Alltel Prepaid cellular for 35 _CENTS_ per month!

[OptiMiser]

If you want a cell phone for emergency use, there are a couple ultra-cheap options:

1) Get Alltel (800-ALLTEL1) GO Prepaid service. The coverage areas are limited, but the price is awesome: as low as 35 CENTS per month! Here are the details: activation is $35, and you have to also put a $20 deposit on your account. You have up to five years to use your deposit. There is a $4 monthly fee, but you can avoid it by making at least one phone call during the month (that's what costs 35 cents). You have to buy your own phone, which can be analog-only, CDMA-only, or analog/CDMA. According to the Alltel rep I spoke to, CDMA band will only work with multi-band CDMA phones-- in other words, Verizon or AT&T branded CDMA phones will work on the CDMA band, but not Sprint/Qwest/Cingular. You have to take your phone in to the Alltel store to see if it will work, but Nokia 5185 and Audiovox 100 are known to work.

2) EmergencyCellPhones.com charges $30 to reprogram compatible phones to make only 911, credit card ($2/minute?), and collect calls. You don't pay any usage charges unless you make credit card calls. If you just need a phone for when your car breaks down, this could be the best deal.

 

[JEDI]

oh that is cool.

other plans are xingular prepaid -> $0.35/min peak, $0.10/min off peak, 45 day expiration. but it rolls over if u add more minutes to it.

and ecallplus.com which has .40, .35, and .30 per min rates (depending on value of card) and 90 day expiration dates. minutes also roll over if u add more minutes to it.

 

[dentalboy]

good deal

 

[dentalboy]

good deal

 

[Poochy]

other plans are xingular prepaid -> $0.35/min peak, $0.10/min off peak, 45 day expiration. but it rolls over if u add more minutes to it.

The Cingular prepaid for my zip code, 20904, has 30 days expiration for $10 card, and 90 days expiration for $20 or higher cards. I also note that your unused minutes will roll over if you refill your account within 14 days "following" expiration.

 

[JEDI]

oooo...xingular now has 90 cards @ .35/min peak, .10/min offpeak? cool! this looks better than ecallplus.

 

[Jes]

Does anyone know if the Motorola phones purchased through Phoneshark can be reprogramed for use on the Cingular network?

Thanks!