We've found a new much less expensive provider for Voice and data.

[RV_]

Joel I would too in a remote location or one without wired Internet.

I may try it here too next year after it's out of Beta, just to play with it for a time: In Colorado with the mountains I don't think I'd have any trouble selling it after I played with it, like I did with the Raspberry Pi when it was new and other systems I early adopted, learned, but did not like enough to keep.

The two Go2s are keepers. They are $725 new with M3/8GB/128GB. I bought both used for $350 and $400 respectively, like new, with type covers and glass screen protectors and of course the power supplies. I have Surface Pens already.

I found both in the Facebook Marketplace locally! I like to browse electronics there as there are some amazing deals to be had used. Lots of folks are ignorant and think Surface tablets are not full blown Windows computers and tablets, because they are only familiar with iPads which cannot run Mac programs at present. But soon the Macs will be just big iPads using cellphone-like chipsets and architecture and may be much faster. I loaded the same Microsoft Office Pro 2016 on my Surface devices as our other  AIOs and desktops. 

Edited July 11, 2021 by RV_

[RV_]

I learned something new today. I had never heard of the Surface Pro 7+!

I just got off the phone with the Microsoft Store and it IS a brand new product. I priced it out as they only have an i5 now and it is a business device. With an i5, 8GB RAM, a removable SSD of 256GB that can be user removed and upgraded to 1TB SSD, and LTE it is $1449.00 plus tax. But 5% less with my military discount MS gives me. It uses the same typecovers as my other Surface Pro 7 and 4 each have so I can get a used one like I did the other type covers. So It looks like I'll be selling my non LTE Surface Pro 7 i7/16GB/256GB and getting a Surface Pro 7 + at some point after I sell my excess tech toys I have now.

Awesome new product. I also won't be buying any more Surface products without LTE after using my Go2 online to watch a movie while waiting for my SH shopping in my car!

[RV_]

On 6/26/2021 at 7:00 AM, GlennWest said:

I may call them. I have the grandfathered wifi device and it is unlimited. But our phones are 3 gig each. For $35 plus taxes each. Wife and I. I would save money and get unlimited. You stated you got Hulu and Netflix. How you watching it. They are not unlimited hot spot. I have to wait till we settled down in a spot. we traveling next few days

Glenn sorry I missed this. Yes you would have it all.  It is real, the service is great, and even though their call center is overseas they are much more understandable than the Microsoft call center I got yesterday. I asked to be transferred to another MS rep because I could barely understand the sing song accent from China or something. The next rep was excellent understandable English. The second reps were from El Salvador that I understood fine. But that may be because my family moved to Bogota Colombia South America  for two years and I went to school there, kindergarten and first grade in Spanish! I never spoke another language before that and passed and have been fluent since, but losing my conjugations and vocabulary some with little practice daily. We learned German and some French while stationed in Europe 1990-1997. My point is that I am not xenophobic or deaf but some folks at call centers in English are terrible at English!

The subscription perk is for all devices. I signed up for the Disney Bundle and they picked up the HULU nno ads part. But I can use my user name and password to watch it on my phone, or tablets or main computers as well as our TVs at home on WiFi. When away from our home Internet I can watch on my LTE equipped tablet or phones. If I was in an RV without Internet I would use a cable to connect my LTE Unlimited tablet to the TV. Since I just found another Go2 with LTE cheapo and under warranty for Lynda she could watch whatever she wants on it or a second bedroom TV via wire.

Realistically speaking we could watch on our phones but the 10" tablets are much easier on the eyes.

Do get my code I posted or message/email me for it and save ten bucks more for both of us once.

Using a cable gets around the hot spot limits. I don't know about your phones casting to your TVs if so equipped like ours TVs.

Lots of options Glenn. If you do get it come back and tell us how you like it. We did one phone at a time because I was skeptical of the prices. Each one had the numbers ported and done in less than a half hour! Their staff is actually happy to walk you through the setup screens.

[RV_]

Wow!

