Cell phone service on Verizon's Network: $24.60 for 1200 minutes/1200 text or picture messages/50MB of Data.
SMS
a new plan that offers 1200 voice minutes, 1200 text/picture messages,
and 50MB of data for $24.60/month (with no extra garbage fees). PagePlus
is a MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) that offers prepaid service
on Verizon's network.
This plan includes 50MB of data rather than the 20MB of data on their
$32.82 unlimited plan. Another feature of this plan is that, unlike the
unlimited plan, MMS messages are included in the 1200 messages (on the
unlimited plan, MMS comes out of your 20MB data allocation and it's easy
to burn through 20MB of data sending photos).
The net cost is less than the advertised $29.95. You can use refill
cards that add 12% more money than their face value to your account and
that cost 8.00% less than their face value. You do not have to use the
$29.95 cards that they sell for this plan. The best card to buy is the
$50 card that adds $56 of value to your account and that sells for $46
during periodic 8% off promotions from callingmart.com. The $50 face
value card adds the largest percentage of extra value to your account
(12% extra).
With an 8% Discount Code from CallingMart (offered about six times a
year) $46 buys you $56 worth of PagePlus money on the $50 refill card.
$29.95 of PagePlus money is deducted each month for unlimited service,
so the math works out like this: $29.95 x 46.00 � 56.00 = 24.60.
You can see this plan at
"http://www.pagepluscellular.com/Plans/Talk%20n%20Text%201200.aspx". But
remember, to get the plan for lower than the $29.95 regular rate you
need to buy the $50 refill cards from a reseller that offers them at a
discount. If you sign up as a fan of Calling Mart on Facebook then
they'll notify you of their periodic promotions (often with an 8%
discount) but you can always get a 5.91% discount with Use coupon code
ca3p-1207.
If you don't have native Verizon coverage in the areas you usually use a
phone in then don't sign up with PagePlus. Roaming on non-Verizon CDMA
networks will incur roaming charges. Also note that there are no
off-peak (night and weekend) or free Mobile to Mobile minutes--all
minutes used are deducted from your 1200 minutes. Extra MB of data are
$0.60 each (which can really add up if you're a heavy data user, but
AT&T and Verizon charge about $2/MB so it's not a bad deal).
You can use any Verizon phone, new or used, on PagePlus, including 3G
smart phones that Verizon won't let you use unless you sign up for a
data plan (and including very old non E-911 capable phones). You can
also use Verizon InPulse phones sold at Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy,
Walgreen's, etc (do not activate the phone on InPulse prepaid).
I have no affiliation with CallingMart or PagePlus other than being a
customer of both.
George
> If you don't have native Verizon coverage in the areas you usually use a
> phone in then don't sign up with PagePlus. Roaming on non-Verizon CDMA
> networks will incur roaming charges. Also note that there are no
> off-peak (night and weekend) or free Mobile to Mobile minutes--all
> minutes used are deducted from your 1200 minutes.
And because of that a family plan is usually the best deal for multiple
phones. Since mobile to mobile calling is "free". That means you only
need a small plan. Also your friends and relatives won't appreciate that
when you get your Pageplus plan they will now be paying for minutes when
you call. One of the nice parts of staying with one carrier is that
network calling is "free". All of my family and most of my friends use
VZW so it isn't costing us minutes to stay in touch whenever we want.
Plus with all of the phones on a postpaid plan I don't have to remember
to "recharge" minutes and get a NE2 subsidy for periodic "free" phones.
Extra MB of data are
> $0.60 each (which can really add up if you're a heavy data user, but
> AT&T and Verizon charge about $2/MB so it's not a bad deal).
But basically useless for a smartphone.
SMS
> And because of that a family plan is usually the best deal for multiple
> phones.
I think that this was true up until this new plan was made available. It
would cost about 3-4x for four phones on a family plan for a similar
amount of minutes and messaging and data, but that doesn't include the
value of the subsidized phones from Verizon. It's more like 2-3x if you
factor in the cost of the free/discounted phones every two years.
> Since mobile to mobile calling is "free". That means you only
> need a small plan.
I find that even with nearly everyone I know in the Bay Area on Verizon,
that 450 peak minutes per person is necessary. It's not the same in
all areas of the country since in most areas the other carriers aren't
as bad as they are here and users are more spread out onto other
carriers. In my area, prior to the iPhone, it'd be rather rare to find
many users not on Verizon, at least in my circles of relatives,
co-workers, and friends because the difference in coverage quality is so
stark.
> Also your friends and relatives won't appreciate that
> when you get your Pageplus plan they will now be paying for minutes when
> you call.
This is true.
> Extra MB of data are
>> $0.60 each (which can really add up if you're a heavy data user, but
>> AT&T and Verizon charge about $2/MB so it's not a bad deal).
>
> But basically useless for a smartphone.
