Before you start

An unlocked handset, or an eSIM-capable one
A US address for postpaid, but not for prepaid
A payment method — prepaid accepts foreign cards, postpaid usually does not
International roaming settings checked before you go near the river

Step-by-step

1
Activate a US eSIM before you fly, or buy prepaid on landing
An eSIM bought before departure means you land with a working US number, which matters because banks, the DMV and rental applications all send SMS codes. No identity registration is required at any point in the US.
Mobile appWho: YouDay 1
2
Check your handset is unlocked and band-compatible
Handsets bought on contract abroad are frequently carrier-locked, and some regional models miss US band combinations. With 3G shut down there is no fallback network. Run your exact model through the carrier's compatibility tool.
OnlineWho: You
3
Start prepaid rather than fighting a credit check
Postpaid runs a credit check and a newcomer with no file is declined or asked for a deposit of several hundred dollars. Prepaid has no check, no contract and is usually cheaper for the same data on the same towers.
OnlineWho: You
4
Sort out the Canada roaming question in your first week
Canadian towers across the Niagara River reach well into the west side of the metro, and a phone can register on one without you leaving the country. Several US plans now include Canada at no extra charge; several bill it as international roaming at painful rates. Find out which yours is before your first drive up the Niagara Parkway, and switch roaming off if you are unsure.
Mobile appWho: You
5
Leave emergency alerts on through the winter
Federal Wireless Emergency Alerts carry blizzard and lake-effect snow warnings, and Erie County's ReadyErie preparedness app adds local emergency information on top. Between November and March these are the fastest way to learn that a driving ban is coming. Set them up in October, not in the middle of your first storm.
Mobile appWho: You
6
Plan for storm power cuts taking your home internet with them
Heavy wet snow and ice bring down lines across western New York most winters, and a two-day outage takes home broadband down even when the mobile network holds. A charged power bank, a hotspot allowance on your mobile plan, and knowing which nearby café or library keeps power are the standard local preparations for anyone who works from home.
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Documents you’ll need

Passport for postpaid; nothing at all for prepaid
US address for postpaid and for home internet
A payment card — prepaid usually accepts foreign cards, postpaid rarely does

Things most newcomers don’t know

Your phone can roam onto a Canadian network without you crossing the border.

The Niagara River is narrow and Canadian towers on the Fort Erie and Niagara Falls side reach across it. People on the west side of Buffalo and along the Niagara Parkway routinely find their handset has switched networks. Whether that costs anything depends entirely on your plan — some US carriers include Canada, others bill it as international roaming. Establish which in week one, because the bill arrives a month later.

Source: community-reported

The US has no SIM registration of any kind.

Most countries in this app require passport registration to activate a SIM and several require biometrics. The US requires nothing at all for prepaid — you can buy one with cash and never give a name. Arriving from India, Nigeria or the Gulf, the total absence of paperwork reads like an oversight. It is deliberate.

Source: community-reported

A winter power cut here lasts days, not hours.

Heavy wet snow and ice storms bring down lines across western New York, and restoration in a rural or suburban part of Erie County can take two or three days. Home broadband goes with the power even if the mobile network stays up on generators. For remote workers this is the practical planning problem of a Buffalo winter — a hotspot allowance and a charged power bank are not paranoia here.

Source: community-reported

The credit check is the barrier to postpaid, not the paperwork.

Carriers screen credit before offering a postpaid plan, and a newcomer with no file is declined or charged a deposit of a few hundred dollars. Nobody at the counter explains that prepaid avoids the check entirely, runs on the same towers, costs less, and converts to postpaid later once you have history.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Driving up the Niagara with roaming on and no idea whether your plan covers Canada.
Switching off Wireless Emergency Alerts and missing a blizzard warning.
Signing a work-from-home lease without checking what broadband reaches the address, or planning for outages.
Bringing a carrier-locked handset and discovering it after landing.
Relying on a foreign number for bank and DMV SMS verification.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.