United States

Default data rate

 * $0.01 per 5 KB

More information

Data feature packs
DATA feature packs are for monthly based prepaid plans. AT&T stopped providing DATA feature packs for daily based prepaid plans according to their web. [note: I have used DATA feature with 10c/min plan and 2USD/day daily plan. It seems this is no longer available to daily plan users.]

Prices updated as at 18 April 2012 (AT&T announces new GoPhone data packages): You can start by purchasing the 100mb package, and if you renew with the 10mb package within 30 days you can keep your leftover bandwidth.You cannot renew using this method more than three times. After the third time, you must order the 100 MB package to retain your leftover bandwidth. AT&T PayAsYouGO Dataplan does not work for Blackberry in the US. More information [note: I had GoPhone plan with the 15 usd/100mb option. Maybe that link is outdated]
 * $5.00 / 50 MB (was 10 MB)
 * $15.00/ 200 MB (was 100 MB)
 * $25.00/ 1 GB (was 500 MB)

When refilling your account, different denominations have different expirations: If you only use your account sparingly, be aware that if you don't top up within 60 days after expiration, the entire account will be terminated automatically (and your SIM will be unusable) ...
 * $10 - $15: 30 days
 * $25 - $50: 90 days
 * $100: 365 days

Availability

 * AT&T SIMs can be purchased in their own shops. If you go to a mall kiosk, they will attempt to charge you for the SIM. Instead, go to a brick and mortar AT&T store (Store locator) where they will give you the SIM for free without a topup (this was done at 2 different AT&T stores November 2012). Do not tell them that you have an iPhone. Nokia Lumia 900 uses a micro sim if you have to give a model name.
 * An alternative are sites like ebay where you can buy the SIM cards even abroad. Topping up can be done on sites like pinzoo.com or callingmart.com
 * To keep the SIM active for 12 months, you are only required to top up with a single $100 topup card (you cannot from what's online, top up with multiples of anything less than $100.

SIM sizes

 * Mini, Micro and Nano SIMs exist.

Tethering
Will work on a GoPhone SIM provided you have purchased the data plan.

iPhone specific information

 * The AT&T sales reps can be reluctant to sell you a pay as you go plan if you have an iPhone. Say that you come from another country (like Italy, Belgium, Canada) where iPhones are sold factory unlocked. That argument usually works. AT&T reps will sell you a SIM for an unlocked iPhone but will not guarantee that you can use it with a data plan -- don't be daunted though; they either don't know or won't tell you how to change the APN.
 * Once you have the SIM you need to set up your iPhone properly:
 * Create a custom APN on a Mac/PC computer using Apple's (free) iPhone Configuration Utility, as described here.
 * Or, if you have wifi access you can download a pre-prepared APN directly to your iPhone by visiting Craig Whitmore's excellent iPhone APN Changer site in the phone's web browser. Choose: Custom APN > Carrier = US - AT & T > Create Profile, then install it.
 * More instructions for the AT&T GoPhone:

Activiating your GoPhone before arriving to the USA

You can activate your phone using this link (when asked for your phone's IMEI, you can simply enter "111111111111111" = 15 times "1").

After the activation process, you are given the option to charge your GoPhone account using a credit card. Please note that you can use this option also with a non-USA credit card, even though it only let you choose "USA" as the country. Simply enter any address in the USA (such as your hotel's address).

When you are asked for the billing address ZIP code, I entered my REAL (non-USA) ZIP code, and when asked for last 4 digits of SSN (Social Security Number), I entered "1234". This worked successfully for me, and my account was charged.

However, I could NOT choose the data plan I wanted to :

AT&T GoPhone does not work while on roaming outside USA (except in Canada and Mexico).

In order to set your data plan on the web site, you need to log-in using phone number and PIN code. A temporary PIN code is given to you when you activate your phone, but when you try to log-in to your account, it sends you a SMS with a new PIN code, and it asks you to enter it. Because you are not in the USA, and your phone doesn't work in roaming, you don't receive the new PIN code, and you can't use it.

To resolve this, I called AT&T number: +1-800-331-0500 (maybe also +1-800-901-9878), and after entering my GoPhone number, I asked for "More Options" and then for "Customer Care".

When a person answered me, I explained my issue (being out of the USA, and don't have the PIN code). I asked them to add the data plan to my account. In order to make sure it is really me, they asked when was the last time I charged my account and what was the amount. After I told it to them, they added the data plan to my account.

Please note that this is efective immediately, and is for 30 days, so you would like to do that as close to your trip as possible.

IPAD specific plan

4G/LTE specific plans are available if setup directly from the ipad. However they need a US credit card. The way around this is to go into any supermarket or BestBuy and buy a VISA giftcard with $30 loaded. You can then use this to signup. $30 gives you 3gb for 30 days. Use your hotel address when asked for an address, but make sure the email address you give is valid.

T-Mobile
Prepaid data only SIM

New worry-free No Annual Contract prepaid data SIMs as of June 1st 2012: These plans have no talk and no text. They don't even have an assigned number. Speed is 3G and T-Mobile 4G (HSPA+)
 * 300MB 1 week for $15
 * 1.5GB 1 month for $25

Monthly4G (No Annual Contract)
T-Mobile Monthly4G plans
 * $70 / month - Unlimited voice / text / data (first 5GB at 4G speed)
 * $60 / month - Unlimited voice / text / data (first 2GB at 4G speed)
 * $50 / month - Unlimited voice / text / data (first 100MB at 4G speed)
 * $30 / month - 100 minutes / unlimited text / unlimited data (first 5GB at 4G speed)

Pay Per Day
A pre-pay SIM, available in stores. Only pay for the days you use. Unlimited talk / text / web
 * $2 / 24 hours (2G Speeds)
 * $3 / 24 hours (first 200MB at 4G Speed)

T-Mobile Pay By The Day plans

Availability
Can be purchased in store, no ID needed. SIM costs $10 (comes with ~$3 credit).

