Need temporary cell service for Tucson? (buying, stores, relocating to)

[joskel]

Some time ago I querried the forum about either being able to buy SIM cards for our cell phones and subsequent local air time, OR temporary cell phones for the Tucson area.

I discovered that temporary service was available. When we arrived we went to the nearest WallyWorld and discovered not only one company offered such service, but they sold cheap phones and prepaid air time cards by several different companies.

We also discovered our TELMEX phones from Mexico have a lock and it is very difficult to unlock them. So no good buying a SIM card for Tucson.

We selected a phone that offered service with the same company that our host used. That gave us unlimited calling to three of the folks we already knew in Tucson. The rate for other calls was satisfactory for a short time usage of a couple of weeks. (Remember this is for a temporary purpose only.)

So, if you are visiting Tucson and do not have a plan already which will allow you to call phones in the Tucson area without huge roaming charges, you might want to visit one of the mega chain stores and give consideration to a temporary use cell phone sold by them. It worked great for us. And you have several services and phones to choose from.

When we return to Tucson we can reactivate the phone, buy prepaid local air time and be able be in contact until we get established with permanent phone service after relocating to Tucson.

Hope this is of help to others.
Have a great day.
Joseph

[csmda]

Very good info. Thanks, Joseph!

I have to add, don't get cricket unless you plan on only traveling along the west side of the US.
Went to NY, MA, PA and DE and my cricket phone did not work once! When I got back, I closed my account and went to verizon. I switched to sprint this year to save money. Sprint drops your calls!
That's what I get for not staying committed to one phone company.... *sigh*

[moved]

Originally Posted by csmda

Very good info. Thanks, Joseph!

I have to add, don't get cricket unless you plan on only traveling along the west side of the US.
Went to NY, MA, PA and DE and my cricket phone did not work once! When I got back, I closed my account and went to verizon. I switched to sprint this year to save money. Sprint drops your calls!
That's what I get for not staying committed to one phone company.... *sigh*

I have T-Mobile, and have no problems. When I took a trip back to the East Coast a few years ago, my phone worked fine.

[cloudboy]

This is an old thread but it pertains to my situation. I am relocating from Panama to Tucson. In Panama I have an unlocked Sony Ericsson GSM Quad band phone that will work most anywhere in the world. All I need do is buy a prepaid SIM card in Tucson and add minutes. What is the best company for that? I don't want to buy another phone. And not all companies use GSM. Many are on the CDMA system. What is the best company/reception in Tucson that uses GSM? How many GSM choices are there in Tucson? I know T-Mobil is one but I have read that their reception is poor. Many people seem to hate them. I would appreciate any input! Thank you.
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