A bit of help for a traveller

[MaTiCeK]

I'm planning to visit my relatives and do a little hiking across the US next month. I need some advice on choosing a reliable prepaid voice and data provider. It can even be 2 different providers. I'll be going to San Francisco, New York and Houston.

I have an european (Italian = without sim lock) iPhone 3Gs, so I can choose carriers freely (as long as they are GSM/UMTS carriers). So, who should I go with, Tmobile or ATT?

Alternatively, if an iPhone on a prepaid SIM isn't an option (I remember reading something about ATT cancelling peoples prepaid accounts, because they've used iPhones), I can use an old Nokia N82 as a WiFi access point (kinda like a MiFi)

 

[MaTiCeK]

Come on, isn't there anyone to recommend me the better prepaid carrier out of T-mobile and ATT?

 

[flyingember]

This is the US, that's it if you're covering that much of the country.

Also, if you're doing hiking in actual rural areas (not parks but real wild places) you'll find that none of the carriers will really work. They're all spotty outside of the cities. T-Mobile is worse in this area.

prepaid technically doesn't work either with AT&T. They don't like to support the iPhone on it. I'm not sure on T-Mobile since they don't have the phone as an official device on their network.

No, there's no good answer

 

[MaTiCeK]

Thx for the info.

 

[Brickman]

Your best bet is AT&T. They have good voice coverage in "most" of the US but 3G will be almost Non-Existent where you will most likely be. You will be lucky to have Edge.

You can always look at AT&T coverage maps on-line to see what kind of coverage you will have in the areas you will be in. That is what I do when I go on trips to the "middle-of-nowhere".