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MetroPCS: Unlimited International Calling For $5
Yet another pricing bomb dropped on market by carrier
Like Boost Mobile and Cricket, Prepaid cell phone carrier MetroPCS has seen some early success in the mobile market by offering discount unlimited prepaid wireless plans with no contracts. The carrier today threw another new wrinkle into the wireless pricing game by announcing unlimited International calling for $5 a month. The plan includes 100 different countries, according to the MetroPCS website. The carrier keeps being a minor but disruptive force in the mobile market, one you imagine in time will either fuse with other prepaid operators, or get gobbled up by a major player before they can cause too many problems.
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UnKnown
The Underground Network
join:2002-09-08
San Pedro, CA

UnKnown

Member

just goes to show

this just proves it again that it doesnt cost anywhere near what the major providers are charging you.
GwenH
join:2009-05-12
New York, NY

GwenH

Member

Re: just goes to show

They are not the only ones to give cheap international calls, Tracfone offers long distance and international calls to over 100 country's for the same price as a local call, They also don't charge for roaming and there are no hidden charges.
BosstonesOwn
join:2002-12-15
Wakefield, MA

BosstonesOwn

Member

Nice

But unlimited only in metro areas , and bad phones.

r81984
Fair and Balanced
Premium Member
join:2001-11-14
Katy, TX

r81984

Premium Member

Re: Nice

It is unlimited nationwide roaming on cricket for $45 and $50 plans and $5 extra a month for other plans.

Also they say you can use any CDMA phone for a price of $40.

en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

en102

Member

Re: Nice

Cricket's coverage isn't that great either, but for the price, its a good deal for those that don't travel outside the metros that are covered.
DarnellP
join:2004-10-12
Las Vegas, NV

DarnellP to r81984

Member

to r81984
said by r81984:

Also they say you can use any CDMA phone for a price of $40.
If you're in an area where they utilize AWS spectrum (such as here in Las Vegas for example), then this is not true. It's their phones or nada.

DOStradamus
MVM
join:2003-11-04
Santa Rosa, CA

DOStradamus to BosstonesOwn

MVM

to BosstonesOwn
said by BosstonesOwn:

and bad phones.
Bad phones?? My Nokia 6265i does everything but give me a Lewinsky!

I had been a (real AT&T) AT&T Wireless customer, and, after we were "borged" into Cingular, they informed us that they were shutting down the TDMA network that had provided the best service of all carriers serving my area, and marketed new phones (and CONTRACTS) at us. After seeing how poor the service was around here on Cingular's towers around here, I decided to shop around before I was forced to make a switch.

With no one I knew having a favorable opinion of their service with Verizon, T-Mobile, and a few others, and no one yet I knew on Metro PCS, I signed up "just for a month", as their coverage maps for around here (Sonoma County, CA), looked fairly good. With a "cheap" Nokia 2125, it was less than $100 out the door.

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that areas "planned for future expansion" on their current coverage map, already were "on", and, I didn't need to care about "burning" minutes, while I did!

I later bought my 6265i, and sold the 2125 on Craigslist for "basically what I paid for it".

I do travel out of their area (to Nevada) occasionally, where I'm roaming on Verizon's network there. At $0.35/minute, I find I usually ring up a whopping $4 or $5 in airtime each trip. Quadruple that, and go every month, and it's still cheaper than with any other carrier.

AND HEY: Back on the topic of phones -- You can take in any phone that supports "800/1900 MHz CDMA plus AMPS band" in to a Metro PCS agent, and have it activated on their network,

-NK

pcdebb
birdbrain
Premium Member
join:2000-12-03
Brandon, FL
ARRIS DG1670

2 edits

pcdebb to BosstonesOwn

Premium Member

to BosstonesOwn
said by BosstonesOwn:

But unlimited only in metro areas , and bad phones.
can you fully validate this?

isnt metro areas the real areas people want? Not to mention people dont really travel to need the national coverage, so that local coverage is a-ok. if i have an account here in Tampa, I can use my phone in Atlanta or even Nashville. What do you consider bad phones? I can flash my Alltel phone to MetroPCS. I can buy a brand new Blackberry at MetroPCS.

Don't hate on Metro. They ARE ruffling some feathers. when the love affair ends (or if) and i dont have my free cellphone, i will be going to MetroPCS. Half the numbers in my phonebook are metropcs numbers, most of them subscribers since they came to Tampa. With no problems. Just gotta make sure they pay that bill!

Carlos Contreras
@swbell.net

Carlos Contreras to BosstonesOwn

Anon

to BosstonesOwn
It works where I live - so I am wondering what you mean by Metro? I live in Woonsocket Rhode Island - call the DR everyday. EVERYDAY!!!!!!

