Editing New York City (section)

=== Mobile/cell phone information ===

There are two main GSM providers in the US: AT&T and T-Mobile. Verizon and Sprint do not use SIM cards, so you cannot use your GSM phone with those providers. However, there are also MVNOs (mobile virtual network operators) that buy AT&T and T-Mobile service wholesale and sell it retail on a prepaid basis.

NOTE: '''not all GSM phones are compatible with US GSM service providers''', but if your phone is "tri-band" or "quad-band", it should be compatible for voice and SMS services. Check with your provider to make sure. '''Also make sure that your phone is "unlocked"''' so that it can operate with SIM cards that do not belong to your provider. If your phone is locked to your carrier, it may be possible to have it unlocked for a small fee in the Chinatown area of Manhattan.

If you plan to use data on your smart phone here in the US, 3G data services in the US are often incompatible with phones not made specifically for the US. '''Your phone must be compatible with both frequencies of a provider to be compatible with 3G data.''' If it is not, you can still get data service, just at a slower speed (2G, also known as Edge).

* AT&T uses both the 800 MHz and the 1900 MHz frequency bands for their 3G data network. They use the 700 MHz frequency for their LTE (4G) service.

* T-Mobile uses both the 1700 MHz and the 2100 MHz frequency bands for their 3G data network, which in some cities is as fast as the 4G networks -- with the right phone.

You can input your phone model in [http://www.gsmarena.com/search.php3 this website] to find out its specifications and if it supports the frequencies above, or you can input the IMEI of your phone in [http://www.imei.info/ this website] to find out the model and the frequencies. The IMEI is usually located under the battery of most mobile phones. 

Here is a listing of GSM prepaid plans. Note that many of these plans include international minutes and/or SMS text messaging. '''Also note that in the US, the owner of the mobile phone pays for both incoming and outgoing minutes and SMS/text messages,''' but people do not pay more to call you on your phone or send you an SMS/text message. 

* AT&T (2nd largest cell phone service provider in the US): http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-plans/pyg-cell-phone-plans.jsp

* T-Mobile (4th largest cell phone service provider in the US): http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-plans

If you walk into a T-Mobile or AT&T store and ask for a prepaid SIM and activate it in the store, they will probably charge you $5 or $6 for the SIM. 

MVNOs:

* Red Pocket buys AT&T service wholesale and sells it retail on a prepaid basis. Their plans are [http://goredpocket.com/plans/ here].

* H2O Wireless also buys AT&T service wholesale and sells it retail on a prepaid basis. Their plans are [http://www.h2owirelessnow.com/pageControl.php?page=plans&category=W here].

* SimpleMobile buys T-Mobile service wholesale and sells it retail on a prepaid basis. Their plans are [http://www.mysimplemobile.com/Simple-Mobile-Plan.aspx here].

A Red Pocket or SimpleMobile SIM card at a store in NYC will cost you $20 or more. You can buy an H2O Wireless SIM card at [http://www.bestbuy.com BestBuy] for $10.

You can get a SIM card from any of these providers on eBay or at their respective websites for $5 or less, plus shipping (often the seller offers free shipping to addresses in the US, and a small shipping fee outside the US). If you buy the SIM online, you can then have the seller ship it to your host or hostel and then activate it online. It is safe to purchase a SIM card on eBay, but just be careful not to purchase a used SIM (the listings clearly state when the SIM is used), and whether you buy from eBay or directly from the provider's website, purchase far enough in advance so that it is delivered before you arrive.

You can also buy an inexpensive phone once you arrive in the US with credit already on it (for example: GoPhone, Virgin Mobile, and Boost Mobile), and you can add to that credit if you need to. Plans differ by provider, so you have to ask what the plan is before you buy the phone. Stores where you can buy such phones:
* Duane Reade (drugstore chain)
* CVS (also a drugstore chain)
* Rite Aid (yes, another drugstore chain)
* BestBuy (electronics chain)