American Roaming Network to sell prepaid cards

[Gonz]

American Roaming Network is now going to start selling prepaid cards which will work with any deactivated cellular phone.

www.americanroaming.com

[dmapr]

Originally Posted by Gonz

American Roaming Network is now going to start selling prepaid cards which will work with any deactivated cellular phone.

www.americanroaming.com

Interesting, but I found their "How to use" section to be rather useless in helping one set it up -- am I that dense or did they not bother?

Using the American Roaming Network is easy. Listen to the American Roaming Network voice prompts and follow directions to make a credit card or collect call or use your Prepaid American Roaming Account.

Calls can be completed on a "Call By Call" basis using a credit card or by reversing the call charges to the call recipients home phone number (land line) by using a collect call.

Remember, You save the most by purchasing the Prepaid American Roaming Account at $1.00 per minute.

Keep your old mobile phone or buy the American Emergency Phone as a backup in case of emergency.

The only explanation I can come up with is that now all calls from deactivated phones will be automatically handled by the ARN.

[Fire14]

Originally Posted by dmapr

Interesting, but I found their "How to use" section to be rather useless in helping one set it up -- am I that dense or did they not bother?


The only explanation I can come up with is that now all calls from deactivated phones will be automatically handled by the ARN.

It does seem that they will handle all calls, and it's for those that want an "Emergency Only" phone 1st.

I found this odd:

American Roaming Network processes over 10 million calls each month that originate from un-registered mobile phones. ARN is the premier provider of CDMA roaming on the country servicing 100% of the top seven wireless carriers in the such as Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, Cingular, ALLTEL, Metro PCS and many other national and regional wireless carriers.

It doesn't make sense to me either, while reading their web site, guess I need to read it some more when I am not so tired.

[hf1khal]

at $1 a minute, that stinks. They sure are not clear with their statemetns and they do ahve clarity issues. But the way I see it, if one has a GSM phone and happens in a no roaming service area and in actuality there is a GSM service in the area then one can go on that at $1 per minute. This works the same fo all others. However, if there is no GSM service (or what ever other type of service) in the Area then my take on it is one is out of luck as I do not know of a way that a GSM phone that can connect to a CDMA tower or vice versa.

[NFrabbit]

I find it good to know that this service exists.

Last year I carried a CDMA prepaid phone in case I couldn't get service on my Cingular GSM phone. Not once did I need to use it. Note: I might have been out of GSM range at times but at no time did I feel the need to make a call.

So I basically spent $100 on an insurance policy that I didn't need. I can now let the prepaid expire. I can still carry the phone for 911 use for free and if I really need to make a call to family or whatever, I can talk for almost 100 minutes before I reach the same cost as the prepaid.

So, although I agree the $1 a minute sounds expensive, for me and I'm sure a lot of people this is actually quite cheap considering the alternatives.

[hf1khal]

Just make sure that the $100 of prepaid is used to the last penny. I also remember seeing some other small roaming companies that even charge more than that.

[bobolito]

Originally Posted by Fire14

I found this odd:

It doesn't make sense to me either, while reading their web site, guess I need to read it some more when I am not so tired.

It's OK. They just failed to mention that they also handle TDMA and AMPS networks. That's why they included Cingular in that list. After all, CDMA, TDMA and AMPS are all based on the same ANSI-41 network which are all connected to the ARN for automatic roaming. This was created back in the 90's, nothing new about it. They DON'T handle GSM, though, so T-Mobile and Cingular/AT&T GSM cannot use ARN because it is not needed. GSM networks handle roaming automatically without the need of ARN. Before ARN, TDMA/CDMA/AMPS users needed to dial *18 (I think) in order to be able to roam while traveling in the US, Canada or any other carrier in Latin America who used the ARN.

[coalminer]

These cards might be a good idea for someone who has an old analog car mounted phone and have no way to use it. Since the cards are good for 2 years, to buy a $20 just in case would be a good idea.

[Fire14]

Originally Posted by coalminer

These cards might be a good idea for someone who has an old analog car mounted phone and have no way to use it. Since the cards are good for 2 years, to buy a $20 just in case would be a good idea.

It would be a good idea for these people, but depending on how many carriers shut off Analog next year, it may limit or totally become un-usable soon after the Feb date.

[Telekom]

Originally Posted by hf1khal

at $1 a minute, that stinks. They sure are not clear with their statemetns and they do ahve clarity issues. But the way I see it, if one has a GSM phone and happens in a no roaming service area and in actuality there is a GSM service in the area then one can go on that at $1 per minute. This works the same fo all others. However, if there is no GSM service (or what ever other type of service) in the Area then my take on it is one is out of luck as I do not know of a way that a GSM phone that can connect to a CDMA tower or vice versa.

Where did you get the "$1 a minute?" It's $2.99 to set up a call and $1.99 per minute.

GSM phones cannot connect to CDMA infrustructure. The only possible way is if you have a dual mode CDMA/GSM handset. There is no other way. Two incompatible technologies.

[Telekom]

Originally Posted by coalminer

These cards might be a good idea for someone who has an old analog car mounted phone and have no way to use it. Since the cards are good for 2 years, to buy a $20 just in case would be a good idea.

