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Carrier $45 Unlimited Talk, Text, Data on Straight Talk (AT&T MVNO)?

I just switched from AT&T to Straight Talk this week. I upgraded my handset and had to change my plan. Somewhere along the line, AT&T dropped every texting plan but unlimited messaging for $20 per month. Twenty dollars - give me a break! Each text message is only 140 bytes! It's practically a second data plan just for messages. To put that in perspective, the 200 MB plan for $15 per month I was on is worth worth 1.5 million text messages.

What a racket. Now I'll simply enjoy the same service (and I do get the same quality service) with more data, texts, and minutes for nearly half the price.
 
kofman13 said:
I am now with virgin mobile. the data speeds are terrible in NYC
my average download is 450kbps. and I have gone through 3 motorola triumphs, all with hardware problems. I am sick of it.
I want to go to ST with my iphone 3gs. how is the service in nyc?
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As I understand it AT&T has a bad reputation for New York City. A straight talk AT&T SIM is not going to fix that.
 
im reading on HOFO, some people got terminated and lost number for using only 1.6 gb a month,,,,,?
 
kofman13 said:
im reading on HOFO, some people got terminated and lost number for using only 1.6 gb a month,,,,,?
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Previously... but a few have recently tested it up to 5GB before getting cut after the introduction of BYOD. Also, AT&T has recently changed its plans from 2GB to 3GB, so that apparently raises the Straight Talk limit as well. As I understand it, if you use a ridiculous amount on Straight Talk(5+GB/month), you just have to work through an automated system that asks a few questions to be sure you aren't tethering, etc.
 
techguy20 said:
Previously... but a few have recently tested it up to 5GB before getting cut after the introduction of BYOD. Also, AT&T has recently changed its plans from 2GB to 3GB, so that apparently raises the Straight Talk limit as well. As I understand it, if you use a ridiculous amount on Straight Talk(5+GB/month), you just have to work through an automated system that asks a few questions to be sure you aren't tethering, etc.
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i am on wifi most of the day. but if my only 3g data usage is email, some web browsing, twitter and instagram.. ( no gaming or app/music downloads or youtube). then i should be okay probably? i just dont want to get terminated with no warning and lose my number.
 
kofman13 said:
i am on wifi most of the day. but if my only 3g data usage is email, some web browsing, twitter and instagram.. ( no gaming or app/music downloads or youtube). then i should be okay probably? i just dont want to get terminated with no warning and lose my number.
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You would have absolutely nothing to worry about. It sounds like you would use at most a few hundred MB a month. Go for it!
 
You should be ok with the data usage specially if you don't mess too much with video streaming (YouTube). Last month I used like 434MB and this is checking emails, surfing the web, opening apps that use Internet connection and ocassionally you tubing.

I recommend this data monitoring app called data monitor, it helps.

PS: I forgot to add, I do most of my YouTube and streaming over wi-fi at home.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1336135092.940430.jpg
 
Last edited:
As I understand it data monitoring eat battery life. I've just been using the built-in data monitor. I also see a lot of the data monitoring apps will make mistakes and counts Wi-Fi data sometimes.
 
Yes data monitor will eat up battery, but if you disable GPS location it is fine. It took me a while to figure it out.
 
I can not really confirm if is that accurate, I just recently installed it, but when I compare it to the built in data monitor it is only off by a couple of KB.
 
this is what i got from facebook support

Larry ST

Hi Mikhail. Excessive data usage occurs when you are using more data than what the phone's native browser naturally use. Our service does not support video streaming. However, you can video stream if you use your phone's Wi-Fi connection. You can refer to Straight Talk Terms and Conditions under paragraphs 6 and 7 for data usage. Hope this helps. Thanks.
 
kofman13 said:
this is what i got from facebook support

Larry ST

Hi Mikhail. Excessive data usage occurs when you are using more data than what the phone's native browser naturally use. Our service does not support video streaming. However, you can video stream if you use your phone's Wi-Fi connection. You can refer to Straight Talk Terms and Conditions under paragraphs 6 and 7 for data usage. Hope this helps. Thanks.
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You can contact them 10 different times and get 10 different answers sometimes you can get different answers in the same phone call, there is much discussion on this over on Howard forum.
 
