Ditching Cell Voice for 3G/4G only?: Off-topic discussion forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

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Sept. 26, 2011 10:11 a.m. PHeller Dork

My new job at the county gubment has got me seriously lacking connections to the outside world. No personal email, and very little internet connectivity but hey, I can still post on GRM during breaks.

Is there any way of using a 3G/4G device, say, an ipad, or ipod touch, as a cell phone, thru a service like Skype or similar? Basically, as long as I have 3G service, I can call anywhere anytime for free?

Since moving away from home, I rarely use my cell phone, and communicate with friends or family mostly with the occasional call on weekends or through email/txt. A pay-as-you-go plan would probably work best for me, but I'm curious if a 3G device could fit the bill.
Sept. 26, 2011 10:21 a.m. DILYSI Dave SuperDork

I just pulled the trigger on a smarty phone. $35/month for 300 minutes + unlimited text / data on Virgin. Picked up a LG Optimus for $150 with it.
Sept. 26, 2011 10:23 a.m. RossD SuperDork

3G/4G is market slang for the 3rd and 4th generation of data transfer over cell towers (more or less), and as such you need a Celluar service provider. Nothing in that world is free unless you hack a phone and doing so is illegal.

You can make phone calls using the internet with programs like skype and other programs but without a cell service provider you'd need a local hot spot/WiFi or wired connection.
Sept. 26, 2011 10:46 a.m. mndsm SuperDork

^ That. And in gubmint buildings, reception for any kind of tower signal will be little, if any. They usually nerf the hell out of it for privacy reasons.
Sept. 26, 2011 11:22 a.m. HiTempguy Dork

PHeller wrote:

Is there any way of using a 3G/4G device, say, an ipad, or ipod touch, as a cell phone, thru a service like Skype or similar? Basically, as long as I have 3G service, I can call anywhere anytime for free?

Skype charges $2.99 per month for unlimited calling across Canada and the US.

Get the cheapest plan you can ($10/month), add your data, and have at it.
Sept. 26, 2011 11:26 a.m. PHeller Dork

I've got Verizon currently, would love to keep them, but I don't think they've got a $10 a month plan.

I wish Verizon offered pay-as-you-go with a data plan.

3G is offered independently through certain devices like iPad.
Sept. 26, 2011 1:01 p.m. N Sperlo Dork

HiTempguy wrote:

PHeller wrote:

Is there any way of using a 3G/4G device, say, an ipad, or ipod touch, as a cell phone, thru a service like Skype or similar? Basically, as long as I have 3G service, I can call anywhere anytime for free?

Skype charges $2.99 per month for unlimited calling across Canada and the US.

Get the cheapest plan you can ($10/month), add your data, and have at it.

+1. Smarty pants beat me to it. As long as you don't talk a friggen ton or get unlimited data, it should work. I post via android.
Sept. 26, 2011 1:36 p.m. PHeller Dork

That leads me to another question:

If Skype is considered data, then couldn't data charges be quickly acquired while using it?
Sept. 26, 2011 2:19 p.m. HiTempguy Dork

PHeller wrote:

That leads me to another question:

If Skype is considered data, then couldn't data charges be quickly acquired while using it?

That's why you must add a data plan on top of your cheapest possible "talking" plan.

Personally, I pay $80 outright to talk to whomever I want across NA on my Iphone, and have data. I use skype when I have access to a wifi source. YMMV. It might not be that much cheaper (and I don't know how good the networks are in the US, but lots of times we can get signal but no data up here in the great white north).

On top of that, we Canadians get SCREWED by our telecoms (no choice/monopolies/protectionist government policy). I'd think you could get for $40 what I get for $80!
Sept. 26, 2011 2:57 p.m. Osterkraut SuperDork

mndsm wrote:

^ That. And in gubmint buildings, reception for any kind of tower signal will be little, if any. They usually nerf the hell out of it for privacy reasons.

Citation required.