Dear Lazyweb: prepaid US phone service

[da]

I need a SIM card that works in the US (my prepaid Fido turns into a pumpkin at the border). I would be willing to pay up to $50 for a card that I can use this weekend (in upstate NY) then put $10 once every six months or so and not worry about it going stale in between.

Bonus points if it can do text-messages.

I've got more to say about phone hackery, but right now roverthedog is staring at me for her walk.

Comments

[ckd]

That does seem like the most cost-efficient approach, and has a nice potential side benefit.

Since my phone's on a T-Mobile contract plan, I'll just eat the roaming charges if I use it in Canada. When we go to the UK, we swap in Virgin Mobile SIMs, but that's because we're usually there for longer and are more likely to need to call locals.

(Both hr_macgirl and I have unlocked quad-band phones, so neither roaming nor getting a local SIM is a problem.)

[da-lj.livejournal.com]

If Fido still allowed me to use minutes in the US, I'd eat the roaming charges, too. Convenience-to-fussyness factors, I'd prefer to not have to swap SIMs.

At least I get to keep my phone numbers working properly while I'm gone, since I have it set up wtih voice over IP for the incoming.

I don't travel enough to warrant quad-band. :)