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

[dcseain.livejournal.com]

Don't know who your provider is, but Rogers and AT&T have deals with each other. Friend of mine from New Orleans spent a semester at Guelph, due to Katrina, and took his AT&T phone to Rogers, got a SIM, and a local number, for the time he was there.

[ckd]

I generally look to these guys for GSM SIM card deal info.

In this case, you have a choice between Cingular AT&T and T-Mobile, or one of the many MVNOs. Some of the MVNOs will only sell you a SIM in a phone, though.

The T-Mobile deal has their "Gold Rewards", which boils down to "once you've spent $100 in refills, we'll give you an automatic year validity on all your minutes". I can't find anywhere on the web site where they'll set you up with just a SIM, but you might try one of the retail locations.

If nothing else, you can buy the cheapest prepaid phone from whoever and swap the SIM....