Talk about pennies from Heaven. No sooner do I discover the Surface Pro 7+ with LTE and an up-gradable user removable SSD than I see one for sale for less than 50% of the original price! It was local on Marketplace and a young lady, who just got out of the Army after 8 year, used it in her BSRN studies. i5/8GB/128GB SSD but up-gradable to 1TB for ~ $170. She was selling it all for $580 with the red Microsoft Surface pen, a never used red Microsoft $129.99 typecover, a Logitech Bluetooth keyboard, all still under warranty until April 2022! All new or used a couple of times in the original boxes. Pennies from heaven? Just the Surface Pro 7+ LTE i5/8GB/128GB as I bought and power supply is $1199.99 without typecover/pen/extra BT Keyboard/. I had an extra bumper case in red that is perfect with the red typecover and red pen.

So I bought it and will be selling my Surface Pro 7 i7/16GB/256GB, gray type cover, with no LTE.

So now we have two Surface Go2s with LTE and a Surface Pro 7+ with LTE and both Go2s have a sim card slot. But the Pro 7+ lacks a micro SD slot because the SSD can be upgraded by user cheaper by far then ordering a 1 TB for $600 more than doing it myself. The 7+ also has both a sim card slot and ESim capability built-in.

But this thread is about the answers US Mobile gave me on the phone today after I picked up the Pro 7+.

I called and checked if I had to get a fourth line to use LTE on it or would the Sim Card I have be used in it and swapped between tablets as needed. I asked could I use the Sim card in whichever I wanted for trips etc. She checked the IMEI on the new 7+ and told me to just pop it in whichever machine I want to use it in and if I have any questions or issues just call and they'd have no problem getting it setup!

But if I get a 4th line the base price before Perks is $100 (Taxes and fees are included not added on.) They are discounting my line by $13 already, and if I get a fourth line they will pay for another streaming perk, or music it's all on the website. So if I get another data only Sim card that would be about $26 bucks for two perks one for three lines and one for every additional line after three. So I would have four lines $100 - $26 = $74.00!

So for $74 I would have two unlimited everything phone lines, with no throttling or caps (No hot spots,) and two unlimited data only LTE lines with no throttling or caps. $74 taxes etc included.

I have had no issues at all. As well other than a code which if used saves the new sunbscriber $10 and save me another $10.00, I have no financial interest in the company. None, zip! Anyone who tries them will have a code too.

I was just looking for better service and T-Mobile lured is from Verizon with free phones for each of us, and we were looking because Verizon only had upgrades for new customers. T-Mobile could not get their own phones they gave us working! So after no phone service for three days I bailed and got straight talk which I knew worked great with Verizon towers and our two Moto Z3 phones that we got free save tax in a Verizon promotion. 

Straight talk had our phones up and running in an hour but priced only 2 bucks less than Verizon who we were paying $102 a month after the military  discount. StraightTalk is 45 bucks/line times two is $90.00 and sales taxes/fees make it ~ an even hundred for just two lines! And no perks!!

For those who don't or can't stream understand the perks are real savings for us. We already have Amazon Prime, Hulu, HBO Max, Netflix, Sling TV Blue, IMDB, and several free services we don't use like TUBI. So each discount is money saved, money we are paying anyway. For new subscribers it makes a streaming service/s much cheaper. Of course we have over-the-air TV with a roof antenna and fur way professional distribution amp that works perfectly for 40 plus channels, 15 of which we don't watch ever in Spanish or topics we don't do like shopping channels and true crime channels.

Apples to Apples - If we only had two lines with US Mobile we would only have to pay $30 each, $60 a month no perks and no extra tax or charges. That's a $40 a month savings. Initially we were going to keep this service until we were past the 60 days Verizon requires to get their new subscriber free phones and new cheaper plans. But Verizon two lines is $40/mo more expensive than US Mobile.

