Prepaid plans from other carriers

Alltel
A smaller carrier, Alltel's coverage is almost nationwide, but significant areas remain where only roaming coverage is available. 

Pros:		Strong phone lineup, including the Motorola Razr V3c, the Kyocera Slider Remix, and a stripped-down $15 handset; unlimited nights/weekends and text messages included in some plans; per-minute plan without access fees.
Cons:		Roaming charges; access fees for per-day plan.
Plans:		Monthly plan: $70 for 700 minutes (plus unlimited nights/weekends and mobile-to-mobile), $40 for 400 minutes (plus 2,000 night/weekend minutes), $30 for 200 minutes (plus 1,000 night/weekend minutes).  Per-minute plan: 15-cents-per-minute flat fee.  Per-day plan: 75-cents-per-day access fee, plus 10 cents per minute, pick two free options (including unlimited nights/weekends, unlimited calls to a favorite number, unlimited text messaging, or unlimited mobile-to-mobile).
Text and picture messaging:		5 cents for each incoming and outgoing text message (unless using an unlimited text-messaging plan).
Downloadable ring tones, graphics, and games?		Yes (prices vary).
International calling?		Yes.
Roaming charges:		59 cents per minute.
411 calls:		$1.25
Phones:		Prices range from $15 to $215; models include: Motorola Razr V3m Kyocera Candid KX16 LG AX390 Kyocera Strobe

Boost Mobile
An offshoot of Nextel, Boost Mobile is a "lifestyle based" MVNO carrier that's aiming squarely for the youth market. Armed with snazzy versions of Motorola's sensible handsets and push-to-talk walkie-talkie functionality on Nextel's iDEN network, Boost offers some features not available on Virgin Mobile. 

Pros:		Sleek phones designed for younger chatters; only prepaid carrier with PTT; camera phone with a video recorder and MP3 player; reduced-rate night and weekend calls.
Cons:		Relatively pricey daytime calling and PTT fees.
Plan:		20 cents per minute weekdays, with 10 cents per minute on nights and weekends (aka Boost Time) and when calling Sprint, Nextel, and other Boost customers; $1 per day for unlimited U.S. PTT calls; also a $50-per-month Premium Plan with 200 anytime minutes, unlimited nights/weekends/PTT, and unlimited text messaging and Web browsing.
Text and picture messaging:		10 cents to send SMS, free to receive; 25 cents to send and receive picture messages.
Downloadable ring tones, graphics, and games?		Yes (prices vary from $1 to $14.99).
International calling?		Yes (variable rates plus airtime).
Roaming charges:		No.
International calling?		Yes.
411 calls:		$1.29 plus airtime.
Phones:		Prices range from $50 to $400; models include: Motorola i885

Liberty Wireless
Launched in 2002 by InPhonic, a U.S.-based online seller of wireless products and services, Liberty Wireless offers a generic, stripped-down prepaid service using the Sprint PCS network. 

Pros:		Monthly plans with no access fees; one camera phone available.
Cons:		Phone lineup looks stale compared with that of the competition; hefty charge for additional minutes; monthly minutes don't roll over; no international calling plan; can't send text messages.
Plans:		Monthly prepaid plans ranging from $30 a month for 300 minutes to $100 a month for 2,000 minutes; additional minutes cost up to 49 cents each.
Text and picture messaging:		Can't send text messages.
Downloadable ring tones, graphics, and games?		Third-party services only.
Roaming charges:		No.
International calling?		No (must get a separate prepaid international calling plan using an 800 number).
411 calls:		Variable, plus airtime.
Phones:		Prices range from $20 to $140; models include: Sanyo Katana LG VI5225 Motorola T70

TracFone Wireless
A subsidiary of Latin American wireless giant America Mòvil, TracFone offers a bare-bones prepaid service that doesn't have the bells and whistles of youth-oriented MVNOs such as Virgin Mobile or Boost; however, it has a large national service footprint thanks to its agreements with a variety of wireless carriers, and its phones are available in more than 65,000 retail stores. 

Pros:		Minutes carry over on all plans; cheap phones; can port over your existing landline or cell phone number; number of remaining minutes appears on your phone's screen.
Cons:		No camera phones available; no international calling without a separate plan.
Plans:		Prepaid plan offers buckets of minutes (prices range from 20 cents to 33 cents per minute), and you must buy a new card every 60 days to keep your account active. Also offers Worry-Free Wireless plan ($99 for 250 minutes), which is good for an entire year, and a monthly plan with discounted minutes.
Text and picture messaging:		Varies; GSM phones charge for outgoing messages but not for incoming messages.
Downloadable ring tones, graphics, and games?		Third-party services only.
Roaming charges:		No roaming charge for GSM handsets; otherwise charged at double-minute rates.
International calling?		No (must get a separate prepaid international calling plan using an 800 number).
411 calls:		Airtime charges only.
Phones:		Prices range from $20 to $100; models include: Motorola C139 Nokia 2600 Motorola V170 Nokia 2126

U.S. Cellular
Regional carrier U.S. Cellular has a coverage area that is limited to the Midwest, the Southeast, and the Northwest. 

Pros:		Inexpensive monthly plans with no access fees; bucket of 250 text messages for $6; incoming calls from anyone in your home area are free.
Cons:		Pricey roaming fees; 50-cents-per-minute overage fee; limited coverage area.
Plans:		Monthly plans with varying buckets of minutes (200 minutes for $30, $50 for 500, $100 for 1,000, and so on); unlimited nights and weekends for $7 per month (for $50 and higher plans); free incoming calls from callers in your home area.
Text and picture messaging:		$5.95 a month gets you 250 outgoing text messages, and 10 cents for each additional message; free incoming messages.
Downloadable ring tones, graphics, and games?		Third-party services only.
International calling?		Yes.
Roaming charges:		99 cents per minute.
411 calls:		$1.50
Phones:		Nokia 2125i price: $0.86, after rebate LG UX145 Kyocera Velvet K132

Virgin Mobile
The first MVNO carrier in the United States, Virgin Mobile has led the way in aggressively marketing its prepaid service to the youth market. If you've been to a Virgin Megastore lately, you've doubtless seen Virgin Mobile phones hanging from display racks. The carrier operates over Sprint's network. 

Pros:		Affordable, stylish phones that appeal to kids; camera phone with a music player and a handset with keyboard available; free incoming text messages; themed MTV content; can port over your old wireless or landline number (depending on location).
Cons:		Daily access fees, depending on the plan.
Plans:		$20 a month for a 200 minute pack, $30 a month for a 400 minute pack, $50 a month for a 1000 minute pack. If you buy another minute pack within 30 days, any unused minutes will roll forward to the next 30 days up to 5000 minutes. If you don't, the unusued minutes will expire.  Other prepaid rates: 20 cents a minute, 10 cents a minute for $6.99 a month.
Text and picture messaging:		Monthly rates: $5 a month for 200 messages, $10 a month for 1000, $20 a month for unlimited messaging.  Basic rates: 10 cents to send text messages, free to receive; 25 cents to send and receive picture messages.
Downloadable ring tones, graphics, and games?		Yes (prices range from $1 to $6).
International calling?		Yes (variable rates plus airtime).
Roaming charges:		No.
411 calls:		$1.75 plus airtime.
Phones:		Prices range from $35 to $200; models include: Kyocera Marbl LG Aloha UTStarcom Super Slice

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