Optimum Debuts Cheap Wi-Fi-Only Smartphone Service

[Mike Andronico]

Optimum's Freewheel is a $30 monthly cell phone service that runs exclusively on Wi-Fi hotspots.

Optimum Debuts Cheap Wi-Fi-Only Smartphone Service : Read more

 

[remyj]

1) Republic Wireless already offers a wifi only smartphone plan for only $5 and offers on the fly plan changes to allow using the phone over traditional cell phone networks: $10/month for all the wifi you can eat and includes cell voice anywhere on the sprint network. For $25 a month you unlimited phone, text, and data over wifi and sprint's 3G network. You can make plan changes up to twice a month.

2) If Optimum was smart, they would have made this free to their customers as a value added to their accounts to keep customers loyal. Might have been smart to offer this for free to non customers too to try to get new customers for their cable service.

As it stands now, the Republic Wireless plan is less expensive and offers better choices to add services later, They also offer Moto X, as well as the Moto G so there is a choice of phones too.

 

[joaompp]

I have optimum, and optimum Wi-Fi is terrible in Westchester County NY. Personally, cricket wireless is way better and you can bring any GSM phone, I pay $35 a month after $5 auto pay credit. And, if you sign up for Google Voice you can already make phone calls and texts for free over Wi-Fi.

 

[derekullo]

Tri-State area means?

Most states have 3 nearby states ...

 

[rezaraquib]

Tri-State = NY+NJ+CT

 

[digitaldoc]

Tristate = NY, NJ and CT.

 

[fuzzion]

I used to carry a 12v Car Battery, a wireless wifi router and a laptop with a USB phone. Now i can do away carrying all of these with this invention Holy cow, i must buy me some!

 

[remyj]

I have optimum, and optimum Wi-Fi is terrible in Westchester County NY. Personally, cricket wireless is way better and you can bring any GSM phone, I pay $35 a month after $5 auto pay credit. And, if you sign up for Google Voice you can already make phone calls and texts for free over Wi-Fi.

Yes, Cricket is probably the best all around deal out there and being able to use any GSM phone is a huge plus. Cricket also gives you the first GB of data at 4G LTE which certainly beats the RW/Sprint 3G speed. But, if one wants to get by on the cheapest of cheap, and does not mind the Sprint 3G speeds when away from wifi, tough to beat the Republic Wireless deal.