Back in 2005, I got my first cellphone. It was an Audiovox CDM-8500 that I bought used off of some guy, and locked to Virgin Mobile. At the time, Virgin Mobile’s plans were still actually prepaid (adding $20 to your account would extend the life of an account by 3 months, working out to a minimum monthly cost of $6.67), as opposed to the monthly nonsense they have now. (Today, VM’s only so-called “prepaid” plan requires you to pay at least $20 per month.)
Growing tired of Virgin Mobile’s arbitrary restrictions, their poor coverage, and lackluster selections of phones at the time, I decided, not even a year after buying my first phone, to switch to a different provider.
Now, what if I told you that my new provider offered $8.33/month for nationwide cell phone service with no restrictions, and was compatible with any unlocked GSM phone? What if I told you it still exists?
Don’t believe me? Then have a look at T-Mobile To-Go, T-Mobile’s prepaid service. By purchasing their refill cards in $100 increments (they’ll charge you more per minute if you choose the other denominations), you get 1000 minutes that don’t expire for a year (which works out to about an $8.33 per month minimum charge). Plus, you get free limited WAP service, which such services as pick up lines!