Free mobile phone service--anyone using?

[leahcim 678]

I have been looking at free/cheap mobile phone service using carriers and plans that are wifi only, or wifi backed up by cellular (I have found Scratch wireless, Freedompop, and Republic so far).

 

Scratch has some plans that look good, but what I understand from their website, they only offer one (old) phone (Moto Photon Q).  No BYOD, no other options that I could find. 

Freedom offers more phones, but I think they are locked.  However, they do allow BYOD.

I have not looked at Republic in depth yet.

 

Anyone using any of these or other cheap/free mobile phone service using wifi-only or wifi + 4g backup?

[Howard 538]

Cablevision is offering a new service, I think they call it Freewheel (or something similar).  You have to buy their device for $100, and then it is $9.99 a month if you are a customer already.  I would think the other option is to use any old cellphone and turn off the cellular part and run something like Viber or other VoIP apps over available WiFi for free.

[mikka1 2]

Maybe I'm missing something, but do you plan to rely on open (=free) wi-fi networks to place calls?

If that's the case, I would just buy $3/month plan from T-Mo Prepaid (it includes 30 minutes of talk per month for these $3), put the SIM-card in an Android smartphone and install Hangouts Dialer app couple with Google Voice number.

With this setup you'll be able to make free calls when you are on someone's wi-fi (or at home with your wi-fi network) using Hangouts app and still have a chance to use a cellphone for calling/texting in areas where there is no wi-fi coverage...

[leahcim 678]

Maybe I'm missing something, but do you plan to rely on open (=free) wi-fi networks to place calls?

If that's the case, I would just buy $3/month plan from T-Mo Prepaid (it includes 30 minutes of talk per month for these $3), put the SIM-card in an Android smartphone and install Hangouts Dialer app couple with Google Voice number.

With this setup you'll be able to make free calls when you are on someone's wi-fi (or at home with your wi-fi network) using Hangouts app and still have a chance to use a cellphone for calling/texting in areas where there is no wi-fi coverage...

That is essentially it.  There are several companies now offering combinations from service relying 100% on wifi, to plans where wifi is primary and cellular serves as a backup. Or you can go 100% wifi and purchase a day or a month voice/data at a time.  Plans range from free to very cheap.  Obviously it would work better in a metropolitan area, but I might give it a shot, was wondering if anyone here has tried it with any of the companies that specialize in this area.

Article in the WSJ discusses the option:  http://on.wsj.com/1b1BF6H

[ar15bang 0]

Or this, but locks you into just one phone.

 

https://gigaom.com/2015/01/25/this-is-big-cablevision-launches-wi-fi-only-mobile-phone-service/

[leahcim 678]

Yes, that is the problem with Scratch Wireless--they only offer one phone, and it is an older Moto Photon.  However, it is cheap ($99 for phone, $0 for Wifi service, $2 for one-day voice/text, or $15 for one month).  Republic and Freedompop offer more device options and similar pricing.

[Newtonian 453]

Maybe I'm missing something, but do you plan to rely on open (=free) wi-fi networks to place calls?

If that's the case, I would just buy $3/month plan from T-Mo Prepaid (it includes 30 minutes of talk per month for these $3), put the SIM-card in an Android smartphone and install Hangouts Dialer app couple with Google Voice number.

With this setup you'll be able to make free calls when you are on someone's wi-fi (or at home with your wi-fi network) using Hangouts app and still have a chance to use a cellphone for calling/texting in areas where there is no wi-fi coverage...

When I looked for a calling app for one of my android tablets a year or so ago it did not work. I guess that has changed.

[RobertJames 14]

How about the obvious choice?   

[Howard 538]

How about the obvious choice?   

I hear those come with free money too!

[leahcim 678]

I hear those come with free money too!

Fortunately I do not qualify for that.

So when did a cell phone become a necessity that the govt needs to provide for everyone?

Must have been "the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal."

[mikka1 2]

Hm. I wonder how much money has been ... emmm... "lost" in such a program (if it is not a joke), if the cheapest phone I got so far was around $7 or so (old Samsung) and the cheapest plan known to me is $3/month plan from TMo...

I mean, if you can't spend $7 upfront on the handset and $3/month for a "lifeline"... no program will likely help you

 

***

 

But one thing is often neglected and I keep repeating this again and again - by international (=European for me) standards cost of mobile & residential phone/internet service in the US (and especially cost/quality ratio) is simply outrageous, but everyone seems to be perfectly fine with that :-) (I heard about people paying more than $200 a month for 3 cellphones, LOL)...

[TonyS. 12]

When it comes to technology I wouldn't rely on anything free to be 100% reliable. I've been using Page Plus for years now and love it. They use Verizon's network. Never not without a signal and never had any problems except adding a Verizon pre-pay phone.... I guess so many Verizon customers that bought their pre-pay phones have switched over to Page Plus that Verizon caught on and doesn't allow this anymore. I've recommended Page Plus to all my friends and family and many have switched over and, last I hear, are happy.

[Springfield1911 22]

Not sure how the "Freewheel" service is going to be successful. Optimum hot spots are not that reliable when driving. I drive up and down 23 all day and pick them up with my phone and they cant even stream music reliably. Constantly in and out. Only good if you are staying still in one place. 

[leahcim 678]

When it comes to technology I wouldn't rely on anything free to be 100% reliable.

Roger that.  I need to consider trade off of good enough vs. increased cost.  And I think I might just be able to manage not having 24/7 100% connectivity and availability. 

 

I have gone through similar analysis with cable (I have broadcast TV augmented with streaming video via Comcast internet.  Sometimes my viewing choices are limited and sometimes my (fringe) reception is not 100%, but it is free (other than the internet access) and I just can't see paying cable rates in order to watch Fox News, A&E, History, Discovery and maybe a handful of other channels.

Same with home phone--I use Nettalk, and the reliability is not great compared to my old Verizon land line.  But at $3/month for unlimited nationwide calling, it is worth the trade.

 

I am working on a comparison spreadsheet of the free/low cost mobile phone options--I will post it when I complete it and report if I decide to use one of the services.

[Norseman 2]

I have that "Optimum" thing that will automatically join my phone to any Optimum wifi spots and sometimes I have to turn wifi off in public because it's WAY slower than my LTE. And I should also mention that I own my iPhone 5S (was a going away present from my previous employer that let me go in 2013 right after giving me the phone) and I use Metro PCS. My plan is unlimited talk/text and 4GB of 4G LTE for an even $50 per month. I'm pretty pleased with it. I have as Verizon HTC through my current employer and I just keep it on hotspot most of the time with my phone connected to it so I don't use up my Metro PCS data. But even if I DO go over the 4GB of LTE they won't charge me any more than $50. They just dial my speed back to 3G.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ar15bang 0]

https://fi.google.com/about/

 

Just came out.

[Burns 16]

I am not a fan of Walmart but I got sick of dealing with Verizon so my wife went to this plan when her contract was up. http://www.walmart.com/cp/Family-Mobile/1076544 She is paying $30 a month for 1GB of data and unlimited talk and text. I am paying $70 a month for the same plan with Verizon, at least til my contract is up. They use T-Mobiles network and she has had zero issues with it in south central NJ.