Best USA network (pay as you go) to use with BA

[superseagulls]

Hi
I currently live in the UK, but am emigrating to Massachusetts (New Bedford) soon.
I upgraded my O2 XDA II, to an O2 XDA II S primarily for the quad band, and to give a greater network choice when I get to the USA.
Being new to the states (no credit history etc) I will go PAYG to avoid the huge deposits they want from someone with no credit history.
Can anyone suggest a good network both price and customer satisfaction? Are Virgin any good in the USA - I see they use the Sprint PCS network - They certainly are cheap in the uK!
Also if I did upgrade again to a HTC Universal / XDA Exec, what networks in the USA have good network coverage using just the tri band (900/1800/1900?) as apposed to the quad band (850/900/1800/1900).
Cheers for any help or advice!

[Lewisham]

Dude, how did you get the visa? I went to California for 9 months as part of my degree, all I'm trying to do now is get back after I finish this year!

As for Virgin, no dice on that. Virgin/Sprint use CDMA (not GSM which is what SIM cards are designed for).

I've not heard of the deposits you're talking about, all I knew is you needed a social security number (which I didn't have), but I guess you know more about that than me. T-Mobile let couples talk for free, so if you are going over to live with a girlfriend or something, that might be ideal, but you both need a T-Mobile contract :roll:

I was on ATT Wireless (now Cingular) GoPhone when I was there. It's PAYG, but lets you pay automagically when you run out of cash or the month is up, so it's like a contract but you don't need the credit check. Or you can just do normal top-ups. The rates aren't exactly stellar, but it's a safe bet. Cingular reception was never great for me (had to walk to a very specific window in my house if I wanted to make calls), but in the US you live with the fact the whole country isn't covered.

Cingular should also let you do a SIM only deal at their stores (not online) which saves you 80 bucks buying a phone you won't use.

Don't have any dealings with Verizon, they are bad people. Metro PCS seem to have a good plan (40 bucks each month, all you can talk) but I don't know if that's on CDMA or if that needs a credit check as well.

Don't forget to unlock your phone before you leave!

And how *did* you get that visa? :)

Chris

[saldous]

Hey, send me a PM as I am moving from UK to Boston, MA with my job in October too! I'll be working in Framingham but I'll live in Boston.

Anyway, I think your best bet is Cingular or T-Mobile as you'll want the same data services as you have here in the UK. e.g. Verizon uses CDMA (not GSM)

As for Visas, I'm working on that now. A company will need to sponsor you. The US government grants 65,000 H-1B visas annually and this is currently oversubscribed. A new allotment of 65,000 visas comes in on October 1st when the new congressional year begins. So if you apply now you won't get one before October 1st which is what I'm aiming at. If you have a masters degree or similar the US make an extra 20,000 visas available to these persons. (that category is not currently oversubscribed).

To get one for October 1st would mean the sponsoring company would need to pay a $1,000 premium which pushes the descision process to within 3 business weeks and get the application off ASAP, like last week. (not done mine yet...)

[superseagulls]

And how *did* you get that visa? :)

Chris

It was an extremely long and hard process (not entirely for me), but I will be getting a fabled GREEN CARD in the next month or two, as being a spouse I get the same visa.
My wife is a nurse - a skill they are in dire need of (like every other country around the world). She was sponsored by a nursing agency, revised for 6 months then had to fly to Atlanta to take NCLEX which is the American nursing license. We are currently awaiting Packet 4, the final interview at the London embassy, all the other stages complete. I have got to have a big pile of injections to on Friday, MMR etc which I can't prove I have had over here <OUCH>
It's been a long process, quite often stressful with loads of running around and calling people to find out if they have done there job properly!
The only otherways to get a Greencard straight away, invest $1 million dollars in a business, or marry an American........... Otherwise you just get temporary Visas (H-1B etc) where they can kick you out of the country at any time! Not good if you buy a house etc.... But you can try to get a Green card once in position of having a visa, but it's a slow process, usually 6 - 8 years!
Good luck though, with determination you can do it!
Saldous, I will PM you.....

[AdmiralAK]

I never noticed this thread before :o
First of all welcome to the state :D - I live in MA too - live in Salem, work in Boston.
There are several GSM pay-as-you-go options:

Carriers:
T-mobile with PAYG: http://www.t-mobile.com/prepaid/rates.asp
Cingular with GoPhone: http://www.cingular.com/myaccount/prepaid

MVNO:
1. Oxygen
2. Locus Wireless GSM
3. CallPlus Wireless GSM
4. POP
http://www.icallplus.com/2html/wireless.html?PHPSESSID=ccb69a994a490423b31b019f4a 272adb
5. 7-eleven prepaid: www.7eleven.com (you have to buy a phone, but you can just use the SIM and resell the phone on ebay ;) )


GSM you cannot use:
1. Net10 (www.net10.com)
2. TracFone (www.tracfone.co)
While the two above are GSM prepaid services and do have SIM cards, the SIM serial is tied to an IMEI of a phone with custom firmware. I have not been able to use my TracFone SIM in any "standard" GSM phone

Also for more info on pay as you go worldwide: www.prepaidgsm.net
and/or www.howardforums.com (in the prepaid forum there is a sticky).


BTW: CDMA carriers do use SIM cards (they call them RUIMs). CDMA Carriers in North america, japan and korea don't use SIMs, but there are phones coming out with RUIM capability :) hopefully all CDMA systems in the future will feature SIM cards ;)