FreedomPop - free internet?

Summary

Pros

• Free/relatively cheap data
• Potential to earn more free data by completing referrals
• No contract; month-to-month billing

Cons

• FreedomPop currently uses the Clearwire network
• Seem to be using up data very quickly
• Must purchase FreedomPop devices for service

The FreedomPop homepage.

Introduction

Below are some of my general experiences with FreedomPop. More detailed reviews will be published in upcoming articles.

Wild FreedomPop Appeared!

Discussion

FreedomPop is a MVNO that operates on the Clearwire network (plans to expand to the Sprint network are set for sometime in 2013). It offers users either home or mobile internet; FreedomPop requires separate accounts with separate credit cards are required for each device in order to monitor usage for each device.

Home Internet, I choose you!

Mobile users can get 500 MB/month free, while home users get 1 GB/month free. Extra data is billed on a per megabit basis, with prices varying depending on the type of service and plan you end up getting.

I applaud the idea behind FreedomPop, but I definitely think that there is room for improvement. Trying to connect to the Clearwire network is extremely frustrating; I need to stand next to the window or outdoors to even get a weak signal. Also, I appear to be using data at an alarming rate: at this pace, the total will definitely be more than what the free amount is. I will do a side-by-side comparison, visiting the same websites on my mobile phone first on Ting, then on FreedomPop, to get some good comparative data.

Conclusion

FreedomPop definitely has an interesting idea in offering internet as a freemium service. I think it works great as a way to supplement my work phone—more details to follow in future articles—but because FreedomPop currently uses the Clearwire network, and my experiments seem to indicate rapid data usage, I can't recommend it at this time. I'll continue to measure my data usage and post an update when it becomes available.

My data usage on FreedomPop. Good thing I received my router late in the month: after only a three days of light usage (a few minutes of website browsing and emailing each day, no streaming videos or music), I've used up 147 MB. At this rate, I'd reach the 1GB limit on free data in 20.4 days.

Notes

Ting vs. T-Mobile, $25 credit

Referral code for $25 credit

Summary

Pros

• Relatively cheap minutes/texts with roaming
• Sprint coverage
• Latest Android phones, along with basic phones, wifi hotspots, etc. + BYO(S)D
• No contract; month-to-month billing

Cons

• Relatively expensive data with no roaming
• Sprint coverage
• No non-android phones (iPhone, Windows, Blackberry, etc.), only Sprint phones
• Phones priced at full retail

Referral code for $25 credit

The Ting homepage.

Introduction

Thinking about Ting? Below are my personal experiences with this cellular service provider.

A few months ago, my family and I were looking to save money (who isn't?), and a notable re-occurring monthly expense for us was our cell phone bill. By switching from T-Mobile to Ting, my family and I have gone from paying $170/month to $50/month ($39/month before taxes/fees; the San Francisco Local Access Tax alone was $17!).

Ting monthly plans. Note that I've set minutes, text, and data to 0/$0. Ting allows users to set whatever amount they want, and will either bill them or refund them accordingly, with no penalties or overages!

Discussion

Ting is a MVNO that operates on the Sprint Network. It allows for voice/text roaming, but no data roaming as of the writing of this article. It bills users $6/line, and beyond that, minutes, texts, and data are billed on a pay-as-you-go basis. I like the dashboard and app that Ting has to track your usage, and Ting prides itself on having real people answer your phone calls: no automated phone systems or menus, but a real (Canadian) staffer that picks up your calls, usually within a few rings.

The Ting Dashboard.

Minutes and texts are very cheap, and the biggest concern that people often have is the cost and lack of roaming for data. However, as my family and I live in San Francisco, and work in the San Francisco Bay Area, coverage is not a concern for us, and we ues the plethora of WiFi spots all around us. In fact, in our experience the voice quality has been much better on Ting/Sprint than T-Mobile. Plus, while the GSM/TDMA that T-Mobile uses is the global standard, the CDMA that Ting/Sprint is more common in the United States.

I would be remiss if I did not point out that Ting—like many other MVNO's—requires you to pay for the phone upfront, and they currently do not carry iPhones, Windows phones, Blackberries, etcetera; however, Ting is actively working on expanding their line-up. Additionally, there are no free evening/weekend minutes, though this can be circumvented by using a VoIP service/app like Google Voice plus home WiFi.

Conclusion

In the end, Ting worked for my family and I, and I recommend spending a few minutes to do a cost-benefit analysis and see if it will work for you. I believe that if you live in a large city, and don't mind waiting to use WiFi to download/upload large items and make long calls over VoIP, Ting will work for you as well.

If you use my referral code with Ting, you and I will each get $25 in credit (a sign of the Ting mentality; also, check out their facebook page for Caption Friday's and giveaways!). Be sure you order directly after clicking the referral code to ensure we both get credit.

Google Voice. Free calls/texts in the United States and Canada, Google Voice also comes in app form.

Notes

BYOD/BYO(S)D: Bring Your Own Device/Bring Your Own Sprint Device

WiFi: WLAN, or Wireless Local Area Network

MVNO: Mobile Virtual Network Operator

GSM/TDMA: Global System for Mobile Communications/Time Division Multiple Access

CDMA: Code Division Multiple Access

VoIP: Voice Over Internet Protocol

Referral code for $25 in credit

Southwest Rapid Rewards Visa

Summary

Pros

• Great rate of return, ~1.67% on everyday purchases, 3.34% on Southwest + related purchases
• Large sign-up bonus (worth up to $833.33) and 6000 points (worth $100) annually

Cons

• Must travel once per year to keep points active, and I believe you get the most milage from your points by using them on Southwest travel
• Must spend $2K within first 3 months to get sign-up bonus, $99 annual fee

The Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Credit Card.

