Current data plans

[Ventana]

Wondering what folks are finding for cellular data plans these days. We live aboard and only have access to ATT service here so our options are limited, but we keep switching plans to keep an unlimited data plan at a reasonable price. Our current plan is going away and I’m not seeing much for under $100 a month. Anyone finding good deals these days or is that the going rate?

 

[rslifkin]

Being limited to just 1 carrier, you may not be able to do much better. It's just going to be down to who re-sells a plan that uses AT&T's network at a good price.



Personally, I'm looking at the $50 / 100gb plan from T-Mobile for this upcoming season. But that doesn't help if they don't have any coverage in your cruising grounds.

 

[Ventana]

Being limited to just 1 carrier, you may not be able to do much better. It's just going to be down to who re-sells a plan that uses AT&T's network at a good price.



Personally, I'm looking at the $50 / 100gb plan from T-Mobile for this upcoming season. But that doesn't help if they don't have any coverage in your cruising grounds.

Yes, I realize it’s not a great situation. Many of the lower cost plans I found are T Mobile, wish we had more options.

 

[Scottwb96]

I would seriously look into Starlink!!! They may not have the antena piece for automatic sat tracking while underway. But you could still setup and use while at the dock/stationary.
I "heard" the sat tracking piece is in the works...

https://www.starlink.com/

 

[caltexflanc]

Yes, I realize it’s not a great situation. Many of the lower cost plans I found are T Mobile, wish we had more options.

Where are you exactly, and what are your overall cruising grounds?

 

[ksanders]

I'm in Alaska as well and use AT&T for one of my plans. It is the 8mbps plan with no throttling. I think it's a bit less than $100 a month.

In Sitka you might try GCI as well. They have built out a very robust infrastructure in Southeast Alaska and offer some pretty good rates.

I have found that both AT&T and GCI are pretty seamless outside of Alaska as well.

 

[Ventana]

I'm in Alaska as well and use AT&T for one of my plans. It is the 8mbps plan with no throttling. I think it's a bit less than $100 a month.

In Sitka you might try GCI as well. They have built out a very robust infrastructure in Southeast Alaska and offer some pretty good rates.

I have found that both AT&T and GCI are pretty seamless outside of Alaska as well.

Kevin, Sitka does have both GCI and ATT, but we are finding that we go over their usage caps regularly, and they do throttle back here in the summer when the cruise ships are in, assuming we will have cruise ships again at some point. That was a definite plus to our recent Covid summer here is that our cell service didn’t go to crap for the summer like it usually does.

 

[Jmarsh203]

As of now Starlink is not an option for travelers, it’s pretty much the same thing as regular satellite Internet from someone like hughs net. It only works in the area it’s initially installed. It’s not a satellite tracking thing it’s a a service coverage thing. Whoever you have service with and I would advise att or Verizon an extra data only line is like $35 I pay 135 a month for a cell phone, tablet and mifi device.