there.

stereo_steve

I lived in the US for 4 months last year. The only prepaid sim that properly worked was Meteor. O2 and Voda could send and recieve texts(for a crazy price!) but that was it.

byrnefm

What was the 'crazy price', out of interest? Up until November, I didn't have a tri-band so haven't had the chance yet to try my O2 speakeasy account in the US.

Farls

I was over in New York earlier this month, speakeasy 086 (set up to work in the north as well) worked a charm over there using the AT&T/Cingular network, i tried the T-mobile network also but it wouldn't work. Anyway could make/recieve calls/texts no problem roaming on AT&T/Cingular.

Any questions pm me, i was using a sim free SE k700i.

Farlz

btw. texts were costin me 78cent to send and free to recieve so just go online in a hotel lobby or a netcafé or that and send them off a website.

lynchie

I had a problem using T-Mobile as well. I've a bill phone, but I couldnt send text messages with t-mobile. Changed to AT&T and all was fine.

I also saw Virgin Mobile Prepaid sims for sale in Radio shack too.

lomb

one that def works is a uk t-mobile prepaid si. get em on ebay for a couple of euro but i am unsure as to how u would top it up, perhaps with an irish credi t card????

edit: ah here we get em with a tenners credit preloaded for less than a tenner buy as many as u need and they ship to ireland http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=29780&item=6362244041&rd=1

MagicBusDriver

buy a Prepay US T-Mobile sim card. http://www.expansys.ie/product.asp?code=109699

BigCon

cheers for all the replys - I'll probably but the sim cards mentioned here...

Thx.

wheresmybeaver

While we were in america the lads bought American prepaid sims for their phones whilst I used my bill-pay O2. The american prepay system is fairly ****e,they stopped using their phones altogether after a while it was so stupid and expensive. Its all credits (not minutes or cash value credits) and hidden charges and you get charged a whole minutes credit if you just ring someone and get a busy tone. And being charged for receiving texts. Jesus! It was cheaper for me on my billpay roaming coz I never rang anyway or answered the phone, just sent texts the whole time and received them for free, worked not a bother.

Um so I suppose my advice would be: get a meteor prepay sim and go through the whole bollox of registering 60euro credit and a credit card. Dont get a sim in the US!

stereo_steve

Yeah its shocking. T-mobile are the only prepay choice you have (99% certain on that) 40c a minute to make and receive phone calls. Texts anywhere in the world are 10c though.

My advice though is for all your friends to go to the T-mobile shop together. The number they assign you is done on the spot not like here where your number is determined on the box.

So my T-mobile is the same as my friends...almost.

we all have 1 415 86764xx . So handy when you just have to remember your friends number as 04etc.

smemon

was in florida last summer, no probs at all using o2 pre-paid sim's. could send text, make calls, everything.

i was in the same situation and got the same responses, yes, no, maybe, definately, no chance etc... just take it with you is my advice. but get a US sim to be on the safe side anyway i suppose.

by the way, i was using a nokia phone and charger, you cant use our uk chargers over there (with an adapter) as the power is too weak in their sockets, i had to buy an american nokia charger. only a few dollars though.

fjon

Was on the West Coast last summer, and while I did not have any problems with sending and receiving calls/ texts, I did have an awful time trying to find a network there. Had to do a lot of manual searching for network, and it wouldn't always pick one up (even though the signal was strong).

Ruu_Old

use my o2 regularly in the US, i can receive calls but not make calls and send/receive txts, odd but it worked ok for me. O2 customer care told me that in Chicago there was no coverage however i had no problems with AT&T which is now AT&T/Cingular because they merged.

BigCon

Sorry for dragging up this old post but I'm looking for more info.
After considering everything I think the best option for roaming on the west coast of the U.S. is to buy a meteor sim card and go through the hassle of setting it up for roaming (just in case the O2 speakeasy doesn't work there)

It says here that AT&T/Cingular (one of Meteor's roaming partners) use GSM 850/1900, while we use GSM 900/1800.
The 5140 I have supports EGSM 900, GSM 1800, and GSM 1900 (not 850).
Is there a danger that a AT&T/Cingular will be operating GSM 850 only in certain areas making my phone useless, or if there is coverage it is both GSM 850/1900 (meaning I can use my phone).

Can anyone shed any light on this?

Thanks...

Well I'm a meteor Bill customer I used my siemens c62 in California in october using cingular and the coverage was great, that was in LA and right down to the Mexico border.
Drove from LA to Las Vegas too through the desert and never lost coverage which is more than I can say for my meteor coverage at home :rolleyes:

You'll need a tri band phone of course, but most of them are now anyway.

BigCon

Thanks Earthman - exactly what I was looking for.
I'll be going to all those places, but I'll be based in Phoenix mostly.
It's probably safe to assume that it'll work there too...

mickger

Farls wrote:

I was over in New York earlier this month, speakeasy 086 (set up to work in the north as well) worked a charm over there using the AT&T/Cingular network, i tried the T-mobile network also but it wouldn't work. Anyway could make/recieve calls/texts no problem roaming on AT&T/Cingular.

Any questions pm me, i was using a sim free SE k700i.

Farlz

btw. texts were costin me 78cent to send and free to recieve so just go online in a hotel lobby or a netcafé or that and send them off a website.

Anybody else get speakeasy to work in New York? I,m going over there in July and really need a mobile that works over there.Would it be worth my while getting a meteor sim? Would it work in my Motorola V300 Speakeasy phone?Any advice would be helpful.

lomb

mickger wrote:

Anybody else get speakeasy to work in New York? I,m going over there in July and really need a mobile that works over there.Would it be worth my while getting a meteor sim? Would it work in my Motorola V300 Speakeasy phone?Any advice would be helpful.

why dont u just buy a uk t mobile sim from ebay with a fivers credit pre loaded, buy as many as u think u will need, no need to top up then. it definately will work. alternatively wallmart will sell u a fone for 70 bucks there with a little credit.

jank

Why does one have to go through that teadious process of registering your CC with Meteor?

Irishstabber

Because Meteor are Irish :rolleyes:

BuffyBot

Apparently, it's because unlike Voda/O2, Meteor's system doesn't register any calls/messages sent on a roaming net work immediately - it takes 2/3 days for the information to be passed on to them. Hence, the credit card (so they can charge you if you decide to run up a horrendous bill and leg it).

On the positve side, if your Meteor Pre-Pay, you can roam in a lot more places than Vodafone/O2 seem to let you.

I just wish they hadn't lost the credit card forms I've submitted to them twice now (one by post, one via a Meteor store). Hardly confidence inspiring!