Since we want Motorola One Ace 5G phones, which are $350 now new, we would pay for each phone in under 9 months. Both phones ROI in 18 months. Of course we would buy cash not payments. So who needs Verizon so-called "deals" and free phones that aren't.

Were I RVing I'd have one dedicated LTE computer/laptop HDMI cabled to the main TV which US Mobile said is allowed and is fine with the unlimited plans.  Actually were we RVing we would do this then get the Starlink system and subscription made for trucks and RVs Elon promised sometime soon. As we all know he always delivers, maybe a little late, but usually better than promised. Exactly as promised is great if just that.

So I am not trying to do anything but pass along that these guys are real, work great, and are inexpensive compared to the big three.

I'll update again on the 24th when my bill is autopayed and confirm the discount was as promised. But it will be.

I guess I will have to start selling the now two Surface Pros, the Pro 4 and 7, both i7s, and the Surface Go, as well as a regular desktop tower and monitor, and another two monitors I will not need. the Rest can wait until we lick the Delta Variant here for our moving here garage sale we have been holding off on since December 2019! We were unpacking and painting the new house well into the Pandemic lockdowns. Since today was Windows update day and I had a more than ten systems to do, I haven't even set up the new 7+ which I will do manana. Brain dead now.

So far so good.

Note on edit: The new Pro 7+ is set up now and very fast. It is said to have a 12hour run time too for normal stuff. Great for boondocking with a genset or solar. Even with Starlink we still need phones.

 

Edited July 21, 2021 by RV_

[RV_]

Update time:

As most here know I like to pass along tech discoveries that are of value and actually work better, or save significant money. Today it is Cell phone services.

 

We've had Cingular, AT&T, Sprint, StraightTalk, Verizon, T-Mobile (Never worked with their free phones, we dumped them after three days of failure to provide service.) We had Verizon for the last 8 years and they offered no incentives to stay with them.

 

T-Mobile offered two free Samsung A-32 phones and $30 a month each service. We switched in June and they kept me in their store for six hours on a Saturday then again on Sunday while they tried to get them to work and went home Sunday thinking they would. We woke on Monday and found they both were screwed up and we could not make or receive calls and the data was screwed up. So I called on Tuesday and asked them to please close our accounts and process a refund. This T-Mobile store was a comedy of errors and fake charges, and the inability to get their own phones working on their T-Mobile service. I made an appointment to do the paperwork to get refunds on all since we cancelled within the 7 and 14 day legal return/refund periods. They tried to charge for monthly service as lately as the beginning of July causing me to cancel and replace my Credit card to stop their auto-pay access, and have to change auto-pay cards on about ten more utilities vendors we deal with, even PayPal. Had they been able to provide service we would have saved about $42 a month! And we got free phones.

 

We did not stay with T-Mobile long enough to see if there were any taxes/fees. We had been paying Verizon $102.99 a month after military discounts for two unlimited lines. Then Verizon started offering new customers cheaper plans and free phones but not for us loyal customers!

 

We had to have phone service, and we were trading in working Windows Phones and they screwed that up, had to return one of the free phones on paper because the T-Mobile sales person screwed up, So they tried to charge ME a restocking fee of $40 on their second day of failure, and had the gall on Sunday with the service still not working to try to charge me for their mistake. I would deal only with a T-Mobile corporate store not a locally owned T-Mobile store. Corporate did nothing to help, tried to avoid legal refunds, and charged us three $30 customer service fees the first day that corporate said was bogus. We will never use them again regardless of if they are free. NO service for free is still no phones working.

 

We had to get working phone service. So I bought two StraightTalk (ST) Verizon tower cards as we still have our two Motorola Z3 and similar Moto Z PLay phones with the Moto Mods for two batteries with wireless charging, one Moto Pico projector that does a nice 50" image from the phone in a darkened room, the JBL speaker mod. So we knew the Verizon phones would work on ST. For one month of capped and throttled unlimited on ST we paid $45 each line and taxes so it was pretty close to what we paid Verizon.

