Another MVNO question!

[Shadnic]

Like for so many people, the world of MVNO's are a bit new and unheard of for me, but I'm extremely interested. T-mobile's $30 a month plan for unlimited '4G' data sounds amazing, and their coverage map "claims" to have great coverage in my area. I hear most people talking about preferring straight-talk, but this tmob plan sounds too good to not try out. I have a few questions though...

1. I'll get a new # with the SIM I buy, correct? There's no "officially" porting my sprint # to that phone?

2. I have ported my number to google voice, so that means I can either use the google voice app, or set google voice to forward calls to my new # and use the normal dialer/phone application, right?

3. Text messages: Will I have to only use the google voice app to text, or can I still forward messages to the "Messaging" app and use it as normal?
3a. MMS: Google voice doesn't get MMS, so this is part of the above question. How can I still send/receive MMS?

Thanks!

 

[DirkBelig]

You have some questions that are more like statements and I don't get where you're getting your info from.

1. I'll get a new # with the SIM I buy, correct? There's no "officially" porting my sprint # to that phone?

There isn't? Where does it say you can't port your number? AFAIK, it's Federal law to have portability.

2. I have ported my number to google voice, so that means I can either use the google voice app, or set google voice to forward calls to my new # and use the normal dialer/phone application, right?

If you've ported your number to GV, why were you asking about porting your number to T-Mo? The GV app doesn't act as VOIP AFAIK, so if your new SIM has a # and you have your existing # ported to GV, you'd just forward it.

3. Text messages: Will I have to only use the google voice app to text, or can I still forward messages to the "Messaging" app and use it as normal?
3a. MMS: Google voice doesn't get MMS, so this is part of the above question. How can I still send/receive MMS?

The $30 T-Mo plan has unlimited texting, so why would you be using GV and giving up MMS? Just use T-Mo. If you're meaning that people who text MMSes to your current cell # which is forwarding to your new cell # thru GV, then that's a problem, but once again, why not port your # to the T-Mo SIM?

You can't get the right answers unless you ask the right questions. Perhaps you need to rephrase your questions.

 

[Shadnic]

I think you're confusing me not knowing how to ask questions, with me simply not knowing anything about how mvno's work. It's hard to phrase a question when you don't know exactly what you're asking, but it must have come across well enough because you pretty much answered them all exactly as I needed.

I didn't know that it was possible to officially port a number from a carrier to a prepaid sim card, simple as that, so that's very good to hear. Questions 2/3 are directly based on whatever the answer to #1 ended up being, so knowing that I can port my # (which I didn't know originally, hence questions 2 and 3 existing), means that I have my answer. Thank you very much for you assistance!

 

[bkorver]

You will have the choice when you activate your sim to port your number or get a new one based on zip code.

 

[Woosh]

I think you're confusing me not knowing how to ask questions, with me simply not knowing anything about how mvno's work. It's hard to phrase a question when you don't know exactly what you're asking, but it must have come across well enough because you pretty much answered them all exactly as I needed.

I didn't know that it was possible to officially port a number from a carrier to a prepaid sim card, simple as that, so that's very good to hear. Questions 2/3 are directly based on whatever the answer to #1 ended up being, so knowing that I can port my # (which I didn't know originally, hence questions 2 and 3 existing), means that I have my answer. Thank you very much for you assistance!

Just to clarify your question for the sake of correctness, T-Mo $30 plan is a prepaid plan and not an MVNO. MVNO refers to those who rent towers and sell the service, T-Mo owns their own towers so its slightly different.

But yes he is correct you can port your number to them, although idk why you would want to if its safe and sound in the cloud. I'd keep it there personally. Gives you the ultimate freedom.

 

[Droidintorrance]

Shad-

We are all learning this week... this is my plan of action...
http://forums.androidcentral.com/verizon-galaxy-nexus/221254-my-master-plan-leaving-verizon.html

Go install Google Voice & Groove IP, play around with both, forward it to your current number, been playing around with it since yesterday... Keep your number with Google Voice that is what I'm gonna do, and just forward it to your new "pre-paid" plan number...

We can switch new numbers after that every month, and just have it forwarded to the right number... don't port your number to the pre-paid..!

don't let the snarks bug you..!

couple of good articles:
Thinking Of Leaving Verizon Or Sprint For The Nexus 4? Several GSM Carriers Compared (Pre- And Post-Paid)

How free Google services can help shrink your phone bill | Computerworld Blogs

my plan is to also try the $30 T-Mo plan, might stay with it, might not, that is the beauty...! and it's no unlimited, it's 5-gigs with 100 talk minutes, which is possible with G-Voice & Groove...!