Tatum Hawkins
@sprintlink.net

Tatum Hawkins

Anon

a fine print bomb

Read the fine print ... you can't call wireless phone numbers in 82 of the countires, including Mexico. And if you're roaming in Cricket territory you should plan on paying an extra $0.19/minute. Smells like BS to me.

- Tatum Hawkins, Boost Mobile

r81984
Fair and Balanced
Premium Member
join:2001-11-14
Katy, TX

r81984

Premium Member

Re: a fine print bomb

said by Tatum Hawkins :

And if you're roaming in Cricket territory you should plan on paying an extra $0.19/minute. Smells like BS to me.

- Tatum Hawkins, Boost Mobile
On November 6, 2008 MetroPCS announced "MetroPCS Unlimited Nationwide" offering an expanded service area that includes all Cricket Communications markets to current customers on the $45 and $50 service plans and can be added for $5 per month on other qualified service plans. [13]
ISurfTooMuch
join:2007-04-23
Tuscaloosa, AL

ISurfTooMuch to Tatum Hawkins

Member

to Tatum Hawkins
said by Tatum Hawkins :

Read the fine print ... you can't call wireless phone numbers in 82 of the countires, including Mexico. And if you're roaming in Cricket territory you should plan on paying an extra $0.19/minute. Smells like BS to me.

- Tatum Hawkins, Boost Mobile
Granted, the exclusion of calling cell phones is a limitation that should have been mentioned more prominently, but you can't blame MetroPCS for it. In many countries, the person who calls a wireless phone pays for the call, and the recipient of the call doesn't get charged airtime. Therefore, in countries with this billing scheme, you can't expect MetroPCS to simply eat those charges, which can be quite high.

Carlos Contreras
@swbell.net

Carlos Contreras

Anon

Re: a fine print bomb

Terminating calls on cells is expensive. People are raving in the DR over MetroPCS. Haitians are wishing for the plan, Colombians are cheering. What does Boost offer but LIES? I was told no taxes I get charged taxes. BS, limited to few countries that have old NExtel Networks and delayed text messaging.

You want more prominent? Why not mention that BOOST reserves the right to terminate customers for excessive usage (around the 8000 minute mark) or force them to a post paid plan. Boost is BRAND - MetroPCS is an actual COMPANY.

sapo
Cruising Down Memory Lane
Premium Member
join:2002-09-16
Sacramento, CA

sapo to Tatum Hawkins

Premium Member

to Tatum Hawkins
This isn't unusual at all. Calling mobile numbers internationally generally costs a lot.

joako
Premium Member
join:2000-09-07
/dev/null

joako to Tatum Hawkins

Premium Member

to Tatum Hawkins
said by Tatum Hawkins :

Read the fine print ... you can't call wireless phone numbers in 82 of the countires, including Mexico. And if you're roaming in Cricket territory you should plan on paying an extra $0.19/minute. Smells like BS to me.

- Tatum Hawkins, Boost Mobile
There is *NO* one of these "Free international calls to 100 countries" offers from *ANY* provider that includes mobiles in whatever countries MetroPCS is excluding.

hayabusa3303
Over 200 mph
Premium Member
join:2005-06-29
Florence, SC

hayabusa3303

Premium Member

Not bad but.

there service area sucks.
glinc
join:2009-04-07
New York, NY

glinc

Member

lol

If their service was worth using in NYC then that'd be great but oh boy.....service really sux

tmh
@qwest.net

tmh

Anon

Not a good deal

Callcentric has LD rates as low as 1.9 cents/min, and works with any phone service, cell or otherwise.
informpage
Never Be Satisfied
join:2003-07-09
Forest Hills, NY

informpage

Member

Re: Not a good deal

Oy someone teach this guy the difference between long distance and international.

Long Distance = With in the US (1.9 cents/min)
International = Outside the US (17 cents/min to mobiles in the EU)

Callcentric is great, but they aren't eating the cost of calling international mobiles.

Carlos Contreras
@swbell.net

Carlos Contreras to tmh

Anon

to tmh
$5.00 divided by $0.00012 a minute.

How is that NOT better than 1.9. Your card is not even a clean card.

Ben
Premium Member
join:2007-06-17
Fort Worth, TX

Ben

Premium Member

If It Sounds Too Good To Be True....

...it probably is.

Others have pointed out lousy coverage. I've never used the company's services so I can't comment on that.

But, how "unlimited" is it really? I mean really.

Will they really let you keep service if you make say....I don't know, 1,000 minutes worth of talking in International calls alone?

There's got to be some upper limit.

