US prepaid data plan only when I need it?

[sayeo87]

Hi,

I'm thinking of getting a smartphone soon. But I'm a college student, so the usual data plans are too expensive for me. I plan on getting a smartphone with just a normal voice plan and wifi capability such as the blackberry curve so I can use my university's wireless hotspot connection when I'm on campus, and when I leave school for say a month or 2, I hope to be able to buy some sort of prepaid or short term data plan that I could use to get on the web just temporarily.

Does anybody have any suggestions in terms of carriers which provide the options I am looking for? Thanks for your help!


-Suan

[Telekom]

Originally Posted by sayeo87

Hi,

I'm thinking of getting a smartphone soon. But I'm a college student, so the usual data plans are too expensive for me. I plan on getting a smartphone with just a normal voice plan and wifi capability such as the blackberry curve so I can use my university's wireless hotspot connection when I'm on campus, and when I leave school for say a month or 2, I hope to be able to buy some sort of prepaid or short term data plan that I could use to get on the web just temporarily.

Does anybody have any suggestions in terms of carriers which provide the options I am looking for? Thanks for your help!


-Suan

Data on most prepaid (if available) is pretty expensive except for things like Sidekick T-Mobile plans which costs $1/day and gives you unlimited email, IM and web browsing.

[AnthroMatt]

I just signed up for a BlackBerry plan on a Flex Account with TM yesterday, and it is only $30/mo. Of course, I guess that it isn't true pre-paid in that I am billed monthly and I do not have a balance from which funds are deducted based upon my usage patterns.

Still, it is a good deal (no contract), though it may not be quite what you are looking for.