Canadian Travelling in US - Device and Data Plan Suggestions Please

**740iL** · 04-03-2012, 09:41 AM

I am planning a two week road trip to California from Toronto this spring and I need some advice. I currently have a Bell Canada BB 8330 on an u/l email plan. Awaiting BB10 before I upgrade the phone and data plan.
Can anyone tell me what hotspot or phone with hotspot capabilities will work for me on the trip. I plan to do a pay as you go data plan in the U.S. and on some days I may need a fairly large amount of data - say a few hundred MB. From what I have read, Verizon seems to have the broadest coverage. I am considering the Sierra Wireless Aircard 763s - outright purchase from Rogers $199.00 and unlocking it. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
If this is not the right forum to post in, please let me know.
Thanks!
Bob

**740iL** · 04-03-2012, 11:01 AM

Looks like they don't allow tethering, which I will need to do. Thanks for the suggestion.

**740iL** · 04-03-2012, 07:15 PM

Thanks Shushwap.

I've looked in the forum and the users don't seem too happy with data. This is from the Terms & Conditions on Straight Talk's site: " 7. STRAIGHT TALK UNLIMITED PLANS CANNOT BE USED FOR: (1) access to the Internet, intranets, or other data networks except as the device’s native applications and capabilities permit, or (2) any applications that tether your device to a laptop or personal computer other than for the use of Wireless Sync.

I need to be able to tether and hotspot, so this looks like it will not work for me.

Anyone have any thoughts on using a BB 9900 as a hotspot? I may be able to pick one up for around $300 and it would give me a very nice upgrade on my 8330 as well. I know this would only be 3G, but it might be enough.

For a plug-in that I'll be using in an audio program to stream audio to a client, it uses about 90 MB per hour - according to the plug's website: "87.89 megabytes per hour @ 25 kilobytes per second"

Thanks.

Bob

**Mr. Rogers** · 04-04-2012, 05:34 PM

you can buy a verizon usb 760 for about $100 and then put a $50 card on it for 1GB of data. 80$ for 5GB.

**740iL** · 04-04-2012, 06:18 PM

Originally Posted by Mr. Rogers

you can buy a verizon usb 760 for about $100 and then put a $50 card on it for 1GB of data. 80$ for 5GB.

Can the 760 be unlocked so that I can use it in Canada? How does it compare to the Rogers branded Sierra Wireless Aircard 763s?

**dirtychoncho** · 04-04-2012, 08:04 PM

Why don't you buy a cheap pay as you go phone from T-mobile and use the $3/day unlimited plan. Use the phone as a hotspot and your set.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using HowardForums

**droidacolyte** · 04-04-2012, 08:42 PM

You need several hundred MBs on some days right? T-Mobile's $3/day plan has a 200 MB/day soft cap for 3G speeds. After that it's EDGE.

If you absolutely have to, you can go on T-Mobile's pre-paid $70 monthly plan and get unlimited talk, text and 5 GB of 3G speeds.

Get the cheapest AWS phone with tethering capabilities, unlock it and you're set. Or just buy one from T-Mobile USA. They might have an affordable phone with tethering capabilities.

**740iL** · 04-04-2012, 08:51 PM

Originally Posted by dirtychoncho

Why don't you buy a cheap pay as you go phone from T-mobile and use the $3/day unlimited plan. Use the phone as a hotspot and your set.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using HowardForums

That is definitely a consideration. Would an unlocked Blackberry 9900 work on T-Mobile for data as well? I can get one here at a good price and then I can use it on both sides of the border.

**cmstlist** · 04-04-2012, 10:04 PM

In general, you would have trouble getting *any* BB to have full functionality on a prepaid US SIM because it doesn't have BIS. And I have a suspicion you won't get hotspot working on those SIMs either because RIM likes to have their devices ask the carrier for permission to tether (unlike Androids).

My father works for RIM, and he had a pre-release model of the 9790 with hotspot included. I popped in a SIM of mine that supports the right frequencies and tethers correctly on Android, edited the APNs to be the right ones... no go, it refused to make a hotspot.

**me815** · 04-04-2012, 10:35 PM

I prefer to buy iPad 3 and prepaid iPad plan... iPad 3 has hotspot feature, so you can share the internet with other device...

Install Dell Voice app. This will give you to have Canada phone number. You can call free to Canada phone number and Canadian can call your Canadian phone number too...

Install Talkatone. This will allow you to call free any North America phone number...

You can return your iPad 3 before you go back to Canada (make sure you pay in US money, otherwise you will be charge the exchange fee with your Canada credit card)...

or you can bring the iPad 3 back to Canada (tax free because you travel like 14 days)...

**740iL** · 04-04-2012, 11:09 PM

Originally Posted by cmstlist

In general, you would have trouble getting *any* BB to have full functionality on a prepaid US SIM because it doesn't have BIS. And I have a suspicion you won't get hotspot working on those SIMs either because RIM likes to have their devices ask the carrier for permission to tether (unlike Androids).

My father works for RIM, and he had a pre-release model of the 9790 with hotspot included. I popped in a SIM of mine that supports the right frequencies and tethers correctly on Android, edited the APNs to be the right ones... no go, it refused to make a hotspot.

I was hoping with the new 7.1 OS that it might work. I knew I wouldn't have BB data or BIS, but I guess it's on to plan B. if anyone else has had any success with BB as a hotspot, I'd love to hear about it. Thanks!

Sent from my BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps using HowardForums

**740iL** · 04-04-2012, 11:16 PM

Originally Posted by me815

I prefer to buy iPad 3 and prepaid iPad plan... iPad 3 has hotspot feature, so you can share the internet with other device...

Install Dell Voice app. This will give you to have Canada phone number. You can call free to Canada phone number and Canadian can call your Canadian phone number too...

Install Talkatone. This will allow you to call free any North America phone number...

Good suggestions. I already have a BB Playbook, so the iPad is not going to happen. Do any of the suggested apps work on the Playbook, or are they iOS only?

Sent from my BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps using HowardForums

**kav2001c** · 04-05-2012, 08:35 AM

T-Mo SIM card
$2 per day (or $3 if you want 4G speed) gives unlimited voice + txt + data

(AT&T has better coverage & much better customer service but data costs extra from them)

**740iL** · 04-05-2012, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by kav2001c

T-Mo SIM card
$2 per day (or $3 if you want 4G speed) gives unlimited voice + txt + data

(AT&T has better coverage & much better customer service but data costs extra from them)

After all the reading I've been doing here and on the USA Roaming T-Mo thread on RFD, this looks like the simplest choice for my needs. Now to figure out the cheapest phone with hotspot capability that will do the job. Not travelling until June, so still some time to make this happen. I really appreciate all of your responses.