DOStradamus
MVM
join:2003-11-04
Santa Rosa, CA

DOStradamus

MVM

Re: If It Sounds Too Good To Be True....

How "unlimited"?? You ask...

As "unlimited" as an unmetered broadband connection, or better!

If you use, say, 10,000 minutes/month, they'd probably contact you about it, half that, no problem!

-NK
brianiscool
join:2000-08-16
Tampa, FL

brianiscool

Member

metro is great

I use metro use around 2000 minutes a month, 500 text messages a month and send picture messages. I also surf the web for $50 a month. I think that is a bargain. : )

I Use Dial
join:2004-01-04
Morgan Hill, CA

I Use Dial

Member

It totally depends on where you are.

I have a buddy who has Metro here in the SF Bay Area, and service is pretty much perfect everywhere he goes.

I pray to God that Metro Continues to grow and doesn't sell out to anyone. The international calling is one of my biggest gripes with AT&T, and because I travel so much for work I can't go with Metro.

If my job changes to something local, I'm changing to Metro for sure.
sonicmerlin
join:2009-05-24
Cleveland, OH

sonicmerlin

Member

Lol

The funny thing is that AT&T and Verizon have been putting huge markups in prices for special access lines. Yet despite these huge markups smaller carriers can offer much better pricing. It's hilarious.

C0deZer0
Oc'D To Rhythm And Police
Premium Member
join:2001-10-03
Tempe, AZ

C0deZer0

Premium Member

Out of their network area

As great as these prices sound, my biggest problem is that I don't live immediately in one of the areas they service... and the insane markup on "roaming" calls that they do charge. I think the last time I checked for myself, it said it was somewhere around $0.75 per call, which I can see rack up to well beyond the normal rate for me.

tphillips
Premium Member
join:2009-02-04
Apopka, FL

tphillips

Premium Member

Re: Out of their network area

Click for full size
I am not a Metro customer but my wife is. The service is Ok. But it looks like they cover Davenport unless that is not your home area. I was thinking about moving to them with the family since the wife uses them for work the 14 year old will never leave the area and I carry to other devices for work.
T

C0deZer0
Oc'D To Rhythm And Police
Premium Member
join:2001-10-03
Tempe, AZ

C0deZer0

Premium Member

Re: Out of their network area

I just checked again and was pleasantly surprised to see that update. Granted, it had been a very long while since I last checked their coverage... so this is welcome news to me!
pweegar
join:2005-02-18
Phoenix, AZ

pweegar

Member

What a crappy site

How in the hell does this company stay in business???? I went to their site, typed in my zip code and was told coverage isn't available. I then looked at their coverage map, and sure as hell it IS in their coverage area.

If they can't even get coverages right, I sure as hell don't have much confidence in the way they do business. Boost sounds better al the time (IF I get the over powering urge to have a wireless drvice).
Yetskii
join:2002-03-01
Hazel Park, MI

Yetskii

Member

A+

After using ATT, Sprint and Nextel in the past, I signed up for Metro PCS in the Detroit Area. Yes, the coverage is somewhat limited, and expanding, but I have only been out of the area a couple times in 3 years. As for crappy phones, I have a Razr v3..I paid 200 or so for it, but my bill each month is less than 50 bucks a month, after taxes. I hate internet on a phone so do not have it. I recommend it to everyone. I could not imagine being n a plan where I need to watch my minutes.

skullz5
join:2002-06-17
Clayton, NJ

skullz5

Member

Re: A+

I have Cricket, I pay $35 for unlimited talk, text, call waiting, forwarding, and voicemail. I work FT and am going back to school, the metro area is all I need. No major Cell company can compete with that price. I got a $30 phone to start and it does all what I need it to do and more and sound quality is better than my T-Mobile. I am upgrading to the new touch phone they have. Its a great service, and I have had Sprint, TMobile, Verizon and AT& T in the past.

JimminyJ
@telkom-ipnet.co.za

JimminyJ

Anon

Ohter options are better

The $5 for unlimited would be useful for some, I suppose, but I am not even slightly tempted. I use a Tracfone that has international calls at the same price as local to over a hundred countries.
Other benefits include the fact that I do not pay roaming fees, their latest plan (Straight Talk) is the best priced prepaid available and the Tracfone coverage is probably the best.

Carlos Contreras
@swbell.net

Carlos Contreras

Anon

Boost: UN'International'D

So you can walkie talkie 6 countries and the Boost rep on here is poo-pooing MetroPCS. After calling 10 different countries I am convinced this is for real. People need to try it out - they even let you try it out at any MetroPCS store so you can see it is for real, great voice quality, 43200 minutes of INTERNATIONAL CALLING.

Thank you MetroPCS!