PrepaidSIMCards
For those of us who love mobile data and either aren't American or travel outside America a lot: this page will tell you how to get somewhat cheap, easily setup, mobile talk/text/data while travelling to foreign countries (Mozilla is based out of). This is really helpful if you don't want to pay crazy roaming fees for talk/text, want data for maps/foursquare/etc., or can't roam (happens with American SIMs in Asia, some North America phones in Europe, etc.).
Contents
Unlocked Phones
It goes without saying you'll need an unlocked phone for this to work. This guide assumes a factory unlocked or carrier unlocked phone. I don't know how jailbreaking/other hacks work. If you bought your phone from a retail store (eg Apple Store in Canada without a phone contract) your phone is almost certainly unlocked. If you bought your phone through a carrier it may be unlocked unless you're in North America, where locking phones is VERY commonplace. Contact your carrier.
North America
Canada
Fido and Virgin are tofumatt's providers of choice in Canada. Virgin are nicer, but Fido store reps are often OK and it's a better deal.
Just go into any Fido store and sign up for a prepaid SIM and ask about data passes. If they say you can't get data without a voice/monthly plan they're WRONG and just get the SIM activated at the store on a pay-as-you-go plan and setup the plan yourself online. You can get weekly data passes of about 60MB for cheap, or monthly plans that are good too.
Top-up: You can add more money online (and change your plan) with a credit card at https://www.fido.ca/. You'll get texts when you're low on credits. They're good for about sixty days, but if you add more you extend the validity.
Speakout 7-Eleven is a great choice as well. It's pay-as-you-go and you can buy top-up vouchers at any 7-Eleven store in canada. The coverage is great as they operate on the Rogers network. Credits last for 365 days from the last top-up.
USA
T-Mobile: Without a doubt, one of the best prepaid mobile phone deals outside Southeast Asia. You want the pay-by-the-day plans. If you only want unlimited domestic talk/text, it's a measly $1/day. $2/day for unlimited domestic talk/text/EDGE data. You pay extra to text international numbers. T-Mobile has pretty good coverage through the entire USA (tofumatt uses it in the Bay Area, Portland, New England, NYC, and Philly with no issues).
3G Bands in the USA: If you have a phone that will access 3G on the 1700/2100 MHz band (and/or is 4G-compatible with T-Mobile's network) you are in for a real treat: pay $3/day to get 200MB of up to 4G data, then EDGE for the rest of the day. If you have an newer, multi-band Android phone you might be in luck.
Note that the iPhone (as of the iPhone 4S) does not get 3G data on T-Mobile, though T-Mobile is looking to be able to serve 3G on the 850/1900 MHz band "by the end of 2012", apparently. For now: get the $2/day plan; you can change anytime.
To activate: The closest T-Mobile store to the Mountain View office accessible by public transit is in Palo Alto on University Ave (take the CalTrain from Castro Street in Mountain View). In San Francisco the closest store is at 3rd and Market, near the Montgomery BART/Muni station. You can Google Map a location near you for directions/other stores. Just walk in and ask for a prepaid SIM, add about $15 to your account, and say you want either the $1/$2/$3 per day plan. The whole process, including activation, takes less than ten minutes and activation is near-instant.
If you have an iPhone 4(S) they can give you a MicroSIM (and at least the Palo Alto store has a SIM cutter). Your phone may need a restart but afterward you'll be activated and will have data (if you opted for the $2/$3 plans)!
Top-up: You can add more money online with a credit card at https://my.t-mobile.com. You'll get texts when you're low on credits. They're good for so many days, but if you add more you extend the validity.
Europe
UK
Three offers pay-as-you-go sims. Sims can be topped up at most bodegas and many newsstands in Tube stations. The stores stock normal, mini and nano sims.
- ₤10 for 500MB of data 100 minutes of voice and 3000 txts. Lasts 30 days.
- ₤15 for unlimited data, 300 minutes of voice and 3000 txts. Also lasts 30 days.
- Data-only plans for tablets with durations of 1, 3 and 12 months starting at ₤5.
There is a Three store a short walk from the London Office:
- From the Front door, cross the street and turn right (south).
- Walk 358 feet south on St Martin's Ln/B404 toward Mays Ct
- Turn left onto William IV St
- Walk 236 feet then turn right onto Adelaide St.
- Walk 299 feet then turn left onto Duncannon St.
- Walk 141 feet. Duncannon St. merges with The Strand.
- The store is on the left at 448 The Strand, London, WC2R 0QU, UK Telephone: 02072408523
France
TODO: Fill me in. Orange is sadly best for those without a French bank account.
Spain
TODO: Fill me in. Orange works though is slow.
Asia
Japan
TODO: Fill me in.
Taiwan
Taiwan Mobile (under the brand "myfone") will sell you a prepaid SIM with some airtime and 1 GB of data for 500 NTD (approximately 17 USD). There is a location in the shopping center near the Grand Hyatt and the office (http://english.taiwanmobile.com/english/gmap.html?address=No.%2020,%20S%C5%8DngSh%C3%B2u%20Rd,%20Sinyi%20District,%20Taipei%20City). You will need to bring your passport (they will make a copy). The airtime is good for a few months, and the data is good for 30 days. Another 1 GB and 30 days can be purchased for 180 NTD (6 USD). That will add 1 GB of data to your quota and extend the validity of whatever is left another 30 days. Service on Taiwan Mobile seems to be ok, but not great, in the area near the office.
Other countries
http://prepaidwithdata.wikia.com/wiki/Pay_as_you_go_sim_with_data_Wiki http://wiki.apnchanger.org/
