USA AND CANADA PREPAID SIMs - INFO

[AdmiralAK]

All right,
there has been a lot of discussion lately about prepaid in the USA and Canada, if you have an unlocked GSM phone (with the right frequencies) which prepaid offers can you get, from where, and will it work?
With the exception of TracFone and Net10 - the following offers will work in an unlocked GSM phone.

I am not giving you the rates, and pros and cons (other members are free to post in this thread and give you pros and cons). I give you the sites where you can go and look for yourselves, compare, and decice - it is that simple.


For rate comparison, check out DFlash's post - here

USA
NATIONAL
Company: T-Mobile USA
Prepaid Program: ToGo
Website: http://www.t-mobile.com/
SIM-Only Package: Yes

Company: at&t
Prepaid Program: GoPhone
Website: http://www.cingular.com
SIM-Only Package: Yes, Not advertized

Network: Einstein PCS
Region: Wisconsin
Partners: ???
Prepaid Name: Big Talk
Website: http://www.einsteinpcs.com
Notes: Regional Carrier; Prepay can be used nationally

Network: Iowa wireless
Region: Iowa
Partners: T-Mobile
Prepaid Name: MEGAtalk
Website: http://www.iowawireless.com
Notes: Regional Carrier; Prepay can be used nationally

Company: 7-Eleven (MVNO)
Prepaid Program: SpeakOut
Website: http://www.7-eleven.com
SIM-Only Package: No (but you can sell the phone on eBay)

Company: Circle K (MVNO)
Prepaid Program: Talk and Go
Website: http://www.circlek.com
SIM-Only Package: No, but you can sell the phone on eBay

Company: Red Pocket Mobile (MVNO)
Prepaid Program: Red Pocket Mobile
Website: http://www.redpocketmobile.com/
SIM-Only Package: Not on the website, but you might be able to get one if you email or call customer service.

Company: Call Plus (MVNO)
Prepaid Program: Oxygen
Website: http://www.ecallplus.com
SIM-Only Package: Yes

Company: Call Plus (MVNO)
Prepaid Program: Locus GSM
Website: http://www.ecallplus.com
SIM-Only Package: Yes

Company: Tu-yo mobile (MVNO)
Prepaid Program: Tuyo
Website: http://www.tuyo.com/
SIM-Only Package: They say they do not, you probably can sweettalk them into it - phones can be sold on eBay if worse comes to worse :-)

Company: Jolt! Wireless (MVNO)
Prepaid Program: Jolt!
Website: http://www.joltwireless.com/
SIM-Only Package: Yes

Company: TracFone (MVNO)
Prepaid Program: TracFone
Website: http://www.tracfone.com
SIM-Only Package: NO - YOU NEED A TRACFONE PHONE TO USE THE SIM - IT REQUIRES SPECIAL FIRMWARE

Company: Net10(MVNO)
Prepaid Program: Net10
Website: http://www.net10.com
SIM-Only Package: NO - YOU NEED A NET10 PHONE TO USE THE SIM - IT REQUIRES SPECIAL FIRMWARE

Company: Airvoice (MVNO on cingular)
Prepaid Program: yes
Website: http://www.airvoicewireless.com/
SIM-Only Package: Yes (through customer service?)


REGIONAL
Network: CellularOne (not dobson)
Region: Illinois
Partners: ???
Prepaid Name: on the go
Website: http://www.cellular1.net
Notes: Seems to be separate from the other cellularone

Network: Cincinnati Bell
Region: Ohio
Partners: ???
Prepaid Name: iWireless
Website: http://www.i-ontheweb.com/

Network: Corr Wireless
Region: Alabama
Partners: ???
Prepaid Name: Corr As U Go
Website : http://www.corrwireless.com/

Network: Westlink
Region: Kansas
Partners: ???
Prepaid Name: SNAP
Website: http://www.westlinkcom.com

Network: Epic PCS
Region: Kansas
Partners: ???
Prepaid Name: Prepaid Plan A, Prepaid BE plan
Website: http://www.epicpcs.com/


Network: Viaero Wireless
Region: Colorado
Partners: ???
Prepaid Name: Viaero2Go
Website: Click here

