Ting vs T-Mobile: One Year Later

Summary

Pros

• Pay only for what you use
• They will credit 25% of your early termination fees, up to $75/device
• Still offer $25 credit
• Can BYOD from Sprint, including iPads

Cons

• Relatively expensive texting and data
• Sprint coverage, no data roaming
• Cannot BYOD devices from carriers other than Sprint
• The psychology of rationing usage

Code for $25 credit

The current Ting homepage. I'm glad to see my $10/month per device is below the average $21.

Introduction

As you can read from my earlier posts here, here, and here, I've had a lot of (mostly positive) experiences with Ting. Now, after a year of use, I wanted to go back and provide updates on the service, and what has changed. 

Discussion

While Ting has continued to accept more and more devices (e.g. iPhones, iPads), I'm glad they have continued to save a lot of money with them, and they have excellent customer service. Here's an example they've put up on Youtube:

Note: accurate hold time is accurate

Unlike other companies that run ads such as the one above, Ting actually lives up to the its portrayal of itself as a fun, quirkly company. For example, here is an article that the CEO posted on the Ting blog year: T-Mobile CEO John Legere stole my 2012 brand strategy and my 1987 hair.

Despite not taking itself too seriously, Ting has been making major improvements over the past, and is working on addressing concerns. Here is another article on their blog that came out a few days ago: You Asked: How to block unwanted callers.

The user interface has also been updated on the website:

The Latest Ting Dashboard

Ting has also put their money where they're mouth is, and have offered their ETF credit on a permanent basis now. I guess a lot of people must have been using this, because they changed the terms of the program from paying 100% to paying 25% of the ETF (within certain limits in both cases). Nevertheless, I would have liked to take advantage of this myself, but sadly,Ting only offered ETF credits sporadically at that time.

Coverage continues to be be fine: I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and have never had problems with reception, even on BART. The buzz is that Sprint is continuing to expand their network, and the fact that they don't have as good of a presence as other big carriers outside of large cities. Because of Ting's deal with Sprint, BYOD is limited Sprint devices, and there is no data roaming outside of the Sprint network.

The biggest drawback I experience is from how Ting has implemented is its main selling point: you only pay for what you use. Ting charges people a certain amount of money for a certain range of service. If you go above or below that range, you'll be charged the appropriate fee for that range. There's no question that this setup is way cheaper than traditional plans for my family and I, but this sometimes leads to rationing towards the end of the billing cycle, if we are close to the limit of a minute/text/data bucket, to avoid the extra fee associated with the next level.

$3 for 0-100 texts per month is pretty good...unless you only send/receive 10

A solution would be to bill based solely on each minute/text/MB used. I've seen similar suggestions on the Ting blog, but as I understand the response from the Ting team, this would be a lot more complicated and expensive than the current system they have, and they've designed the ranges of their bucket system to accommodate most users. I agree that this works well with minutes, but as you can see from the screenshot of my Ting dashboard above, its frustrating when we use only a handful of text messages per month, and are charged the flat $3 for 0-100 texts.

Conclusion

By expanding their device offerings, continuously updating their website and services based on customer feedback, and saving people even more money with ETF credits, Ting has kept improving itself. I am definitely happy with my service with Ting over the past year, and will keep you all updated if that changes in the future.

Code for $25 credit

Thanks for reading! You get a Ting $25 credit code! 

San Francisco Bay Area: I-580 vs. I-680

Summary

Pros

• Shorter commute time
• Gentler (less?) gradient

Cons

• Longer commute distance

San Francisco: Disneyland for adults! Note: lines have moved from the sidewalks to the highways...

Introduction

Traveling from San Francisco, Marin, or the Richmond/Berkeley Area to San Ramon or Dublin/Pleasanton? This guy does, and the traffic can get absolutely nuts, especially around I-680.

From personal experience, I'll agree SF Bay Area traffic isn't as bad as Los Angeles's. Still isn't fun though.

Discussion

So, what are the options? To quote Sherlock Holmes, "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbably, must be the truth." Applying that logic to the simply task of getting from point A to point B, there are a couple options. First, to take the shortest distance possible between the points. Second, to take the path that takes the least amount of time (not necessarily the same as the first option). Third, to leave the driving to someone else so as to work during the travel time (carpool, public transportation).

