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Until MVNOs allow roaming, the idea that they are an acceptable substitute for real cellular coverage is dangerous and we need to stop spreading it. There are
by superuser2 14y ago
Until MVNOs allow roaming, the idea that they are an acceptable substitute for real cellular coverage is dangerous and we need to stop spreading it.
There are ENTIRE STATES and some major cities where networks like SimpleMobile have zero coverage. Green Bay, WI, for example, is big enough for an NFL team, but if you find yourself there with a SimpleMobile phone, it will be a brick. Be prepared for the fact that you cannot call roadside assistance on a cross-country road trip, from a suburb that's too far away from town, or from some minor population centers. Forget small towns (I have some extended family in fairly remote areas).
If you stay in San Francisco at all times, I'm sure SimpleMobile is great, but it would not be a very good idea to do this in the Midwest. Maybe if there was still a cost savings when you factored in an emergency dumbphone on a strong network like Verizon.
- bsimpson 14y agoI use StraightTalk, and I'm pretty sure they use both AT&T and T-Mobile. If you have coverage on either of those (at the very least, on AT&T), I should have coverage as well.
- tanzam75 14y agoWhy pay an extra $480 a year for emergency service, when you can get it for $30 a year? $30 is what PagePlus will charge you in a year of prepaid service, using the per-minute pay-as-you-go plan. You get access to the entire Verizon network at 10 cents per minute, plus roaming access at 29 cents per minute. In fact, this is even better for emergencies than postpaid service. Now you have access to both the GSM and CDMA 2G networks.