In the United States of America there are many telephone and internet providers. These should be researched before moving to the country so that you are aware of the different prices.
Internet
There are many Internet service providers and these can be found in the yellow pages or by word of mouth. The prices for the internet will vary and depend on the connection speed. The start up fee for many Internet services will start from $50 or less if you have all the necessary equipment. To get a good connection and service from an ISP it could cost you between $60 – $90 a month. Expats are able to purchase package deals with cable TV and phone services or may purchase internet by itself. In rural or depopulated areas internet access may be limited although WIFI will be available in public places such as hotels and coffee shops.
Telephone
To open a new telephone account for a landline is quite easy; though expats may need to go through a credit check and an individual taxpayer identification number for non-citizens will be required. There will be monthly bills made to the customers home or can also be checked online. Some telephone providers will allow customers to choose an auto paying option which is like a direct debit deducting the bill from your bank account each month. Services provided for landlines and mobile phones will be different.
To use your old mobile phone, there is an option available where you can buy a SIM card from the provider which uses the same standard as your current service provider. If the standard is different, you might be able to get your mobile phone unlocked by paying a small fee.
Mobile service providers use two main standards:
CDMA – This is mainly used in the USA as well as other countries. The services Sprint and Verizon operate on CDMA
GSM – Is used in most other countries and services include T-Mobile and AT&T
Skype
Skype is a cheap and alternative way to chat, telephone and video call to a landline or mobile phone. This is an internet based service which is very popular to keep in touch with family and friends. Calls on Skype are usually free on a computer or the app on a mobile phone.
Post/Mail
Once you have your own house or are renting a place, you will automatically have a postal service. If you do not want this then you can get a post office box.
Postal Fees are $0.42 per one ounce or less in an envelope within the country. When you are sending mail internationally this can cost more and will require more than one stamp.
There are many post offices in every town and a lot more in larger cities. The postal service is protected by federal law which is a safe and reliable service in the US.
When you have arrived in the USA and want to post something, you could use the following website to find your nearest post office www.usps.com