MaxBurn said:
You can contact them 10 different times and get 10 different answers sometimes you can get different answers in the same phone call, there is much discussion on this over on Howard forum.
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+1 This is true. The least contact with support the better!
 
kofman13 said:
this is what i got from facebook support

Larry ST

Hi Mikhail. Excessive data usage occurs when you are using more data than what the phone's native browser naturally use. Our service does not support video streaming. However, you can video stream if you use your phone's Wi-Fi connection. You can refer to Straight Talk Terms and Conditions under paragraphs 6 and 7 for data usage. Hope this helps. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I won't be following that. And no way I'll use ~3GB just with mobile Safari/IMAP.
 
kofman13 said:
I am now with virgin mobile. the data speeds are terrible in NYC
my average download is 450kbps. and I have gone through 3 motorola triumphs, all with hardware problems. I am sick of it.
I want to go to ST with my iphone 3gs. how is the service in nyc?
Click to expand...

FYI I have just finished my first month of service with ST on my iphone 4, live in Brooklyn, commute to Manhattan every day. The signal/service has been rock steady for me. I used to be on a 4G Tmobile phone, so that kind of spoiled me with data speed, and the iphone 4 feels sluggish at times for me. But that's just my own personal perception created by past experience. In general - the service has been consistent with what I had hoped for - anywhere from 1-3 mbs, depending on location and time of day. Also haven't had a phone call drop out at all.

I do think that NYC has poorer signal than many other areas, based on a couple out-of-town trips I took last month. Just got back from Pittsburgh last night, and I was consistently getting better speeds there. So while it might not be the best signal in the country, it's good enough. Especially if you are on wifi a lot and will only use the data for email and basic browsing.

Oh, last thing - I ended up using just about 1GB in data for my first month. I didn't alter my normal usage at all from previous phones. Regularly checked email, browsed, streamed a few YouTube vids, Facebooked, even installed a few apps over 3g data. And I only hit 1 gig. Granted I usually put it on wifi when at home, just as a rule. But even if I had left it on 3g the whole month, I doubt I would have gone over 2 gigs. I think you really have to be tethering to reach those 4/5 gig heights, either that or you are literally streaming/downloading something 24/7 all month long. But for 'normal' usage, I don't think people will have to worry about ST cutting them off.
 
Midtown is a train wreck on AT&T. Some places it's super slow, others it doesn't work at all, although in front of the Apple store it's cruising right along at 3mbps. :D

I have an app called data usage, it's accurate within <1% of what AT&T is counting, and tells you what you're supposed to be for your limit (pro-rated). It's great to have a quicker way to track what I'm using. Would also be great for the international packages to track usage down into the individual MBs.
 
Hello, I bought a samsung galaxy s2 on the ATT network. I bought a sim card from straight talk and it was activated today. my phone isnt jailbroken. When i try to browse the internet, it wont let me, instead, it keeps directing me to the tracfone website. I can however use youtube and facebook apps. I also can use the android market. I jut cant browse though and i heard someone say that you cant browse. Can someone help me so that im able to browse, thank you.
 
rob3gd said:
Hello, I bought a samsung galaxy s2 on the ATT network. I bought a sim card from straight talk and it was activated today. my phone isnt jailbroken. When i try to browse the internet, it wont let me, instead, it keeps directing me to the tracfone website. I can however use youtube and facebook apps. I also can use the android market. I jut cant browse though and i heard someone say that you cant browse. Can someone help me so that im able to browse, thank you.
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Yes -- you should be able to do any internet-related activities with Straight Talk.

Are you using an iPhone or the Galaxy S2?
 
rob3gd said:
Samsung Galaxy s2
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Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with that device, so be advised you are on a forum thread where most of us have iPhones.

It sounds to me like you may have an issue with APN settings. I don't have an Android device, but I've compiled directions that should be able to help you:

1. Touch the Menu key
2. Touch Settings
3. Touch Wireless & networks
4. Touch Mobile networks
5. Touch Access Point Names

Then, input the following settings where applicable:

APN: att.mvno
Username: (blank)
Password: (blank)

MMSC: http://mmsc.cingular.com
MMS Proxy: 66.209.11.33:80

Once you have that in, save the changes and restart the phone.

Let me know if that works.
 
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