Now, I would say that most people would go for the first option, and this was what I initially did. In this case, that would mean going through the Caldecott Tunnel and I-680. Unfortunately, these two can quickly turn into bottlenecks, and increase your travel time by 25%-50%. I've found by avoiding the Caldecott Tunnel and traveling south via I-580 will add five miles to the journey, but cut the travel time by up to 30 minutes. I consider travel by I-580 to be the my second option listed in the paragraph above, and is now my primary way of driving from San Francisco to San Ramon.

Finally, I have taken public transportation options, such as BART, more recently, direct buses from San Francisco to San Ramon. It's not a bad way to go, but as there may be a BART strike soon, I'm making sure to drive at least once a week to brush up on my driving skills.

For all it's flaws and dramas, I still use it.

Conclusion

There are a lot of ways to get to the deeper East Bay. I actually prefer public transit now, since I can get a lot of work done, but when I drive, I absolutely take the I-580 over the I-680. It's much quicker; for a 13% increase in travel distance, I'm gaining 25% in decreased travel time.

There are six toll bridges in the San Francisco Bay Area. In other words, there's a cover charge just to get in your car and drive most places (but this is a whole other topic I will cover in an upcoming post).

FreedomPop Freedom Phone? Update from San Francisco Bay Area

Summary

Pros

• Works as advertised
• FreedomPop now has access to both Sprint and Clearwire networks

Cons

• Many extra fees
• Limited options for devices
• Apparent contrast between advertised philosophy and actual practices
• Company still does not seem to be at same level as competitors

O RLY?

Introduction

I have been using FreedomPop for three months now, and while there are both good and bad things about the devices and company, my overall impression is a negative one. This is true for both the Freedom Hub Burst (home internet) and Freedom Sleeve Rocket (for the 4th Gen iPod). I am therefore skeptical regarding FreedomPop's upcoming offering of a Freedom Phone, and will go over my reasons below.

Free 500 MB, 200 min, and unlimted texts per month; too good to be true?

Discussion

I had really high hopes for FreedomPop. And I will admit, they seem to follow the letter--if not the spirit--of their claims. However, I am generally disappointed with the company and devices.

For example, while they claim to want to revolutionize the mobile internet space, they seem to be using a lot of tactics to nickle and dime users. There are a lot of extra fees associated with FreedomPop that I don't like. Usage alerts for $2.99/month? Speed Plus for $3.99/month? They even had a monthly maintenance fee of $0.99/month if you did not use at least 5MB per month that they only recently removed.

On a related note, mobile devices are refundable for up to a year, but home internet devices are only refundable in the first 30 days. I feel that there is so much advertisement regarding a year-long return policy and FreedomPop's own rebel image, that it's so easy to not check the fine print as you would with 'big bad corporations.'

Also, I have used both FreedomPop's home and mobile internet devices, and while they were OK, they weren't spectacular, and I would hesitate to even call them good. There was just so many problems, with connectivity issues, overheating, short battery life, etc., that I ended up returning what devices I could, and canceling my account

Doesn't seem to be lot of difference from a UI perspective. FreedomPop had a great idea to essentially turn an iPod into an iPhone that unfortunately didn't work for me.

Conclusion

Based on the FreedomPop coverage map, and the fact that I live in a world-class city next to Silicon Valley, I suspect that problems I experienced with FreedomPop products were not strictly due to network or connectivity issues. The company's stated philosophy also seems to clash with many of their practices, and as stated

In the end, I can neither recommend FreedomPop as a company nor as a service provider, and if you get the Freedom Phone, my advice is to be sure to save the packaging in case you need to return it.

I'm a big fan of new ideas and technology, but FreedomPop doesn't seem to be at the level of other similar companies at this time. Stick with traditional home internet offerings, or look into options such as Virgin Mobile, Republic Wireless, or Ting. 

Ting Coupon Code and Update: Coverage, Billing, Customer Service

Click here for coupon code

Summary

Pros

• Fantastic, live customer service via phone and email
• Very accurate and thorough billing reports

Cons

• Sprint network
• Limited number of phones

iPhone on the way!

Introduction

I have been using Ting for four months now in both San Francisco and Los Angeles, and am ridiculously happy with the company and service thus far.

Ting! No problems with coverage in San Francisco...

...or Los Angeles!

Discussion

Ting's coverage is the same as Sprint, so if you can get Sprint coverage, you are covered with Ting. Billing is straightforward; Ting has simplified things even more, so instead of estimating your usage and getting billed more or getting a refund depending on the month, Ting now just bills everyone at the end of the month based on usage.

