I'm addicted to bits.

August 26, 2005 9:06 AM

WirelessGeekFilter: I need a new phone/carrier. I'm thinking that I'd like to have mobile internet, and have done my research. Unfortunately, my research implies some unfortunate tradeoffs. See, I want cheap voice and cheap internet. Help me find the optimal hack.

When I say "mobile internet", I don't mean that craptastic webbrowser that's part of the handset. I mean a real-deal TCP/IP connection for either my Zaurus or my laptop (and soon, my wearable computer).

Keep this in mind: my monthly budget for the plan is around $50. My budget for initial equipment is capped at around $200.

The only decent plan I can find in the US is T-Mobile's $30 internet plan. Unlimited data! Woohoo! However, that particular plan then charges me $0.20/min for voice. I find that unacceptable since I spend a fair bit of time on the phone. Furthermore, the only piece of equipment T-Mobile offers, with its sweet subsidy, has WiFi that I don't need, and doesn't include any sort of voice functionality.

I could do some VoIP craziness, of course. And, I actually find that tempting even if just for the geek points I'd earn. But, it seems untractable in reality... short laptop battery life, having to lug around 6lbs worth of laptop to receive a phonecall, etc.

I look at other carriers' plans, and I see that I can pay $20 for 5Mb. Ridiculous!

Help me find the optimal hack, please.

posted by Netzapper to Technology (9 answers total)

Get a regular T-Mobile voice plan with a sidekick internet add-on or just old fashioned tzones.
posted by riffola at 9:38 AM on August 26, 2005

Sprint offered me unlimited data for $10/month on top of whatever voice plan I bought. Got that deal through Amazon when I bought my Treo. Might want to check on them from time to time.
posted by diastematic at 9:39 AM on August 26, 2005

If you have a T-Mobile voice plan, you can't get their unlimited internet plan for $20, instead of $30. My monthly phone bill came out to 70 bucks a month (including 10 bucks in taxes). But be warned: GPRS is slow...slower than 56K in most instances (but barely).
posted by SeizeTheDay at 9:41 AM on August 26, 2005

Get Sprint with the $10/mo Vision package. Then get a usb cable to connect the phone to the laptop and then find the CDMA Modem drivers for you phone. Hook it all up, and you've got instant internet access anywhere your cell phone works, with pretty impressive speeds (much faster than dialup).

Note- this isn't really supported by Sprint, but works well for me and some of my firends.
posted by gus at 9:56 AM on August 26, 2005

I'm happy with Sprint's data plan, which as diastematic mentioned just adds $10 a month to your plan. I think they call it PCS Vision. That gives you unlimited data both through the phone's webbrowser and also when using the phone as a modem for a laptop/handheld. The only problem for me is Sprint's lack of supported Bluetooth phones which means that you'll have to carry around a cable to connect the phone to the laptop. I've been doing that for a couple years with a Samsung A500 and it's worked out well enough for me. The speed isn't great but when I get good signal strength it's definitely faster than a 56K.
posted by shinji_ikari at 9:56 AM on August 26, 2005

can't? do you mean can get it for $20?
(not being snarky, just want to know)
posted by defcom1 at 9:58 AM on August 26, 2005

sorry, yes. I meant can get unlimited internet for 20 bucks, instead of 30.
posted by SeizeTheDay at 10:06 AM on August 26, 2005

My current Sprint plan is $30 dollars a month for 300 "Anytime" minutes, free nights and weekends starting at 9 PM (7?), free long distance, and unlimited data.

For what its worth, there have been reports of Treo users racking up something like a gigabyte of traffic in one month, and Sprint getting angry about it. All the stories I have heard have said that Sprint reverses the charges after you remind them of the unlimited PCS Vision that you signed up with.

I've had no trouble, and use something on the order of 600 megs a month down.

(I've also, been bitten by the wearable bug a long time ago, but the current state of head mounted displays for amateurs is actually worse than 5 years ago, from what I can see.)
posted by adamwolf at 2:22 PM on August 26, 2005

Get the unlimited internet, and a pocketpc, use Skype to make your PocketPC into a telephone (with a real phone number) and therefore using ONLY the internet. No voice calls necessary.
posted by blue_beetle at 9:24 PM on August 26, 2005