If you really are going to use this for emergency it's silly to buy prepaid cards for use with ARN. Odds are that you're going to have some cellular service that will work 98% of the time with whatever service you use. For the 2% of the time it doesn't work you'll pony up the $3 to set up and the $2 per minute for thos emergency times that are not really 911 worthy calls.

[hf1khal]

Originally Posted by Telekom

Where did you get the "$1 a minute?" It's $2.99 to set up a call and $1.99 per minute.

GSM phones cannot connect to CDMA infrustructure. The only possible way is if you have a dual mode CDMA/GSM handset. There is no other way. Two incompatible technologies.

I saw that some where in there. There site is so awfull to navigate. as to the GSM they say it in one of their PDF Info documents but also have this: Using the American Roaming Network is easy! Our service works from any unregistered CDMA, TDMA and AMPS mobile phones (GSM service is coming soon) which was not there before.


I can't even find any per minute costs in there any more.

[Telekom]

Originally Posted by hf1khal

I saw that some where in there. There site is so awfull to navigate. as to the GSM they say it in one of their PDF Info documents but also have this: Using the American Roaming Network is easy! Our service works from any unregistered CDMA, TDMA and AMPS mobile phones (GSM service is coming soon) which was not there before.


I can't even find any per minute costs in there any more.

Trust me it's $2.99 to set up the connection and $1.99 per minute. I've set up my Nokia 6360 for use with the service by reprogramming the NAM to 123-456-7890 and have attempted to make calls. I've not actually made a call since I don't have a spare $5 to throw away

[hf1khal]

Originally Posted by Telekom

Trust me it's $2.99 to set up the connection and $1.99 per minute. I've set up my Nokia 6360 for use with the service by reprogramming the NAM to 123-456-7890 and have attempted to make calls. I've not actually made a call since I don't have a spare $5 to throw away

I do beleive you. Even at $1 it is not worth it. But these guys are for sure absolute ripoff artists. May be the FCC should regulate these people and some how get them to be down to earth. Buy the way the thing that I saw pertained for buying their prepaid card, may be if one is to use it on a per use basis could be the price you mentioned.

[Telekom]

Originally Posted by hf1khal

I do beleive you. Even at $1 it is not worth it. But these guys are for sure absolute ripoff artists. May be the FCC should regulate these people and some how get them to be down to earth. Buy the way the thing that I saw pertained for buying their prepaid card, may be if one is to use it on a per use basis could be the price you mentioned.

No one has a knife in anyone's back to use the service. It is there for emergencies and if you absolutely have to use the service it's there for you to use. No one makes anyone use Verizon/GTE Airphone either with their sky high rates. No one has suggested that the FCC get on their backs to lower their cost either. And BTW, the FCC doesn't have anything to do with tarriffs charged by cellphone carriers. It's not like land line service. I believe pay phones are the same way even though they are land line service. The telcos can and do charge anything they like for payphone rates and do not have to contact the FCC or even state regulatory agencies.

Yes, there was the thing about the prepaid card, but if you didn't notice the card only has a two year life. If people truly believe they will be in harm's way all the time it would be a much better investment to get a satellite phone which will work pretty much anywhere except inside a building or in a cave. You use what you need for the current situation.

[hf1khal]

Originally Posted by Telekom

No one has a knife in anyone's back to use the service. It is there for emergencies and if you absolutely have to use the service it's there for you to use. No one makes anyone use Verizon/GTE Airphone either with their sky high rates. No one has suggested that the FCC get on their backs to lower their cost either. And BTW, the FCC doesn't have anything to do with tarriffs charged by cellphone carriers. It's not like land line service. I believe pay phones are the same way even though they are land line service. The telcos can and do charge anything they like for payphone rates and do not have to contact the FCC or even state regulatory agencies.

Yes, there was the thing about the prepaid card, but if you didn't notice the card only has a two year life. If people truly believe they will be in harm's way all the time it would be a much better investment to get a satellite phone which will work pretty much anywhere except inside a building or in a cave. You use what you need for the current situation.

I do agree with you. That was one thing I always refused to use any none known tele provider especialy the ones that do not spell out the charges.

[Telekom]

Originally Posted by hf1khal

I do agree with you. That was one thing I always refused to use any none known tele provider especialy the ones that do not spell out the charges.

If you are in a dire situation you may sing a different tune. If it's a question of my life or safety I'm not going to be concerned about what they charge or their per minute rate. Even though they may not spell it out on their web page if you use the service you will absolutely be aware of what they charge. Yes, it would have been nice if they had detailed what charges are, but they didn't. They have a contact link on their web page. Send them a note asking why their rates are not obviously published.

[hf1khal]

Originally Posted by Telekom

If you are in a dire situation you may sing a different tune. If it's a question of my life or safety I'm not going to be concerned about what they charge or their per minute rate. Even though they may not spell it out on their web page if you use the service you will absolutely be aware of what they charge. Yes, it would have been nice if they had detailed what charges are, but they didn't. They have a contact link on their web page. Send them a note asking why their rates are not obviously published.

In an emergency, I think the law requires them to provide free access to 911.

[dmapr]

Originally Posted by hf1khal

In an emergency, I think the law requires them to provide free access to 911.

And GSM phones will attempt to connect an emergency call even in the absence of the SIM card in them.