The billing aspect is one of the few things I have to complain about--Ting offers a "live" billing view via it's dashboard, which is more of an estimate. Final bills are completely accurate, but just wait for a few days after the end of your billing cycle, and don't worry too much about what is listed on the dashboard. If there is a problem, definitely call to let them know, and they will take care of it right away.

Customer support is awesome: Ting's call center is open M-F from 8 am - 8 pm EST, is based in Canada (so I was able to get my questions answered on 4th of July). Ting prides itself on answering calls with a live person within a few rings, and I have experienced this personally many times. This is in contrast to other similar companies, that only offer support via email, e.g. Republic Wireless or FreedomPop.

The final thing I will mention is that Ting still only carries a limited number of phones, and these phones are of the Sprint variety. This is that is actually important to note, since Sprint disables the SIM slot on many world phones (essentially forcing you to use their service when traveling abroad). This is not true of the iPhone due to Apple's own restrictions on how carriers could modify their devices, but otherwise if you travel abroad, you may be better off getting a cheap phone with a SIM card slot to use.

I personally don't care about the iPhone, but if it's something you want, be aware Ting doesn't carry it yet.

Conclusion

I keep blathering on about how great Ting is, but it is truly a great company. It is refreshing to find a company that is so responsive to their customers, and goes above and beyond what they say they will do. They have fun giveaways and events frequently posted on their blog and Facebook, and I would recommend checking them out for yourselves.

Seems too good to be true, but, from my experience, Ting has gone above and beyond to make my experience with them as great as possible.

Click here for coupon code

Using Virgin Mobile Mobile Broadband in San Francisco

Summary

Pros

• "Unlimited" 4G data usage
• No contract
• Cheap, easy-to-use devices

Cons

• Limited 3G data usage
• Sprint coverage
• Two options for mobile broadband: USB stick, or mobile hotspot

FYI, Virgin America and Virgin Mobile are part of the same company (Virgin Group Ltd.)

Introduction

If you're looking for no contract phone choices, companies like Virgin Mobile and Boost Mobile (and increasingly Ting!) are well-known choices. However, I Virgin Mobile's offer of "unlimited" 4G mobile broadband had me considering if this could be a viable option for my internet requirements both at home and on the move.

A big drawback of most mobile broadband solutions is that there is a limit on how much data you can use each month (vs. unlimited home internet that is available in the San Francisco Bay Area). For Virgin Mobile, you can choose to pay for a variety of options depending on your usage, (200 MB, 2 GB, or 5 GB per month of 3G). However, a nice feature is that you can get unlimited 4G connectivity, with the caveat that usage over 10 GB per month will be throttled.

Virgin Mobile coverage map for San Francisco. 3G/4G WiMAX in blue, 3G alone in orange.

Discussion

After checking to ensure that I lived in a 4G area, I ordered a U600 (a USB mobile hotspot), which came quickly in two days with free shipping. Set-up and activation were easy, and the device has two lights: one for 3G, one for 4G, so you know what network you're connected to.

A USB mobile hotspot, similar to what Virgin Mobile offers.

A big issue right away was that I was not able to connect to the 4G network. After a call to Virgin Mobile, I discovered two things. First, though I knew Virgin Mobile used the Sprint network, cell phones connect to the 4G LTE network, mobile broadband devices connect to the 4G WiMAX network. Secondly, I lived in an area with Fair 4G WiMAX coverage, not Best 4G WiMAX coverage (light blue vs. dark blue). Thus, I was unable to get 4G coverage indoors (and therefore was unable to easily take advantage of Virgin Mobile's unlimited 4G offer.

Note that for 4G data, there is two categories: "Best" and "Fair." If you live in a "Fair" area, you will only get 4G data outside your home/building :(

Everything else worked great--I was able to track my usage through my Virgin Mobile account, the data usage seemed to be in order, and speeds were good. While all the basics worked fine, I ultimately returned the device because I was not able to get unlimted 4G.

Conclusion

If you live in an area with "Best" 4G WiMAX, I recommend looking into Virgin Mobile Mobile Broadband as a supplement (and potential replacement) for your home and mobile internet.

Virgin Mobile didn't work for me where I'm living, but I think it's a great service. I'd also like to acknowledge the work that CEO Richard Branson is doing. Though he's a billionaire, he's no means the richest man around, yet he's developed Virgin Mobile, Virgin America, and a ton of other companies and businesses. Compared to a lot of other wealthy individuals, he seems to be driven to create something of value in the world for the public. I admit I admire the man, and hope he keeps doing what he's doing.

Virgin Mobile CEO, Sir Richard Branson, out on the water.

"Sir" Branson again.

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

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