We have one phone Straight Talk. $30 mo. 1000 min and 1000 texts. We never use that up. It also has data, but I never use it. Use the iPad on Verizon Mifi for $50 a mo. I forget the "code" words or numbers you have to look for on the phone itself(will ask hubby when he wakes up) but the Straight Talk phone we selected runs on AT & T Towers. You have to buy the phone initially. Not expensive. Our other phone is a Trac phone and it runs on Verizon towers. In the past we had AT & T and then Verizon. Preferred Verizon--more coverage more places. The idea was to save $ and to have service no matter where we travel (and we go EVERYWHERE). So far it has worked. We usually have service on one phone or the other. Trac phone is really cheap to operate.