Some stores charge $30 for the SIM so be careful. Apparently, the stores just charge whatever they feel like.

You can also purchase the SIM online from T-mobile for $0.99:

Accounts can be terminated at any time at a T-Mobile store, by phone via My T-Mobile or online chat support with a T-Mobile consultant.

You should sign upfor your My T-Mobile account whilst in the US because the password is sent via SMS which is not accessible when roaming outside of T-Mobile coverage. Store locator

Speed
4G & 3G speeds require your phone to support AWS UMTS (1700/2100 Mhz), otherwise you will only get 2.5G EDGE. Many high-end Nokia phones like the N8 and N9 support AWS, as do international flagship models from other manufacturers such as the Samsung Galaxy Nexus / Google Nexus 4. No Apple devices support AWS. Got great 3G (HSDPA) speeds on an European Samsung Google Galaxy Nexus (late 2011 model).

SIM sizes
 * Mini SIMs exist. Micro SIM are supported by T-Mobile US.

Tethering

 * Yes.

iPhone

 * T-Mobile 3G is not compatible with iPhones in most of the USA, though it is rumored that they will introduce compatibility towards the end of July 2012. Beware: their web page does NOT indicate the iPhone incompatibility (it's a frequency issue) and they will not refund prepaid money. This has not changed as of November 2012.

Virgin Mobile
Broadband2Go (No Annual Contract)

Data rate
You must buy one of the devices (MiFi or USB Stick). Must buy a WiMax capable device to get unlimited WiMax
 * 200 MB 3G / Unlimited WIMAX - $5/day
 * 2 GB 3G / Unlimited WIMAX - $35/month
 * 5 GB 3G / Unlimited WIMAX - $55/month

NOTE: Virgin Mobile reserves the right, without notice, to temporarily limit throughput speeds when WiMax usage passes 10GB.

http://www.virginmobileusa.com/mobile-broadband/broadband2go.html

Availability

 * Store Locator

Tethering

 * No SIM cards, CDMA.

SIMPLE Mobile
T-Mobile MVNO

Only Data

 * $25/30 days: 750 MB at 4G speeds
 * $45/30 days: 2 GB at 4G speeds

Data with Voice

 * $40/30 days: Unlimited nationwide talk, text, 3G data
 * $50/30 days: Unlimited nationwide talk, text, 4G data

As of 20120202, Simple Mobile states that the data with voice plans have no restrictions in data usage, they will not throttle or cut off usage after a certain mount of data transferred.

More information

Availability
Store locator
 * SIMPLE Mobile SIMs can be purchased for $13 in their own shops or online.

Note: So far name and address are not required to buy a SIM card or top off cards.

SIM sizes
Both Mini and Micro are available.

Tethering
Not supported.

Frequency
Simple Mobile shared the same cell network as T-Mobile. All unlocked T-Mobile phones should work fine with Simple Mobile.


 * 850 MHz
 * 1900 MHz
 * 1700 MHz
 * 1900 MHz

Warning : Iphones (v4 included) will only operate at 2G but not 3G or 4G as they dnot not support the 1700Mhz or 1900MHz simple mobile network (which is actually the T-Mobile network), more information

Cellular Data

 * APN: simple
 * Username: blank
 * Password: blank
 * MMS#SAPN: simple
 * Username: blank
 * Password: blank
 * MMSC: http://smpl.mms.msg.eng.t-mobile.com/mms/wapenc
 * MMS Proxy: 216.155.165.50:8080
 * MMS Message Size: 1048576
 * MMS UA Prof URL:http://www.apple.com/mms/uaprof.rdf
 * iPhone 4S Deals

More information --> go to 'Phone programming'

Red Pocket Mobile
AT&T MVNO

Data rate

 * $54.99 - unlimited talk/text/mms with 1GB of mobile web

Availability

 * http://goredpocket.com/
 * Amazon - SIM is 68 cents on amazon vs $10 on their website

SIM sizes

 * unknown

Tethering

 * unknown.

Straight Talk
Walmart and TracFone Joint MVNO with both AT&T and T-mobile spectrum

====NOTE: As of August 2012 Straight Talk SIMs are not a stock item in many WalMart stores (call ahead to check) and despite what the payment form indicates, the Straight Talk site does not accept purchases with non-US credit cards. You can get around this by buying your SIM from walmart.com and paying via a PayPal account linked to your non-US credit card. ====

Data rate (August 2012)

 * $45 / month - unlimited talk/text/mms/mobile web
 * $30 / month - unlimited talk/text/mms with 30MB of mobile web. (bring your own device plans AKA SIM card plans not eligible)

Availability
Both AT&T and T-mobile compatible SIMS are available for purchase. Unlocked GSM phones that work in the 850 and 1900 MHz bands also can be used.
 * http://www.straighttalk.com/ShopSims

SIM sizes

 * Both micro and mini SIM available

Tethering

 * Not allowed

H2O Wireless
AT&T MVNO

Data rate (Sept 2012)

 * Monthly Plans
 * $60 / month - unlimited talk/text/mms with 2GB of data
 * $50 / month - unlimited talk/text/mms with 500MB of data
 * Daily Plans: $2 / day - unlimited talk/text without data/mms
 * Minute Plans: $0.05 per minute/text; $0.10 per MMS; $0.30 per MB; minute expiration depends on what denomination you b uy

Frequency
GSM 850/1900

Availability

 * https://www.h2owirelessnow.com
 * Amazon ($0.67 vs $10 on H2O's website)

SIM sizes
 * Both micro and mini SIM available

Tethering

 * yes

Black WIreless