 

I saw an ad for US Mobile and the more I looked into it the crazier it became but true! They had the same $45 single lines, but unlimited, uncapped (Really!) But if I got two lines it was $30 a line unlimited. We only need two voice phones but saw that if we had three US Mobile lines it dropped to only $25/line they would pay for Hulu or Netflix or Spotify by deducting that amount or most of it from my bill! BTW the plan charges are tax and everything. No additional charges just the $25 a month/three lines on auto-pay.

 

I was interested because I just bought a Surface Go2 LTE Intel M3/8GB/128GB 10" tablet with typecover case etc, and a new Surface Pro 7+ LTE with upgrade-able SSD Intel i5/8GB/128GB SSD I can change to 1 TB in about five minutes for ~$150. To order the LTE Surface Pro 7+ with a 1TB SSD with the 1TB would cost an additional $500 or more.

 

I liked the idea of getting a Sim and having mobile Internet on a Surface device so I bought a third line which kicked in the free Hulu Perk. You get one perk with three lines and another perk with each additional line.

 

So the math is simple, as there are no taxes or fees added. Three lines unlimited/unthrottled/uncapped are $75.00. I had to forward them the receipt for the Hulu/Disney/ESPN+ Disney bundle we wanted as we already had Hulu no ads/Netflix/Sling TV Blue, Amazon Prime Video/HBO Max which we would have anyway for same day or two day free shipping. THey don't say how much they will pay until it is checked by their staff. S they allowed me $13.00 for Disney plus bundle from HULU.

 

My three unlimited everything lines for $75 -13.99 perk discount = $61.01 a month??? That is $20.37 per unlimited line for three of them!!!

 

We have to use the website which is as all are confusing at first. So they have awesome customer service staff all very understandable not impossible to understand like T-Mobiles tech support and they actually know what they are doing without putting me on hold to read screens. So I ordered the SIM cards for two at first which came in three days later. They had our numbers ported and our phones up and running in under an hour for all. Once I was sure everything was perfect, we decided to do the third data only unlimited line For our Surface Go2 just three days later,and get the Perk. (Hulu $13 discounted that we are reimbursed by discount by US Mobile of most of the bundle cost)

 

So now we are considering a fourth line and second perk of ~ $13.00 so we have a SIM card in our new Surface Pro 7+ too. Here's the math $25X4=$100 minus $26 for two perks = $74.00 for four lines!

 

That's $18.50 per line for four unlimited lines, uncapped, unthrottled, and that is the total price as all taxes and fees are included.

 

And the service has been great so far in my first month of service.

 

How they bill the discounts is fine but confusing at first. Here we go.

 

In only the first month billing they charge $45.00 for the first line ordered, of three in the first month. 30 dollars for the 2nd line of three in the first month, and $25 for the third line in the first month. So MY charge will b e $45+$30+$25=$100.00 the first month because the Perk of $14.99 also won't be discounted until the second month on.

 

Next month my autopay charge will be three lines at $25=$75 -$13.99 perk discount = $61.01. That is $20.37 per unlimited/uncapped/unthrottled line for three of them!!!

 

I will update this next month to verify the discounts kicked in which is already a given for me.

 

They also have referral discounts. So if any of you find this article useful please use my code when you sign up with US Mobile which can get you up to ten bucks off and me too! My code and your discount and free starter kit is in this link: https://usmobile.com/referrals?data=Y29kZT1BV0xKR0FCJm5hbWU9RGVyZWsg

[RV_]

I believe that for RVrs, Boaters, folks who live where there is no cell signal or Internet other than expensive and slow Geostationary services like HughesNet was or is, the Internet will be by Elon Musk's Starlink Internet.

Cell services and data for understandable customer service that sound like Americans with a slight accent - US Mobile because their prices will lure folks in, who then find better customer service and technical support than the others who use unintelligible foreign call centers with folks who have to look everything up - no experience screen readers. The T-Mobile Tech and customer support can speak English but not pronounce it, as is the case with many of the other tech services. And I speak several languages and can't understand them. US Mobile is great English!

