US cell phone plan Advice

[jobelle]

De-lurking for some advice...
We've been living overseas in the developing world for a number of years but will soon be returning to the US for about 9 months. Three of those months we'll be house-sitting in a somewhat rural location where the only internet option is through mobile data. The world of cell phone plans has changed so much since the last time we lived in the US.

We are looking at cell phone options (will bring our own phones) but ideally would like a plan that gives us decent internet access at home - whether through hotspot tethering or a hotspot device. Internet would be used for streaming, (Netflix and YouTube mostly), general browsing, and email. It's hard to estimate how much data we use as a family since the internet where we live now is so very slow and unreliable.

I'm looking for advice regarding whether to go with a more expensive cell phone plan that gives unlimited data (some of which could be used for a hotspot to provide internet at home) or whether to separate the two and get more basic cell plans and figure out a separate option for internet at home. And what might those options be...?

The rest of our six months we'll have access to unlimited high speed internet in the places where we are staying.
Does anyone have any advice on this? Our phones are gsm compatible meaning that Verizon and Sprint aren't options. Coverage between AT&T and T-Mobile look to be comparable for our area. We'll be moving around some - half our time in the twin cities, the other half in the Western States with other road trips in there as well.

Thanks!

 

[PrincessLeppard]

There are some companies that give unlimited data without having to purchase a plan; you just pay by the month. Maybe Boost mobile?

I have Verizon, so I can't help you much beyond that. But some other people should know.

 

[Aceon6]

If cost isn’t a significant concern, ATT offers unlimited plans with no contract. Their coverage is quite good, and you can check the rural location on their coverage map. Make sure you’re on the data map, then filter for 4G. If the map shows only 3G, your tethering might be limited.

Once you no longer need a lot of data, ATT allows you to downgrade your plan. To be honest, downgrading doesn’t save that much money.

 

[maatTheViking]

I personally love our unlimited t-mobile plan. Much cheaper than att. It also gives us data abroad included which is a huge plus. My husband often travels to Canada for mountain biking and ofc we travel to Europe about once yearly.

but even with that the plan is still cheaper than att!

I can’t comment much on service as I usually find myself close to urban centers where all the companies have coverage.

 

[MacMadame]

Coverage definitely varies based on where you are. Look for online reviews for the different services in your area. In my area, Verizon is much better than ATT&T. But that's not true in other areas.

We had a plan with a data cap and my teenager was constantly pushing us over with her video watching. If you are going to also use your data for a hot spot, I think an unlimited plan is the way to go. You may find that the hot spot is too slow for you though. Again, you might want to look for locals to see what they do and how well it works for them. Maybe you can join a neighborhood mailing list and ask.

 

[jobelle]

I personally love our unlimited t-mobile plan. Much cheaper than att. It also gives us data abroad included which is a huge plus. My husband often travels to Canada for mountain biking and ofc we travel to Europe about once yearly.

but even with that the plan is still cheaper than att!

I can’t comment much on service as I usually find myself close to urban centers where all the companies have coverage.

Can you easily switch between T-Mobile's unlimited plans? So could we do a more robust plan for when we need the hotspot at home and then switch it a few months later once we don't have that need anymore?

 

[Vash01]

In my area Verizon is pretty good. I don't know much about other companies.

 

[maatTheViking]

Can you easily switch between T-Mobile's unlimited plans? So could we do a more robust plan for when we need the hotspot at home and then switch it a few months later once we don't have that need anymore?

I m don’t know. I’m not even sure T-Mobile does any non unlimited plans? I’m sure you can goto a T-Mobile shop and ask, or check their website. We did everything online.

 

[flyingsit]

In the part of Denver where I live, T-Mobile coverage is so bad that they don't even recommend their own service to people here. It's basically useless.

 

[A.H.Black]

The big question for you is which company has the best reception where you will be.

I started with ATT which has the best reception according to the map of my area. When I got it, I found I couldn't get reception in the 3 most important places where I needed it. I switched to T-mobile and things are much better now.

If you will be house-sitting, can you find out which company gives the current residents the best coverage? That coverage could change within a 100 yards. Most companies will have an option for unlimited data once you know which one to try.