Switching Cell Phone Carriers

A proud plug for a company with a soul

I recently switched cell phone carriers. Though I never had any significant problems with the old carrier, it never rang the excellence bell. That, and my favorite cell phone carrier was suddenly an option again…

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We switched from Straight Talk to Ting, and I’m thrilled to be back.

Straight Talk was fine. They provided a good enough product for a reasonable price. Service for our two smart phones was about $98 each month.

You might never have a problem with Straight Talk. I couldn’t really complain, either. But I tell you, nothing about the company rang the excellence bell for me. For lack of better words, it felt soulless.

I missed Ting. I missed their great customer service. I used them before with an ancient flip phone with a laughably low bill — $22 to $35, based on what I used that month. So when Ting recently announced they now support GSM (SIM card) phones, it was an easy decision!

Ting charges you for what you use. It’s not unlimited, and it’s not prepaid, but it is quite reasonable. Some months may cost more than Straight Talk. But you just might be able to save a few bucks if you are conservative.

Ting Promotional Code

Click here to get a $25 credit when you switch to Ting! If you use my code, I also get a credit.

And Ting allows tethering, too. This will be handy as we need laptop wireless while working remotely.

The one downside I have found is their coverage may be less than what you are used to. By all means, check their coverage map before you switch. Look at any place you travel frequently and make sure they have network coverage with the bandwidth you need every day.

So here we are again, reunited with my old friend. It’s now been six weeks, and we are pleased with the switch. In my experience, signal is not quite as rock solid as other companies, but it is definitely not a deal breaker.

The first month’s bill was $81, which just about pays for the two SIM cards we bought from Ting so we could switch over.

I’ll let you know how it’s working out for us from time to time.


How much is your cell phone bill? Are you pleased with your carrier? If so, tell us what you like about them!

  • Mike

    Verizon has the best network and get your employer to pay for unlimited data. Life is to short.