Were I fulltime now I would have:

For Internet, Streaming, VoIP telephony, and data Starlink as soon as the truck RV version is available.

For phone and data away from the rig, US Mobile and my Tesla Internet. I only watch Netflix and Hulu or surf using the car's screen when parked. I do stream music as there are a bunch of curated music streaming channels from Tesla direct. Streaming video does not work while driving I think, I never tried. And no, I am not ordering full self driving until it has been out of Beta for at least a year. $10k is a big hit and I am not paying $199 a month to try it until then. But it should be perfected by the time I have to hang up my keys.

Technology is getting to where Science Fiction isn't! (Fiction that is)

 

Edited July 21, 2021 by RV_

[Dutch_12078]

6 minutes ago, RV_ said:

...

Were I fulltime now I would have:

For Internet, Streaming, VoIP telephony, and data Starlink.

...

 

Starlink is not available for mobile service yet, but it is coming soon. Until then, the user terminals are still geo-locked...

[docj]

2 hours ago, Dutch_12078 said:

Starlink is not available for mobile service yet, but it is coming soon. Until then, the user terminals are still geo-locked...

That might be too strong a statement.  Yes, they are geo-locked but you can get online and change your address.  You aren't assured that any arbitrary address will be accepted but many will.  

What you can't get do is use the receiver in a mobile vehicle if you plan on going outside your approved geographic "cell".  I presume that inside your cell you could strap it to your roof if you were so inclined.  😁

Edited July 21, 2021 by docj

[RV_]

3 hours ago, Dutch_12078 said:

Starlink is not available for mobile service yet, but it is coming soon. Until then, the user terminals are still geo-locked...

I posted just before you as I caught that as misleading. Before you posted I had already changed it to:

"For Internet, Streaming, VoIP telephony, and data Starlink as soon as the truck RV version is available."

If I had missed it thanks for the heads up anyway. I have pretty much been on top of all things Musk since 2003.

[Dutch_12078]

3 hours ago, docj said:

That might be too strong a statement.  Yes, they are geo-locked but you can get online and change your address.  You aren't assured that any arbitrary address will be accepted but many will.  

What you can't get do is use the receiver in a mobile vehicle if you plan on going outside your approved geographic "cell".  I presume that inside your cell you could strap it to your roof if you were so inclined.  😁

Since Derek was referring to Starlink in reference to fulltiming, unless Starlink makes changing locations as easy as Dish DBS TV, it's still not appropriate yet.

 

2 hours ago, RV_ said:

I posted just before you as I caught that as misleading. Before you posted I had already changed it to:

"For Internet, Streaming, VoIP telephony, and data Starlink as soon as the truck RV version is available."

If I had missed it thanks for the heads up anyway. I have pretty much been on top of all things Musk since 2003.

Heh! "Great minds" and all that...

[RV_]

Old news Dutch but he clarified it last April:

Excerpt:

"Musk's Starlink Can Be Strapped To A Truck Or RV, But Not Yet

Seemingly out of nowhere, Elon Musk confirmed that SpaceX's Starlink internet service will be available in a mobile configuration by the end of 2021."

Source: https://screenrant.com/spacex-starlink-mobile-version-elon-musk-confirmed/

From last March:

Elon Musk wants to connect RVs and trucks to the internet through SpaceX's Starlink satellites:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/elon-musk-wants-to-connect-rvs-and-trucks-to-the-internet-through-spacexs-starlink-satellites/ar-BB1enG0o

 

[Dutch_12078]

29 minutes ago, RV_ said:

Old news Dutch but he clarified it last April:

Excerpt:

"Musk's Starlink Can Be Strapped To A Truck Or RV, But Not Yet

Seemingly out of nowhere, Elon Musk confirmed that SpaceX's Starlink internet service will be available in a mobile configuration by the end of 2021."

