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Where can I buy USA sim card in Singapore?

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expat6023
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Where can I buy USA sim card in Singapore?

Post by expat6023 » Wed, 15 Apr 2015 11:29 pm

Hi
I'm going to travel to USA at June so I'd like to buy USA sim card.
Could you let me know where I can buy this, please?
Additionally what is the best option for me if I stay there around 1 month?
I'm looking forward to see your reply.
Thanks

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Strong Eagle
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Re: Where can I buy USA sim card in Singapore?

Post by Strong Eagle » Thu, 16 Apr 2015 12:43 am

You can't. SIM cards are issued by the carrier. Since you have a Singapore phone, it is a GSM model and you'll need to use AT&T, or maybe T-Mobile although many foreign phones are not compatible with T-Mobile's data frequencies.

You _may_ be able to find a phone store if your coming into LAX, including low cost carriers like Cricket but I doubt it... LAX really sux for after flight services. You might do better at SFO but I haven't been back since they remodeled.

Most likely, you'll buy a pre-paid SIM which allows X minutes and Y bytes of data. It's how I did it for years.

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Re: Where can I buy USA sim card in Singapore?

Post by expat6023 » Tue, 21 Apr 2015 9:15 pm

Hi
Does that mean I can't use USA SIM card after arriving USA?
As i know, Singapore phone can use every countries' SIM card.
Am I wrong?
Appreciate for your reply.
Thanks

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Strong Eagle
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Re: Where can I buy USA sim card in Singapore?

Post by Strong Eagle » Wed, 22 Apr 2015 8:26 pm

expat6023 wrote:Hi
Does that mean I can't use USA SIM card after arriving USA?
As i know, Singapore phone can use every countries' SIM card.
Am I wrong?
Appreciate for your reply.
Thanks
What I am trying to say is that you cannot buy a USA SIM card until you arrive in the USA. There are two kinds of phone systems in the USA, GSM and CDMA. GSM is what is used in Singapore so you can only use a GSM carrier in the USA.

There are only two GSM carriers in the USA, AT&T and T-Mobile. Unless you have a late model smart phone that can handle data on multiple frequencies, you will want to get your SIM card from AT&T, the only carrier with compatible data frequencies.

If you are going to a phone shop to buy a SIM card from one of the discount carriers, you MUST make sure that the underlying carrier is AT&T or it will not work. Your best bet is to stop in at an AT&T store when you arrive and purchase a prepaid SIM card.

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zzm9980
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Re: Where can I buy USA sim card in Singapore?

Post by zzm9980 » Thu, 23 Apr 2015 10:52 am

Singtel has a roaming plan where you can do data roaming in the US for something like S$20 per day.

Otherwise, what Strong Eagle said. Depending on how long you'll be in the US, T-Mobile will probably be your best bet. They have no-contract sim cards which would give you a month of 4g for like $50 USD a month.

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Re: Where can I buy USA sim card in Singapore?

Post by Strong Eagle » Thu, 23 Apr 2015 11:14 am

zzm9980 wrote:Singtel has a roaming plan where you can do data roaming in the US for something like S$20 per day.

Otherwise, what Strong Eagle said. Depending on how long you'll be in the US, T-Mobile will probably be your best bet. They have no-contract sim cards which would give you a month of 4g for like $50 USD a month.
AT&T offers pretty much the same thing as well... now... didn't a few years ago. First couple of times I came back to the USA, only T-Mobile offered prepaid... last few years, 2009 onward, bought from AT&T for a comparable price.

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Re: Where can I buy USA sim card in Singapore?

Post by zzm9980 » Thu, 23 Apr 2015 11:16 am

I'd suggest AT&T then at the same price. They used to always be ridiculously more than T-Mobile. Nice to see competition actually working.

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bradtown
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Re: Where can I buy USA sim card in Singapore?

Post by bradtown » Mon, 04 May 2015 9:50 am

I think you must be the subscribers on any of US's carriers first before getting the SIM card, like Verizon, AT&T, etc. I don't know the prepaid operator in the US. But you probably should arrive first in the US before buying the SIM card.

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