I find the exact opposite. While my regular account is on Verizon (for
now) I have a smart phone on PagePlus. I don't use it like some people
use their iPhones, using it on the web every free moment of my life, I
just use it when I actually have a need to use it. It would be hard to
us 50MB a month when free WiFi has become ubiquitous, when MMS doesn't
come out of the 50MB, and when I have high speed connectivity at home
and work. If I commuted by train, and tethered, then that would be a
different story. On Verizon, if I wanted just a small data plan I'd be
paying $10 for 25MB per phone and if I had a smart phone I would be
required to sign up for a minimum of a $30/month data plan.
Zee
I can live with my T-mo pay as you go. I really don't need unlimited
services for mobile phones or even voip services. This is also the
reason why I am using Onesuite VoIP and long distance services as
opposed to having a Vonage account. I find pay as you go cheaper
especially for non heavy user like me.
SMS
> I can live with my T-mo pay as you go. I really don't need unlimited
> services for mobile phones or even voip services. This is also the
> reason why I am using Onesuite VoIP and long distance services as
> opposed to having a Vonage account. I find pay as you go cheaper
> especially for non heavy user like me.
I agree. People get really carried away with "unlimited" when in fact
their average use with pay as you go would often be far cheaper than
paying for unlimited. OneSuite is great (though for calling from home
it's hard to beat Google Voice which is free). I've used OneSuites
international access numbers and it's really convenient and a money saver.
With Google Voice, you can even drop your landline down to metered
service and make every call and incoming call, though it'd be a mild
annoyance to have to set up each call on-line.
I may switch my $30 postpaid account (300 peak minutes, no texting, free
M2M, and free off-peak) to the $25 plan from PagePlus (1200 minutes,
1200 messages, 50MB of data). There are a few times a month when I find
mobile data of some real use.
George
I have heard about this "ubiquitous" WiFi from other fanboys.
Unfortunately it isn't that common in the 5 states where I normally
travel. Not everyone has your particular circumstances or is stupid
because of the choices they make.
SMS
> I have heard about this "ubiquitous" WiFi from other fanboys.
LOL, watch who you're calling a fanboy!
> Unfortunately it isn't that common in the 5 states where I normally
> travel. Not everyone has your particular circumstances or is stupid
> because of the choices they make.
You're right though, I shouldn't have generalized about the availability
of WiFi judging from my experiences in more urban states like
California, the eastern seaboard, and Florida. I'm sure there are plenty
of places where WiFi is less common, though even in remote towns the
motels have some sort of WiFi, even if the system is connected to a
rather slow satellite connection. Even many campgrounds in California
now have WiFi available though it isn't free.
George
> George wrote:
>
>> I have heard about this "ubiquitous" WiFi from other fanboys.
>
> LOL, watch who you're calling a fanboy!
You know that old "if it walks like a duck...?"
>
>> Unfortunately it isn't that common in the 5 states where I normally
>> travel. Not everyone has your particular circumstances or is stupid
>> because of the choices they make.
>
> You're right though, I shouldn't have generalized about the availability
> of WiFi judging from my experiences in more urban states like
> California, the eastern seaboard, and Florida. I'm sure there are plenty
> of places where WiFi is less common, though even in remote towns the
> motels have some sort of WiFi, even if the system is connected to a
> rather slow satellite connection. Even many campgrounds in California
> now have WiFi available though it isn't free.
Why the need for a backhanded reply? I am on the easy coast. Ubiquitous
means it is everywhere much like EvDO data is available pretty much
everywhere I travel. I am quite aware that I can sit in a hotel or
coffee shop to use "ubiquitous" WiFi. That does nothing for me say just
yesterday where I was at a location all day where the only data
connectivity possible was EvDO.
SMS
> Why the need for a backhanded reply? I am on the easy coast.
Hmm, is the easy coast the Pacific coast or the Atlantic coast? My
personal experience is that the Pacific coast is easier.
> means it is everywhere much like EvDO data is available pretty much
> everywhere I travel.
Then you don't venture outside major cities too much. In more rural
areas you're likely to find enough WiFi to get by, but you won't find 3G
offered by the rural wireless carriers, either EV-DO or W-CDMA.
Paul Miner
wrote:
I'm assuming there are typos in that last part. In more rural areas
there is virtually zero WiFi available. If you want WiFi, your best
bet is to head to the bigger cities, but even there, it's few and far
between, pretty much the opposite of ubiquitous.
--
Paul Miner
George
> George wrote:
>
>> Why the need for a backhanded reply? I am on the easy coast.
>
> Hmm, is the easy coast the Pacific coast or the Atlantic coast? My
> personal experience is that the Pacific coast is easier.
Gee, you edited out the fanboy part and mustn't have much to say if you
ran with an obvious typo..
>
>> means it is everywhere much like EvDO data is available pretty much
>> everywhere I travel.
>
> Then you don't venture outside major cities too much. In more rural
> areas you're likely to find enough WiFi to get by, but you won't find 3G
> offered by the rural wireless carriers, either EV-DO or W-CDMA.
I live in a fairly populated area and WiFi just isn't anywhere near
ubiquitous. It certainly isn't in rural areas except maybe at a campground.
George
I would say that is a very accurate depiction of WiFi availability.