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The New Coffee Room

  1. TNCR
  2. General Discussion
  3. Stupid Cellphone Question

Stupid Cellphone Question

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  • G Offline
    G Offline
    George K
    wrote on 31 Jan 2023, 20:44 last edited by
    #1

    Rummaging through a drawer, I found an old AT&T flip phone.

    I'm thinking it would be a nice thing to have in the car for emergencies, should Mrs. George forget her phone, or lets the battery go down.

    I'm trying to find a SIM card that I can use with it that doesn't require a monthly subscription. I just want to buy 30 minutes of talk, or something like that.

    Everything I see has a monthly subscription.

    What am I missing.

    "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

    The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

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    • X Offline
      X Offline
      xenon
      wrote on 31 Jan 2023, 20:52 last edited by xenon
      #2

      @George-K said in Stupid Cellphone Question:

      I think all of the prepaid plans will expire. So even though you won't use it.. it'll likely have a best-buy date after which you'll have to re-up and buy again.

      They're basically charging you for staying connected to the network even if you don't use it.

      G 1 Reply Last reply 31 Jan 2023, 21:19
      • X xenon
        31 Jan 2023, 20:52

        @George-K said in Stupid Cellphone Question:

        I think all of the prepaid plans will expire. So even though you won't use it.. it'll likely have a best-buy date after which you'll have to re-up and buy again.

        They're basically charging you for staying connected to the network even if you don't use it.

        G Offline
        G Offline
        George K
        wrote on 31 Jan 2023, 21:19 last edited by
        #3

        @xenon said in Stupid Cellphone Question:

        They're basically charging you for staying connected to the network even if you don't use it.

        Yeah, that's all I see.

        "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

        The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

        C 1 Reply Last reply 31 Jan 2023, 21:29
        • G George K
          31 Jan 2023, 21:19

          @xenon said in Stupid Cellphone Question:

          They're basically charging you for staying connected to the network even if you don't use it.

          Yeah, that's all I see.

          C Offline
          C Offline
          Copper
          wrote on 31 Jan 2023, 21:29 last edited by
          #4

          Better call Saul

          1 Reply Last reply
          • C Offline
            C Offline
            Copper
            wrote on 31 Jan 2023, 21:57 last edited by
            #5

            I think that is what Saul Goodman was selling, it seems obvious to me that you should be able to find something like this.

            But I don't see one.

            They all want to start a subscription.

            And it sounds like you need an existing connection to activate the SIM. If I understand that correctly then it wouldn't work as an emergency backup.

            If you just mean a 911 emergency, aren't cell phones supposed to support 911 calls even without a current SIM plan?

            T 1 Reply Last reply 1 Feb 2023, 01:20
            • 8 Offline
              8 Offline
              89th
              wrote on 31 Jan 2023, 22:03 last edited by
              #6

              Not to be flippant (see that?) but if no cell phone and emergency, she can probably borrow someone’s or walk to nearby store? Basically the plan up until 20 years ago. I’d suggest keeping $20 (or $100) in the car plus a note of phone numbers to remember. Sorry, not helpful, I know.

              C 1 Reply Last reply 1 Feb 2023, 08:35
              • H Online
                H Online
                Horace
                wrote on 31 Jan 2023, 22:33 last edited by
                #7

                I just carry a card with an emergency contact number on it.

                Education is extremely important.

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                • C Copper
                  31 Jan 2023, 21:57

                  I think that is what Saul Goodman was selling, it seems obvious to me that you should be able to find something like this.

                  But I don't see one.

                  They all want to start a subscription.

                  And it sounds like you need an existing connection to activate the SIM. If I understand that correctly then it wouldn't work as an emergency backup.

                  If you just mean a 911 emergency, aren't cell phones supposed to support 911 calls even without a current SIM plan?

                  T Offline
                  T Offline
                  taiwan_girl
                  wrote on 1 Feb 2023, 01:20 last edited by
                  #8

                  @Copper said in Stupid Cellphone Question:

                  If you just mean a 911 emergency, aren't cell phones supposed to support 911 calls even without a current SIM plan?

                  I am pretty sure that this is correct. I was at a friends house, and their kid was messing with an old old phone that had no plan and dailed 911. It connected.

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                  • A Offline
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                    Axtremus
                    wrote on 1 Feb 2023, 08:32 last edited by Axtremus 2 Jan 2023, 08:42
                    #9

                    https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/911-wireless-services

                    …
                    “The FCC's basic 911 rules require wireless service providers to transmit all 911 calls to a PSAP, regardless of whether the caller subscribes to the provider's service or not.”
                    …

                    Yeah, the typically works without SIM card. That said, “911” is an American thing. Phones originally sold in the USA know how to deal with “911” just fine, most phones originally sold in Canada do too. Probability of the phone knowing “911” is lower for other phones.

                    1 Reply Last reply
                    • 8 89th
                      31 Jan 2023, 22:03

                      Not to be flippant (see that?) but if no cell phone and emergency, she can probably borrow someone’s or walk to nearby store? Basically the plan up until 20 years ago. I’d suggest keeping $20 (or $100) in the car plus a note of phone numbers to remember. Sorry, not helpful, I know.

                      C Offline
                      C Offline
                      Catseye3
                      wrote on 1 Feb 2023, 08:35 last edited by
                      #10

                      @89th said in Stupid Cellphone Question:

                      Sorry, not helpful, I know.

                      Luddite. 😠

                      Success is measured by your discipline and inner peace. – Mike Ditka

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