Senior focused virtual operator Consumer Cellular has quietly launched a new offering for those customers that want to pay the lowest rate possible for cellular service, but still want to bring their old or new GSM phones, as it has added an option to purchase a branded SIM card for the cost of the first month of service and shipping, which starts at $10 a month for pay per use access at $0.25/per minute, data at $0.256 per megabyte and $0.10 per message.
This offering makes it possible for iPhone owners to have a backup phone in their glovebox or to have a full pay-as you go option with optional data access. While the offering does include optional data access for rates starting at $2.50 a month, the data packages no longer include unlimited data access and top out at 500MB of access per month with a bucket of 5000 combined text or picture messages, so that should be kept in mind when purchasing service.
Of course, the biggest draw for this is the option to have an iPhone on a fully functioning pay as you go prepaid option, as AT&T eliminated PAYG iPhone support via GoPhone and never made an effort to reintroduce the popular offering. Of course, other virtual operators have made their own moves to offer iPhone compatible support and access to monthly plans, but this offering opens up the iPhone to even more cost conscious consumers that may not want to pay higher postpaid/prepaid rates, but still want an iPhone otherwise.
Looks like $10/Mo Anywhere Casual plan does not offer the Text/Web option, but $15/Mo Anywhere 100 plan and up offer the Text/Web option. Still an option to consider for an emergency iPhone.
Actually, my mistake.
I tried to go through the order process, and yes, I could add the text/web option for $10/mo plan.
I think this will be a big deal for people wondering what to do with their older (but still quite usable) iPhones.
Before, all we could use them for is as a glorified iPod touch, or have to spend a ton to activate them on TracFone/StraighTalk’s $45 per month plan.
Now they can be used as backup phones at a reasonable cost. That makes even more sense if you’re changing carriers for a better plan (say, Sprint for unlimited data, but want to make sure you have AT&T’s network in a pinch).
[…] many to seek alternatives. For PAYG service, we suggest taking a look at Consumer Cellular’s BYOD offering, as the $10 monthly rate includes voice minutes at $0.25/minute and unlike AT&T, allows monthly […]
The SIM card option is good but they cannot get a Blackberry world phone (w/GSM) to operate with e-mail or web as they don’t have any specific BB data plan. However, it will still work with voice and SMS.