Carriers that use ATT postpaid service area

Other than Net10, which is the only one I have determine that does, are there any other carriers like Net10 that use the ATT postpaid service area and not the prepay (gophone) service area?

I can't find anything out there that say who does and who doesn't

anyone have experience with net10 in general?

also,

when porting a phone number, what do you do if you want to keep your current number but you no longer live in that market? I have a PA number but I live in WV. this seems to possibly be an issue. Also i just read net10 says if the zip of the phone number is not the same as the zip where I live, the phone will be on roaming all the time.. how does that work if it is still in the network area?

My verizon service doesn't roam even though I no longer live anywhere near the original zip code and area code.

Here is a list of MVNO's. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_mobile_virtual_network_operators I'm only familiar with Sprint-based ones, so I can't comment much on the AT&T ones. Out of my own curiosity, why are you curious about post-paid only ones? There are a lot that are prepaid, but offer flat-rate "unlimited" (or they also offer separate minutes/text/data if you don't need unlimited in one of the options).

Porting the number depends on how the carrier handles it, and how much of the parent network the MVNO gets access to. If you are using AT&T directly, then it shouldn't matter where you "live" relative to the area code of your phone. But if you're using a MVNO on AT&T's network, then it might matter. Because sometimes a MVNO gets "home network" coverage through the major/parent provider (like AT&T) that covers a smaller geographic area (like Virgin mobile, they only get a small portion of the Sprint network). And then sometimes if the MVNO is also able to offer roaming, it might be on a different provider's network (like T-mobile, for example). It depends on how their contract is worked out, what services are allowed on the roaming network--whether it's a different minute-rate, or perhaps some services aren't available, etc. For example, on Ting, which uses Sprint's network, they do allow free voice roaming onto other CDMA networks like Verizon and MetroPCS, but they do not allow data at all. It could be that other MVNO's can't offer FREE voice roaming if you're outside of your home network, but perhaps it's an adjusted voice minute or data rate. Entirely dependent on the specific MVNO.

If you want to keep your number, but your new provider won't allow it in your area, my suggestion would be to port your current number to google voice--at which point your current service with your current provider that you currently use that number on will terminate (and I believe you will have to pay a transfer fee of something like $15 to google--and if you are early-terminating with your current provider, there may be early-termination fees). Then you'll get a new service contract and a brand new number with your new provider--doesn't matter what the new number is. Then you'll associate your new physical number with google voice. People can still dial your "old" number, which is your google voice number, and it will connect to your new number--I've done this, it works just fine. But I encourage you to read-up on porting your number to google voice, and make sure you understand and are okay with it first.

with ATT they have two different service maps, one for post-paid customers and one for pre-paid gophone customters. the go phone one has less service area so I want one that has the post paid service area, which net10 seems to use.

Weird because even if I try to use just regular AT&T for service, I am forced to either go to a store in PA OR have sims shipped to an address in PA in order to keep my number.

If that is how those places work, seems like BS if they show the coverage map as a copy of the providers map because it makes it seem like it should jus twork.

Almost seems like more of a hassle to use the MVNOs over just the top provider even though it costs me 30-40 bucks more a month.

Bigbacon said:

with ATT they have two different service maps, one for post-paid customers and one for pre-paid gophone customters. the go phone one has less service area so I want one that has the post paid service area, which net10 seems to use.

Weird because even if I try to use just regular AT&T for service, I am forced to either go to a store in PA OR have sims shipped to an address in PA in order to keep my number.

If that is how those places work, seems like BS if they show the coverage map as a copy of the providers map because it makes it seem like it should jus twork.

Almost seems like more of a hassle to use the MVNOs over just the top provider even though it costs me 30-40 bucks more a month.

Click to expand...

I see now--I didn't realize there was a difference between the pre-paid and post-paid coverage.

I guess the literal definition of the FCC's rules for number-porting is that you must be allowed to port your number if you remain in the "same geographical area." But if you don't, then it's not guaranteed to be allowed. I guess the reasoning is that phone companies want to ensure that enough local numbers remain available within a geographic area. The definition of "geographic area" is not defined in the FCC's rules...

Well, that's the whole dynamic between using one of the "big guys" vs. a MVNO--there will be tradeoffs, it usually ends up being coverage area.

It sounds like your best option is the Google Voice method that I mentioned--port your current number to GV (there are no geographical restrictions on this). You retain your current number, and anyone who dials it will be able to reach you (assuming you associate the new number you get with your GV account). That's what I've done, and it works seamlessly.

I may end up doing this. I am going to my sister house next week anyway, and she lives in PA. I think I can just use her address to purchase the sims and have the shipped there and use my address for billing purposes. Then activate with her address and port the number. then just change my address in the account settings.

The coverage area should just be the normal postpaid ATT coverage which is why I am really confused on the whole 'you'll be roaming if you are out side your market area' and find a straight answer to is nearly impossible. ATT doesn't charge for roaming but it seems to say if you aren't there, you won't get data but I obviously have ATT voice and data service at my house.

this is the exact wording from Net10s website which is where my confusion comes from

"If the ZIP Code associated to the phone number is not the ZIP Code for your local calling area your NET10 phone will be roaming in your local calling area"

I don't know if they're still on offer but Straight Talk does. I am using it right now on the AT&T network. I've heard they have stopped using AT&T a little while ago.

JoeUser said:

I don't know if they're still on offer but Straight Talk does. I am using it right now on the AT&T network. I've heard they have stopped using AT&T a little while ago.

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straight talk doesn't offer AT&T sims anymore.

be prepared to ditch net10 if you are thinking of trying it. i was using gophone service and it was fine, i had coverage everywhere i needed to be. but i decided to try net10 because id get an extra .5GB of data and unlimited minutes for the same price. their data is completely useless for me. 80% of the time it wont load anything, and just times out. 10% of the time its fast and works how it should. the other 10% of the time it works dreadfully slow. ive tried every apn i can find and nothing makes it better. i eagerly await for my expiration date to switch back to the gophone prepaid. i also feel a bit stupid for doing it as seeing my first month on gophone i barely used 300MB of my 1GB. i figured "hey more for my money, sure"

my plan was to test it with the cheapest amount I can use with a new number first and see how it goes.