Boost Mobile (Houston: how much, costs, law)

[Sampaguita]

Does anyone have cell phone service through Boost Mobile? How is coverage around the Houston area?

We're trying to get our monthly expenses down & although we've been with AT&T going on 20 yrs, it's time for a change.

Boost currently has a $50/month plan that includes just about everything but the kitchen sink. I really just use my service for voice, texting & the occasional photo so even though their phone selection isn't very big, there are a couple that will more than suit my needs.

Thanks for your feedback.

[Bozydeaux]

I don't have Boost, but like you, have AT&T and am looking to make a change.

The plan that has really caught my eye is Straight Talk at Walmart. It's one of the TracPhone companies. $30 for 1000 mins, 1000 texts and 30mb internet, or $45 for unlimited. Two of my friends just ported to the Straight talk and really like it. It appears to be run on Verizon's network.

Boost runs on Sprints network and we're not big fans of Sprint. My husband had a sprint phone for about six months and the coverage was spotty. That's why I'm looking at this Straight Talk.

Check out howardforums.com It's a forum just like this devoted to all the different cellular providers out there. It might give you some more info to consider.

[cheryjohns]

I have T-mobile and pay $85 - but only because my Blackberry requires the $35 extra to get email, etc. which is important for me. My regular plan was $50 and included unlimited calls, including long distance, and unlimited texting. I have absolutely no complaints.

BTW, love your new tag line

[alphajet]

Bozydeaux-Boost runs on Sprints network and we're not big fans of Sprint. My husband had a sprint phone for about six months and the coverage was spotty. That's why I'm looking at this Straight Talk.

Boost Mobile runs on Sprint's iDen Nextel Network, not their CDMA 3G and 4G WiMax network that they advertise their new HTC EVO and the rest of their devices....Boost mobile's service is very good in Houston for a pre-paid provider - Most of their original Nextel subscribers have migrated over to the Sprint CDMA network or gone to AT&T for the iPhone or Verizon for the new Droid devices - so the Boost network isn't congested and has little or no data running over it - Boost/Nextel's network was originally designed for Law enforcement, Fire dept, DEA, and Government Agencies, When Sprint purchased Nextel in 2005 - they focused on their own CDMA network, so your getting a good deal at $50.00 for unlimited everything and with good service - My wife and I both have Blackberries with Sprint and we got our sons Nanny (Filipina) a Boost Mobile Phone when we brought her with us from California....her phone probably works better than ours most of the time, and she use it as much as she wants, and it only costs us $50- I say go for it.

[msgood85]

if i had to go prepaid, ill go virgin mobile. or even cricket right now. since supposedly cricket has nationwide coverage right now.

[alphajet]

Virgin Mobile is now owned by Sprint - here is a breakdown of the top-rated pre-paid carriers for 2010....remember some of them change their rate plans every few months.

Prepaid Cell Phones Review 2010 - TopTenREVIEWS

[wheretogo]

That comparison is BEFORE virgin mobile announced their BeyondTalk plans in Last month.
I ported over to VirginMobile last month, for $25 a month , that gives you UNLIMITED web , UNLIMITED messages and 300 anytime minutes... (No night and weekends or mobile-to-mobile though)..If you talk more , sing up for $40 plan that gives you 1200 minutes.

If you use a data plan, better have an unlimited data plan..

I am using Vm for last 6 weeks and couldnt be happier..

Prepaid Cell Phone Service and Pay as You Go | Virgin Mobile

Originally Posted by alphajet

Virgin Mobile is now owned by Sprint - here is a breakdown of the top-rated pre-paid carriers for 2010....remember some of them change their rate plans every few months.

Prepaid Cell Phones Review 2010 - TopTenREVIEWS

[Sampaguita]

Originally Posted by alphajet

Boost Mobile runs on Sprint's iDen Nextel Network, not their CDMA 3G and 4G WiMax network that they advertise their new HTC EVO and the rest of their devices....Boost mobile's service is very good in Houston for a pre-paid provider - Most of their original Nextel subscribers have migrated over to the Sprint CDMA network or gone to AT&T for the iPhone or Verizon for the new Droid devices - so the Boost network isn't congested and has little or no data running over it - Boost/Nextel's network was originally designed for Law enforcement, Fire dept, DEA, and Government Agencies, When Sprint purchased Nextel in 2005 - they focused on their own CDMA network, so your getting a good deal at $50.00 for unlimited everything and with good service - My wife and I both have Blackberries with Sprint and we got our sons Nanny (Filipina) a Boost Mobile Phone when we brought her with us from California....her phone probably works better than ours most of the time, and she use it as much as she wants, and it only costs us $50- I say go for it.

I'm looking at 2 phones on Boost - one is iDen and the other is CDMA. What's the difference? I know that AT&T is GSM but unfamiliar with the other 2 choices. Unlikely to do any international travel in the next year or two so I'm not concerned about that aspect.

ETA: never mind. My cousin-in-law who is an electrical engineer/professor specializing in wireless communications in the Philippines & has been a visiting professor/lecturer at Berkeley, UCSD, etc...just replied to my email on the same subject. Lucky for me he used layman's terms. Crazy that we in the US are so far behind in wireless tech compared to Asia. Long before texting became mainstream here, my cousins there kept wanting to txt me but I had no idea what they were talking about.


Bozydeaux - thanks for the rec to that forum. Between all the CDMA, iden, HTC EVO, 0319:0F4A, PAM, etc...I was kind of lost. But it definitely has a lot of good info to sift through (I spent way too long on it last night).

wheretogo - I just read about VM's new plans on howardforums last night.

[City Love]

Originally Posted by cheryjohns

I have T-mobile and pay $85 - but only because my Blackberry requires the $35 extra to get email, etc. which is important for me. My regular plan was $50 and included unlimited calls, including long distance, and unlimited texting. I have absolutely no complaints.

BTW, love your new tag line

I have the iphone on ATT with unlimited data and texting. It becomes quite expensive, but the internet is pretty much required for my line of work. I just feel paying over $100 a month is kind of expensive when compared to other carriers who do the same but charge less.

I use to hear bad things about the smaller carriers like Cricket and Boost, but I've also read lately that they've become better.

[cheryjohns]

Originally Posted by City Love

I have the iphone on ATT with unlimited data and texting. It becomes quite expensive, but the internet is pretty much required for my line of work. I just feel paying over $100 a month is kind of expensive when compared to other carriers who do the same but charge less.

I use to hear bad things about the smaller carriers like Cricket and Boost, but I've also read lately that they've become better.

I had the iphone but wound up giving it to my niece. The graphics are better than the Blackberry's - but the Blackberry seems better for business (at least, to me). How much are you paying?