Tmobile prepaid vs post paid help

[jamjr74]

I am a current Verizon customer and just purchased a Nexus 5 with the plan to switch to Tmobile. I signed up for prepaid for a test run and have gotten not so great coverage. I had tmobile briefly in the past on a regular post paid plan and coverage was way better at my house. Is there a difference in coverage for prepaid and regular plans???? Are there any other recommendations to try for a less expensive alternative to Verizon?? Straight talk maybe??? Thanks

 

[dportal2006]

I am pretty sure the coverage is the same. You might get slower data speeds but the calling signal should be the same. I am just speculating though.

 

[kate]

Is there a difference in coverage for prepaid and regular plans????

There shouldn't be, unless the prepaid plan doesn't offer the same roaming coverage. The phone can occasionally be a factor, some have better antennas then others.

just purchased a Nexus 5...
Are there any other recommendations to try for a less expensive alternative to Verizon??

When you don't use tons of data Ting is pretty cheap - check them out and see how they compare with your usage. If you decide to go with them you can get a discount using my signature. They are currently having users test the Nexus 5 from Google to make sure everything works with their network, looks like MMS is having some issues. You could help test or wait a week or so until everything's working.

 

[codesplice]

There shouldn't be, unless the prepaid plan doesn't offer the same roaming coverage. The phone can occasionally be a factor, some have better antennas then others..

Like kate said, the difference in coverage on pre-versus-postpaid is only with regard to roaming. On prepaid, you get no data roaming (but still can get voice roaming); with postpaid you can data roam on other networks.

 

[jhawkkw]

The beauty of that Nexus 5 is that it is SIM unlocked so you can try another carrier without needing to change phones. Try using an AT&T MVNO like Straight Talk or AIO and test their coverage.

 

[mogelijk]

Like kate said, the difference in coverage on pre-versus-postpaid is only with regard to roaming. On prepaid, you get no data roaming (but still can get voice roaming); with postpaid you can data roam on other networks.

Apparently even that has changed, prepaid plans (the $50/60/70 plans) get data roaming as well now. The major difference now, from what I can see, is that those prepaid plans don't have international roaming.

Of course, the $30 plan wasn't given data roaming or tethering.

 

[jhawkkw]

The 30 dollar plan does give tethering now, though only 100MB of it.

 

[codesplice]

Apparently even that has changed, prepaid plans (the $50/60/70 plans) get data roaming as well now. The major difference now, from what I can see, is that those prepaid plans don't have international roaming.

Of course, the $30 plan wasn't given data roaming or tethering.

Cool, I hadn't realized that their recent roaming changes trickled over to the prepaid side as well.

 

[mogelijk]

The 30 dollar plan does give tethering now, though only 100MB of it.

From what I can tell, not officially. From the article I linked, "The popular $30 5GB plan will not get domestic roaming and is not listed on the chart, and T-Mobile currently tells us that its Mobile Hotspot policy has not changed on the plan, despite the fact that some users are seeing a tethering allotment on their account."

I do not get tethering on my $30 plan.

 

[codesplice]

From what I can tell, not officially. From the article I linked, "The popular $30 5GB plan will not get domestic roaming and is not listed on the chart, and T-Mobile currently tells us that its Mobile Hotspot policy has not changed on the plan, despite the fact that some users are seeing a tethering allotment on their account."

I do not get tethering on my $30 plan.

I haven't tested it lately, but I do appear to have an allowance on mine.

 

[jhawkkw]

I have it to and even tested it. Meet no resistance

 

[chong67]

Yes, I didn't know about this too. Be sure you install the app from T=mobile.

On their regular webpage, I still cant see the Hotspot usage when I log in.

 

[mogelijk]

The My T-Mobile app does not have the tethering line for me. If I try to activate tethering on my phone it takes me to the $15 add-on plan sign up.

 

[jhawkkw]

The My T-Mobile app does not have the tethering line for me. If I try to activate tethering on my phone it takes me to the $15 add-on plan sign up.

Wow, that certainly is weird. I wonder if calling a rep could get it added workout being that 15 dollar add on.

 

[chong67]

The My T-Mobile app does not have the tethering line for me. If I try to activate tethering on my phone it takes me to the $15 add-on plan sign up.

That is weird. You on prepaid? You should get some free bytes, even the $30 plan get something.

Then there is the other way thru the backdoor which everyone knows.