Thoughts and experiences on T-Mobile "Data Stash"

[fmracerbob]

I'm closing in on choosing a mobile data supplier. Since I have free cell phone service I don't need the phone line options, just internet data. My travel will be inconsistant, some months a few days, others can be a number of weeks.

 

There is an appeal to the idea of storing up unused capacity but the two things that look inferior to Verizon are the rooming limits and the total amount of coverage nation wide, especially on the West Coast. I avoid big cities for the most part it's more important the amount of coverage availability in the less populated areas since like to get away to a quiet place for a week or more at a time. My rig works just fine "unhooked".

 

Appreciate any experience or additional information concerning how useful the "Data Stash" feature is verses Verizon month to month plan.

 

Bob

 

 

[FULLTIMEWANABE]

Like you bob I've been considering the prepaid data plan for using in the USA and Canada option, now there appears more coverage from T-Mobile or so I've been reading????

 

So I'll be interested on responses from those in the know, especially spending half time give or take both sides of the border for us each year, versus having to have two different providers for each country.

[Jimalberta]

For the last 3 years we have been using a Tmobile hotspot...worked ok but not always great coverage. This year we bought a galaxy phone at Walmart with unlimited texting and a Verizon data plan. We can use this phone as a hot spot and it seems to be working out pretty good so far.

[Technomadia]

We carry all 4 carriers onboard, and test each at every stop. T-Mobile, when in metro areas and we're close to the tower - we get some great performance at. But we have a lot of places there just is no coverage where we get online with Verizon or AT&T.

 

Their Data Stash feature is super cool, and we wish more carriers would adopt it. AT&T does have roll over data, but it expires the next month - so not nearly as useful.

 

Verizon just switched their pre-paid hotspot plans to be good for 2 months at a time, instead of 1 - that might be a reasonable option for your sporadic needs? Or you can also get a minimal postpaid data plan with them and just scale it up when you know you'll be on the road, and scale it back when you're not (or even suspend it up to 6 months a year.)

 

- Cherie

[fmracerbob]

Thanks for the info Cherie. It's looking more and more like for the time being Verizon is the best bet. It also looks like the easiest to impliment, my current intention is to use my WiFiRanger, that has been at home up until now, with a Pantech UML295. That allows a hard wire from the computer to the WiFIRanger and an internal WIFI for my ipad and printer.