Source: https://screenrant.com/spacex-starlink-mobile-version-elon-musk-confirmed/

From last March:

Elon Musk wants to connect RVs and trucks to the internet through SpaceX's Starlink satellites:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/elon-musk-wants-to-connect-rvs-and-trucks-to-the-internet-through-spacexs-starlink-satellites/ar-BB1enG0o

 

Yes, and what isn't clear yet is just when the change will happen, and what the mobile versions of the Starlink user terminals will look like.

[ogaddcb]

I am not advocating this link to you tube, but this guy claims that he has figured out a work around for they current Starlink equipment. His explanation begins around 9 minutes into the video.

[Dutch_12078]

2 hours ago, ogaddcb said:

I am not advocating this link to you tube, but this guy claims that he has figured out a work around for they current Starlink equipment. His explanation begins around 9 minutes into the video.

The video says you can change your service address online as we already knew. But it also says maybe the new address will allow you service or it might not, so at this point it's still a crap shoot and not a true mobile service. Hopefully that will all be resolved by the end of the year though...

Edited July 22, 2021 by Dutch_12078

[RV_]

It says by the end of this year in everything I have read. Musk is usually late but always does what he says he will, usually better than promised, just late.

BTW back to the topic. We can shift from Cell provider to cell provider as long as they are using Verizon towers or are Verizon, because we buy our phones outright and do not do payments. As Here's our next phones I am shopping now, the Motorola One 5G Ace 6.7" display, Qualcomm SM7225 Snapdragon 750G 5G Octa-core CPU and Adreno 619 CPU, 6 GB RAM/128GB internal storage, micro SD card slot that can take up to a 1 TB card, Triple 48MP camera, and fast 5G.

We like Motorola and have Moto Z3s now.

Verizon is offering the scaled down version free for new subscribers now that we have been away for two months. IT has 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage versus the 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage we are getting.

But more importantly they get us for two years, and the monthly charges are quite a bit more for three lines than US Mobile.

So I just called Verizon because we are now new customers and they have a promotion for free Motorola ones but with less Ram, 4GB versus 6GB RAM, and half the internal storage of 64GB versus 128GB storage.

I wanted to do the math as right now Motorola and others have my phone on sale for ~$350.00.

So we are paying $100.00 this month for our first bill, and then from now on we get three lines of unlimited uncapped unthrottled service for $75.00, - $13.99 per month Disney bundle discount for the three lines perk for as long as we are with them, for a total monthly bill of $61.00 for those three unlimited lines. Today we have used them for a month, with flawless service on Verizon Towers.

Verizon just quoted me if we come back today with that free Moto one and Disney + free as a perk promotions. So a valid comparison.

Verizon just quoted me for two unlimited voice lines, one unlimited data line 4G LTE like we have now, with Disney plus. I asked for my price with my military discount they already verified and all taxes fees etc.

Verizon for the same service taxes and fees and mil discount is $128.86/mo but with $700.00 worth of free phones.

US Mobile is $61.00/mo total including all fees and taxes after the 13.99 discount for Disney and three line family discount of $25 a month per unlimited line all working now for a month on our old Motorola Z3 Verizon phones we got from Verizon free four years ago.

US mobile costs $67.85 a month less!

So using that our phones are paid off by our savings with US Mobile in 10.31 months! Verizon would have us for 24 months because of the free phones.

24 months minus 10.3 months = 13.7 months we would be paying that extra $67.85 a month! Which is $67.85X 13.7= $929.54 more we would pay in the two years Verizon would have us locked in.

We have the $700 and will be ordering our phones today or in the next few days because we are not going back to Verizon as the next best unlimited offer is 30 bucks per line and that is still $38.86 a month cheaper than Verizon. when we see that indeed they deducted the $13.99 for our Disney bundle and our total bill is actually $61.01 to be exact.

I know it will but in the interest of accuracy I will report back here it is that inexpensive.

