Establishing a US Phone Number

https://www.reddit.com/r/NoContract/comments/fxepg1/whats_the_cheapest_us_sim_card_that_only_has/

https://www.moneysavingpro.com/plans/best-talk-and-text-plans/

• Ugh, this is so troublesome.

• I only need one physical SIM card for my smartphone.

• Plan A

  • I want to have unlimited communication in the US, so I want to get a cheap phone number with data 0 from an MVNO.
  • Use SoftBank’s unlimited plan for communication and get a US phone number with a cheap no data plan eSIM.
  • Problem: I can’t find a “cheap no data plan eSIM” in the US, unless it’s an eSIM.

• Plan B

  • I’ll focus on US carriers.
    • There are unlimited plans for around $40/month, so it’s probably cheaper than SoftBank.
  • I’ll switch my Japanese phone number from SoftBank to Povo.
    • Povo has a basic fee of 0 yen, so I can keep my Japanese phone number for free.
    • I can receive SMS, so I can keep using my current Japanese phone number for authentication purposes.
    • When I return to Japan, I can pay for Povo’s communication plan.
    • (Use with eSIM)
  • Let’s go with this option (blu3mo).

• I chose Plan B (fuka)

  • In Japan, I use Rakuten Mobile (980 yen).
  • For international use, I use Mint Mobile (25 dollars per month, 4GB, but it’s not a problem on campus).
    • It would be convenient if I could sign up using an app with an eSIM.
    • If I use this, I have a referral code to share.
    • Seems good (blu3mo)(blu3mo)(blu3mo)

• Once I obtain a US phone number, here’s what I need to do.

  • Switch:
    • e-Zairyu (residence card notification) ✅
    • Chase Bank ✅
  • Maybe I don’t need to switch these:
    • Sony Bank
    • Google
    • Auth (University of Tokyo, Columbia University)
    • Apple ID
    • There must be more besides these… (blu3mo)