Last October I related how I had found a good deal from T-Mobile when visiting San Francisco. I paid $50 for unlimited wifi, US calls and texts for a month. I was staying in the USA only one week, but it was still a good deal. I didn’t expect to use the SIM card again, but stored it away for a rainy day. Then, last week, I received a “welcome back” email with instructions to insert the SIM card and I would enjoy two weeks’ free wifi, calls and texts.
As I was about to fly to Washington, DC, this couldn’t have come at a better time. On arrival at Dulles Airport I stuck the SIM in my iPhone and was instantly hooked up to T-Mobile. The internet service is the relatively slow Edge or 2G (the E on the phone) but it’s good enough for emails and modest browsing. Especially when it’s free.
I couldn’t resist calling in to a local T-Mobile store to get them to check the status of the account. The assistant consulted the computer and insisted I had topped up my card on May 23. This I hadn’t done, and T-Mobile do not have any credit card details on file. So I conclude that the company paid the top-up as a sweetener for my return. I now have free service for the duration of my visit. Can’t be bad.Â
The only snag is that, for the most part, T-Mobile does not offer 3G speeds. That’s why it isn’t the most popular service in the US. But for occasional visitors, it’s a good deal.