I am quite frankly not surprised that with 1.7k views here not one person used my code to save us both a one time $10 discount. No skin off my nose. I would have written for my friends anyway and many folks are stuck with their carrier because they make payments so can't switch now. But you now know about US Mobile. They can all go count the black dots:

😂🤣😂😛

Whether you have "data" devices and plans until Starlink becomes available later this year or next for Internet, everyone needs voice phones now and then. They also have AT&T but here in the mountains Verizon works in more places so we are staying with Verizon towers.

So far so good! I will update next month that our charges are $61.01.

 

 

Edited July 23, 2021 by RV_

[Dutch_12078]

I buy fully unlocked phones that work with nearly any carrier. Currently I'm looking at a pair of Samsung A51's with 6GB/128GB at $500 for both. We've been happy with Verizon's service coverage overall, so we'll likely stick with a service that uses them, possibly Visible that's worked well for us for data service. Visible would put us at $50/mo all in for the two phones with unlimited everything.

[RV_]

7 hours ago, Dutch_12078 said:

I buy fully unlocked phones that work with nearly any carrier. Currently I'm looking at a pair of Samsung A51's with 6GB/128GB at $500 for both. We've been happy with Verizon's service coverage overall, so we'll likely stick with a service that uses them, possibly Visible that's worked well for us for data service. Visible would put us at $50/mo all in for the two phones with unlimited everything.

👍👍😎

[RV_]

Wrong Gary, how about a link to your 28 states only coverage? LOL! You always seem to contradict without a link even when I provide them. They cover all 50 states and even have International roaming with E Sim equipped phones.

You are correct. I searched for US Mobile and it for some reason pulled up US Cellular. 

Gary, I provided the link to US Mobile for you! Why not just click that?

Here is US Cellular's coverage maps for data and voice:

Looks like they have the lower 48 covered for data and voice: https://www.uscellular.com/coverage-map

I plugged in Hawaii's zip code 96813 and they cover Hawaii.

I plugged in the zip code for Fairbanks Alaska 99701 and they have coverage in Alaska so that make all 50 states not 28 as you said above.

I am posting this in case someone was going to use US Cellular. Gary's statement that they cover only 28 states is also wrong. I prefer the information in my treads be accurate. How many states are covered is not opinion but facts.

 

Edited August 21, 2021 by RV_

[RV_]

Update on monthly costs for three unlimited talk text data lines, uncapped, unthrottled. The data line for my Surface Go 2 LTE is 4G and seems pretty fast, unlimited uncapped, unthrottled. the taxes and fees are included and I just got the autopay notice for what we will pay from now on.

I chose Verizon towers although they have AT&T too. I have had the three lines now for two months and no problems whatsoever. I can't tell the difference from when we had Verizon for $102.00/mo. for just two lines and included throttling and a data caps. The service is better than expected, and it took them an hour to port our numbers and no time for the new line.

Perks: For three lines you get a "Perk" which is where they pay for a streaming service or most of one if it is high. They avoid all the hassles by just discounting your bill for one line for each perk by the cost we pay for the service. I decided since it was essentially free to add back Disney bundle Disney/Hulu/ESPN Plus which is $19.99/mo. They require we send them the receipt for the new service, and they determine how much they will discount. I sent in the receipt after we signed up and paid the initial charge for the first month. They determined they would discount me $14.99 for my Disney Bundle. More later.

Costs for unlimited data, voice text for one line is $45.00 Taxes and fees included.

Costs for two lines is $30.00 each.

Costs for three lines is $25.00 each. With three lines you get one "Perk." with four lines you get two perks.

Even though I signed up for all three services in the same month they charge full price for each on the first month.

1st month: My line was first and cost $45.00 for the first month only.

                   Lynn's line was line two and two lines are $30.00 each, so her line charge the first month only was $30.00

                   My third line is unlimited LTE Data for $25.00 and one "Perk" discount startin on the second month This mo.

So sign up first bill was $45.00 + $30.00 + $25.00 + $100,00 total as we had codes for free sims and shipping.

