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

Step-by-step

1
Activate an eSIM before flying, or buy prepaid on arrival
A US eSIM activates before you land so you have a working number immediately for rides, deliveries and bank verification codes. No identity registration is required at any point.
OnlineWho: YouDay 1
2
Check your handset is unlocked and band-compatible
Phones bought on contract abroad are frequently locked, and US band combinations trip up some regional models. With 3G shut down there is no fallback network to land on.
OnlineWho: You
3
Start prepaid rather than fighting a credit check
Postpaid runs a credit check. With no US file you will be declined or asked for a deposit. Prepaid has no check and is usually cheaper for the same data allowance.
OnlineWho: You
4
Shop home internet properly — you probably have real competition
Large parts of Indianapolis have the cable incumbent, AT&T fibre and Metronet available at the same address, which is rare in the US. Check the FCC's broadband map for the specific address before signing, because the price difference between a monopoly street and a three-provider street is substantial and it changes block by block.
OnlineWho: You
5
Turn on Wireless Emergency Alerts and add a radar app
Tornado warnings, severe thunderstorm warnings and flash flood warnings arrive on the handset through the federal alert system, and central Indiana gets all three. Warning lead times are measured in minutes. Check the alert settings are enabled — some categories are on by default and some are not.
Mobile appWho: YouWeek 1
6
Find your shelter before the first watch, not during the first warning
In a house that means the lowest floor, an interior room, away from windows. In an apartment building it may mean a neighbour's ground-floor unit or a stairwell. Marion County tests its outdoor warning sirens on a published monthly schedule — know when the test is so you can tell it apart from the real thing.
In personWho: You
7
Port rather than cancel if you switch later
Number portability is a legal right and works between carriers and MVNOs. Request the port from the new carrier — never cancel the old service first, or you lose the number.
OnlineWho: You

Documents you’ll need

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

Things most newcomers don’t know

Three-way fibre and cable competition is genuinely unusual in America.

Most US addresses have one or two broadband options and the price reflects it. Metronet is headquartered in Indiana and has built fibre across a lot of this metro, AT&T has built its own, and the cable incumbent competes with both. It is one of the few consumer costs where Indianapolis beats the national average for a structural reason rather than by accident — but only at the addresses where all three actually reach.

Source: FCC — National Broadband Map

Tornado warning lead time is minutes, so the phone is the system.

Central Indiana's severe weather season runs roughly March to June and warnings are issued on a timescale where checking the news is too slow. Wireless Emergency Alerts and a radar app with warning notifications are the practical setup. The people who get hurt are usually the ones who silenced the alerts after a false alarm.

Source: National Weather Service — Indianapolis

The credit check is the barrier, not the documentation.

Carriers check credit before offering postpaid, and a newcomer with no file gets declined or charged a deposit. Prepaid sidesteps it entirely and usually costs less for the same data.

Source: community-reported

The US has no SIM registration at all.

Most countries in this app require passport registration to activate a SIM. The US requires nothing whatsoever for prepaid — you can buy one in a supermarket and be online in minutes.

Source: FCC — consumer guides

Common mistakes to avoid

Silencing severe weather alerts after one false alarm, in tornado country.
Signing a two-year internet contract without checking whether two other providers reach the address.
Applying for postpaid with no credit file and facing a large deposit.
Bringing a carrier-locked handset from abroad and discovering it on arrival.
Cancelling the old carrier before requesting the port, and losing the number.

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

Make it your personal checklist

Globe Quest turns this into a tracked, AI-personalized plan for Indianapolis — timed to your move date, with reminders so nothing slips. Free to start.