Coverage for Prepaid Phones

I just wanted to chime in and say that I live on the East Coast and I get 3G service. I would like it if the coverag map were a bit more explanatory, for example it says that there is limited roaming off the AT&T network for  Go Phone users and I would like to know how limited it is.

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@ilikewireless wrote:

hme83,

 

Thank you very much for all your replies. I really appreciate you for sharing your thoughts with everyone.

 

 

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You're welcome. 🙂

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@Razr8 wrote:

I just wanted to chime in and say that I live on the East Coast and I get 3G service. I would like it if the coverag map were a bit more explanatory, for example it says that there is limited roaming off the AT&T network for  Go Phone users and I would like to know how limited it is.

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I just tried my 3G at&t branded W518a with the prepaid SIM - specifically to see if I am using the 3G network here.  I am - the ability for simultaneous voice and data is present.  (Just to confirm the network being used.  On an at&t branded device, they can probably make the network indicators function however they desire - at one time they were not displaying the "Edge" indicator, for ex.)  I'm also in an area where they are not indicating 3G coverage for PayGo GoPhone service on the coverage viewer. 

All that said however, data speeds are no faster than they are with my at&t branded 2G W580i; so at least for me "getting 3G service" is just a matter of semantics - for both my prepaid and post paid service.  lol. 😞

That's interesting. It's as if you were getting lowest speed on 3G vs the highest speed on EDGE.

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@Razr8 wrote:

That's interesting, that your post paid and prepaid data speeds are the same. Is that pretty much how it is all the time and everywhere you go?

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I haven't done comparison testing between the two SE's except while at home.  But I've used the 3G SE elsewhere with no noticeable improvement in data speeds - although I also don't use my phone for data much outside of e-mail.  (I have no real desire/need to browse using a cell phone.)   I actually like the Navigator (lol) that came on it - that's why I bought the phone - and it seems to function well enough for that, at least in the areas I've used it so far.

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@ilikewireless wrote:

That's interesting. It's as if you were getting lowest speed on 3G vs the highest speed on EDGE.

 

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I've been told that at&t may be throttling data speeds on non-smartphones at least in some areas of the country, so I suspect that may be the issue.  I know someone else who experienced the same thing (different part of the country - post paid service) and when they switched to a 3G smartphone from a 3G non-smartphone (both non-branded), they said the difference was night and day.  My (non-branded) Nokia E70 is a smartphone, but it's not 3G so I haven't been able to see if it holds true for my service as well. 🙂

I appreciate your input hme83

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@Razr8 wrote:

I appreciate your input hme83

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Happy to share my experiences. 🙂

And I just noticed you really asked about any differences I'd noted in prepaid vs. postpaid data speeds (not 2G vs. 3G) in other locations - I don't always have both phones with me; but I switch SIMs (prepaid vs. postpaid) often enough to comfortably say I've not noticed any difference in data speeds between the two service types.  I've seen it said on many occasions and over a decent time span that at&t throttles the prepaid service data speeds; but at least with my limited basis usage, that has not been my experience.  My prepaid service is on par with my post paid service, although the network coverage is really no where close to being the same once you are away from the major interstates.

Again very informative and appreciated. Also, the quote at the bottom of your post sounds like something Gary Larson would say!