Introduction

I've been using my American Express Blue Sky for quite a while. I like that 7500 points will get you $100 in credit towards travel expenses you charge on the card; a 1.3% return, which beats the more common 1% (1000 points = $100). The fact that you can apply it to any airline, hotel, or rental car company with no restrictions, and that it came with a 12-month 0% APY offer made me a fan. However, in examining my current travel needs, I looked for something that

American Express Blue Sky. An aesthetically pleasing card, but is it the best bang for my buck?

Discussion

The Soutwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Credit Card, is offered by Chase, and like the Amazon.com Rewards Visa Card, its fantastic for its specific purpose.

Say hello to my little friend.

I've been using the Amazon.com rewards card for over a year now, and I couldn't be happier—3% in the form of credit for future purchases synergizes with the free shipping and fact that I use Amazon.com regularly. Similarly, I'm a big fan of Southwest and their low, lows fees. With gasoline in California north of $4/gallon, it is actually cheaper for me to fly between San Francisco and Los Angeles than it is to drive (so long as I can remember to book 2+ weeks in advance to get the best price.

And that brings me to what I believe is the big weakness for this card: it is best suited for future spending with the partnering company. Also, a little foresight is needed to get the best value; if I need to fly to Los Angeles on short notice, the price (and corresponding rapid rewards point value) of a ticket may rise from $80 to $250 each way.

Conclusion

I believe that if you fly regularly on Southwest, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card is a viable option in the quest to get the most value out of your hard-earned money. As always, please do your due diligence, and compare the Southwest Visa to other travel cards you are considering. Some helpful numbers are included in the notes below.

Southwest Rapid Rewards can be redeemed for a variety of things.

Notes

Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card: 2 points/$ spent on Southwest and partners, 1 point/$ elsewhere. Points are valued at $416/24,960 points = $0.0167/point.

Blue Sky from American Express: 1 point/$ spent. $100/7,500 points = $0.0133/point.

Chart Nine - The science of saving you money!

Welcome to Chart Nine, a place where people can share ideas on how to maintain a higher standard of living for less! I hope that we present our experiences in a clear manner, back up our assertions with cold, hard numbers, and—most importantly—you find our tips useful!

Ting vs. T-Mobile, $25 credit

Referral code for $25 credit

Summary

Pros

• Relatively cheap minutes/texts with roaming
• Sprint coverage
• Latest Android phones, along with basic phones, wifi hotspots, etc. + BYO(S)D
• No contract; month-to-month billing

Cons

• Relatively expensive data with no roaming
• Sprint coverage
• No non-android phones (iPhone, Windows, Blackberry, etc.), only Sprint phones
• Phones priced at full retail

Referral code for $25 credit

The Ting homepage.

Introduction

Thinking about Ting? Below are my personal experiences.

My family and I were looking to save money (who isn't?), and a notable re-occurring monthly expense for us was our cell phone bill. By switching from T-Mobile to Ting, my family and I have gone from paying $170/month to $50/month ($39/month before taxes/fees).

Ting monthly plans. Note that I've set minutes, text, and data to 0/$0. Ting allows users to set whatever amount they want, and will either bill them or refund themaccordingly, with no penalties or overages!

Discussion

Ting is a MVNO that operates on the Sprint Network. It allows for voice/text roaming, but no data roaming as of the writing of this article. It bills users $6/line, and beyond that, minutes, texts, and data are billed on a pay-as-you-go basis. I like the dashboard and app that Ting has to track your usage, and Ting prides itself on having real people answer your phone calls: no automated phone systems or menus, but a real (Canadian) staffer that picks up your calls, usually within a few rings.

The Ting Dashboard.

Minutes and texts are very cheap, and the biggest concern that people often have is the cost and lack of roaming for data. However, as my family and I live in San Francisco, and work in the San Francisco Bay Area, coverage is not a concern for us, and we ues the plethora of WiFi spots all around us. In fact, in our experience the voice quality has been much better on Ting/Sprint than T-Mobile. Plus, while the GSM/TDMA that T-Mobile uses is the global standard, the CDMA that Ting/Sprint is more common in the United States.

I would be remiss if I did not point out that Ting—like many other MVNO's—requires you to pay for the phone upfront, and they currently do not carry iPhones, Windows phones, Blackberries, etcetera; however, Ting is actively working on expanding their line-up. Additionally, there are no free evening/weekend minutes, though this can be circumvented by using a VoIP service/app like Google Voice plus home WiFi.

Conclusion

In the end, Ting worked for my family and I, and I reccommend spending a few minutes to do a cost-benefit analysis and see if it will work for you. I believe that if you live in a large city, and don't mind waiting to use WiFi to download/upload large items and make long calls over VoIP, Ting will work for you as well.

Google Voice. Free calls/texts in the United States and Canada, and it also comes in app form.

Notes

BYOD/BYO(S)D: Bring Your Own Device/Bring Your Own Sprint Device
WiFi: WLAN, or Wireless Local Area Network
MVNO: Mobile Virtual Network Operator
GSM/TDMA: Global System for Mobile Communications/Time Division Multiple Access
CDMA: Code Division Multiple Access
VoIP: Voice Over Internet Protocol