I just got the second month's bill which will be my bill from now on unless we add another data line for Lynn's Go2 LTE. which will still be $25.99 minus another "Perk." You get one "Perk" for the third line and one for each additional line 4 etc. No Perks for two lines.

Our normal charges are and will be $25.00 X 3= $75.00 all taxes and fees included - $14.99 "Perk" Discount = $60.01

So our 3 Unlimited, uncapped voice text and LTE data lines on Verizon towers cost 60.01 $41.00 less than two basic unlimited throttled and capped lines on Verizon after adding the taxes and fees.

From my account online the third line discounted $14.99:

So the Discounts, prices, "Perks," and excellent customer service are real.

Although they don't have a hotspot plan other than a limited one that is not suitable they said they will have something RVrs might use in the next few months.

For folks paying a lot more and are fulltime these are great for having one AT&T and one Verizon phone for $60 a month after the first month. Add an unlimited uncapped third LTE line and it will cost about what mine does depending on how what they decide to discount for whatever "Perk" you choose. You another Perk for each line over three, so four lines i $100 minus two perks which should bring four lines AT&T and Verizon mix and match it down to ~$70-$75 for four lines.

I love the idea we can each stream from our LTE tablets to the big screen TVs (Wired) unless I find how to cast, or we could watch our tablets with earbuds/Headsets each watching what ever we want to stream.

If they come out with something usable with your WiFi systems I'll post back here. YMMV

Hope that's useful for some.

Edited August 21, 2021 by RV_

[bigjim]

Short and barely related.  Last week I talked to 4 or 5 reps obviouly from other countries. Pretty clear understanding. The last one was a nice lady from S. Carolina and she was the one I had the most trouble understanding.

[RV_]

Hey that happens too! I have no trouble with Spanish accents from Central, South America. Nor these guys with US Mobile. But trying to get phone help with the T-Mobile fiasco was the worst. But being multilingual myself I can appreciate that most folks doing this that are not native English speakers, speak "American" much better than most non immigrant family Americans speak other languages for the few that try. And if I try to switch to someone I can understand it can still be a trial. It is a double whammy when they are screen readers and have no real tech expertise and are difficult to understand.

For me, if their customer support does not, because of heavy accents, help, I'll usually just expand my understanding and learn the tech I need. That takes much longer.

[Dutch_12078]

I've found being tri-lingual helps a lot, but I still have problems with the dialect variations between Spain Spanish, Mexican Spanish, and Puerto Rican Spanish. And don't get me started on France French, Quebec French, and Cajun French...

[RV_]

Castellano Spanish left over from a king who lisped? Hey even in Germany there are distinct dialects and slang too and they are the size of one of our states and all in one country. There are folks here that never have been out of the country I can't easily understand like some backwoods Cajuns (real ones) where I can't understand them in English or French. But we get there with a little respect. Spanglish drove me nuts in San Antonio, with heavy slang, accents and sentences like "Abre la Weendow!" But again in person we always get by.

Dank je wel Dutch!

[TXiceman]

3 hours ago, RV_ said:

Castellano Spanish left over from a king who lisped? .

Dank je wel Dutch!

Mi esposa used to teach Spanish and said that she had heard this and decided it was a myth.

Ken

[Dutch_12078]

5 hours ago, RV_ said:

Castellano Spanish left over from a king who lisped? Hey even in Germany there are distinct dialects and slang too and they are the size of one of our states and all in one country. There are folks here that never have been out of the country I can't easily understand like some backwoods Cajuns (real ones) where I can't understand them in English or French. But we get there with a little respect. Spanglish drove me nuts in San Antonio, with heavy slang, accents and sentences like "Abre la Weendow!" But again in person we always get by.

Dank je wel Dutch!

Graag gedaan, Derek!

Oh yeah, the mixed language dialects are even worse! I didn't mention Dutch or Afrikaans in my language skills since I don't feel my fluency in them is as good as the others. I did manage fairly well while in country where I needed them though. At least the restaurants usually got my meal orders right..