Network: Simmetry PCS
Region: Illinois
Partners: ???
Prepaid Name: Phone-in-a-box
Website: Click here


Network: Indigo Wireless
Region: Pennsylvania
Partners: ???
Prepaid Name: ???
Website: http://www.indigowireless.com
Notes: as of 5/2007 - cannot find their prepaid offers

Network: Immix
Region: Pennsylvania
Partners: ???
Prepaid Name: Prepaid
Website: http://www.immix.com
Notes: As of 5/30/07 - unable to find prepaid on their site


CANADA
Company: Rogers
Prepaid Program: Pay as you go
Website: http://www.rogers.ca
SIM-Only Package: Not Advertized - if you ask you might be able to get one

Company: Fido
Prepaid Program: Prepaid
Website: http://www.fido.ca
SIM-Only Package: Yes

Company: Petro-Canada Mobility (MVNO)
Prepaid Program: Petro-Canada Mobility
Website: http://retail.petro-canada.ca/en/mobility/2303.aspx
SIM-Only Package: Not advertized - probably can get it.




Stuff that no longer exists:
USA: Xtrememobile GSM (defunct)
USA: Hop-on GSM (defunct)
USA: First Cellular of souther illinois (defunct/bought by alltel)
USA: Alaska Wireless (No longer offer prepaid)
USA: Onelink (defunct)
USA: Amerilink (website not functioning)
USA: POP Wireless (no longer offering new activations)
USA: GTC Wireless - no prepaid
USA: BeyondWireless GSM (no longer offering new activations)
USA: XE Mobile (bankrupt)
USA: Cellular One (Purchased by at&t)
USA: Cool Prepaid (defunct as of 12/31/2007)
USA: SunCom (Purchased by T-Mobile)
USA: Edge Wireless (Purchased by at&t)
USA: Unicel (Purchased by verizon)
Canada: SIMPro (defunct)
Canada: SIMStar (defunct)
Canada: ZeroGravity (defunct)
Canada: M-Mobile (defunct)
Canada: CityFone (no prepaid)
Canada: Primus (no prepaid)
Canada: DCI wireless (no prepaid)

[haydeno]

great list!

[dot_null]

Nice thread AdmiralAK!

[vermontcellboy]

Hi Admiral:
Wonderful thread. Unicel does NOT offer GSM prepay in New England.

[Bill in NC]

For prepaid GSM, there's also Oxygen Wireless (runs on Cingular)

I'm testing Oxygen here in North Carolina (remember, no T-mobile here), and Oxygen has great coverage for me, with no signal loss on main highways (not interstates) from central NC up into the northwest mountains (outside of Boone).

It is relatively cheap - refills $0.11/minute after promos from cheapphonecards.com

Hate the 30 day expiration, though - hopefully Beyond will offer longer times before expiration.

[AdmiralAK]

Oxygen is under "call plus" (this company has 4 prepaid offers )

Vermontcellboy - when did Unicel stop offeting smartpay?
It's been a while since I looked on their page for info

[haydeno]

a few of those are WAY outdated. a 5165 for $150!

[bchawla]

Any prepaid carriers offer unlimited data?

[haydeno]

Any prepaid carriers offer unlimited data?

boost, iden not gsm tho(sti does also)
only gsm data is cingular at $10.24 per MB

[Scottish Skyedance]

I may go for Oxygen for additional line
then I can fwd main line when it's used as internet
also, I found ecallplus has nice international LD without additional charge, even to Hong Kong, Ireland, and England
I also like ecallplus has SIM only package, will use SDA or nokia 6270 with it

[AdmiralAK]

Did some maintenance to the list and removed some defunct and vaporware products :-)

Also discovered that Unicel does offer prepaid now

[SpiralSlash]

cleargsm.com goes to one of those search pages whose results consist entirely of advertising. Looks like it's time to remove them from the list.

[AdmiralAK]

removed clearGSM

[Scottish Skyedance]

by faq on xemobile, SIM package will be here soon
after examine, still think Oxygen is the best for me, as backup of main line in case it's busy with internet

[morgan1982]

if you call XE you might be able to get a SIM, 877-99-GET-XE