AT&T Pay As You Go Service

I signed up with AT&T's Pay As You Go prepaid wireless service in January 2009, I bought a Samsung A137 phone for $29.99 and went with the AT&T prepaid 25 cents a minute plan with no daily access fee charge. I also purchased a $25.00 minute card to start out with because the minutes were good for 90 days and any remaining minutes that I had left over would roll over to the next 90 day period as long as I bought another $25.00 minute card before my minutes on my first card expired. I have been using the phone basically for emergency uses only.

AT&T claims that their 3G network is the best, the phone has provided good basic service for me since January 2009 but lately as in the last two weeks when I tried to use the phone to make a call the phone would display "NO NETWORK" and I could not make a call. I still have about $35.00 USD in minutes on the phone and if I decide to keep the phone service active I'll have to add another $25.00 in minutes before October 27, 2009 because if I don't any remaining minutes that I have will expire and I'll lose them.

If I continue having problems with my AT&T prepaid cell phone service I'm seriously considering switching to another prepaid service carrier. Can anyone here recommend another good prepaid cell phone service besides AT&T? I decided to go with AT&T back in January 2009 because my home phone and internet service is with AT&T but I didn't want to go with a post paid contract phone for 2 years because I only use the phone for about 30 minutes each month, no texting or web use, not what I needed the phone for, just for making calls. Feedback appreciated.

Your phone does not have 3G capability. AT&T is converting many 1900 MHz 3G areas to 850 MHz 3G areas. That might have an effect upon the GSM reception in your area.

Well you lost me on that 1900 MHz vs 850 MHz. So besides checking coverage for any new carrier I select I need to ask them what? Which signal phones work in their areas? So my phone, a Samsung A137 is not a 3G phone?

I didn't know to ask that but then that's why these discussion boards are here to offer some advice for those of us who don't know what to ask. All I did when I selected my phone back In January 2009 from AT&T was to type in my postal zipcode where my phone would be registered, hit submit and up popped 9 models.

The Samsung A137 for $29.99 was the only new phone offered and it had a 5 star user rating. I didn't know to ask if it would work on their 3G network. All I went by was the website said it would work, I read a few more reviews on the phone on other sites then "I did the deal Lucille". Let me ask you this, are most of AT&T pay as you go phones not 3G ready?

Investigate another provider.

Also, remember prepaid service is uncontracted, so they can change coverage at any time without notice...

Verizon Wireless has the identical plan with a bit more coverage available. Also, they allow roaming to their customers so you'll be taking advantage of the large coverage available to contract customers (slight roaming fees apply).

You may need to enter zipcode to view information at the link below:
Enter your location

National coverage at a glance:

Verizon Wireless INPulse Prepaid



Red/Pink: ON network coverage and normal rates
Grey: Roaming rates-an addition $0.20 per minute ($0.25 + $0.20=$0.45 per min)
White: Service currently unavailable.


This is AT&T's coverage area:



Darker Orange: ON network coverage and normal rates
Other: NO COVERAGE

You can click on any phone offered on the AT&T website to view the specifications of that model. The 3G capable phones will have the 3G logo displayed :