Why is getting a cheap prepaid SIM card in the USA so complicated?
1 pointby huntsmans3 hours ago4 comments
  • PaulHoule2 hours ago
    My experiences with MVNOs and prepaid in the US was horrible. For about a decade I tried a few MVNOs, particularly Tracfone which has a great onboarding experience but the experience was that the coverage sucked: it didn't matter if I was in a rural area or in New York City or Los Angeles or even some place like Rochester, NY which has an easy density to serve -- it just didn't work consistently.

    I'd contrast that to the experience of AT&T postpaid which is radically better.

    The truth about MVNOs is that you are riding on the back of the bus. As long as I was using cheap Android phones on MVNO I was always wondering "why do people get so excited about apps?" and "why is infrastructure in the US so bad?" but when I got a postpaid iPhone it was like... yeah, this really is a world-changing technology.

  • Cider99862 hours ago
    https://usmobile.com is the best MVNO for regular usage. Ranked #1 by consumer reports and great customer support.

    https://silent.link is a good option for cheap data. Accepts cryptocurrency and data doesn't expire. This might be the cheapest for people with variable data usage or low amounts needed.

    https://jmp.chat is a cheap option for numbers.

  • jqpabc1232 hours ago
    https://infimobile.com/plan-details/10GB-12-months

    Click the dropdown labeled "Broadband Facts/Consumer Disclosure" and you should see this:

        This Price is an introductory rate.

    Tenure Period 12 Month

    Regular Price $252

    Current offer Price $75