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 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, NCDMV 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
Phones 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 network.
OnlineWho: You
4
Check fibre availability by exact address before you sign a lease
Google Fiber, AT&T Fiber and cable all compete across the Triangle and availability is address-specific. Symmetric gigabit at a competitive price is realistic in much of Raleigh, Durham, Cary and Morrisville — which for anyone working remotely is a genuine reason to weight one address over another.
OnlineWho: You
5
Get the number early for verification
Banks, NCDMV, rental applications and state government portals send codes to US numbers and often reject foreign ones. Having a US number in week one unblocks a surprising amount of everything else.
Mobile appWho: YouWeek 1
6
Port rather than cancel if you switch later
Number portability is a legal right and works between carriers and MVNOs. Always request the port from the new carrier. Cancelling the old service first releases the number and you will not recover it.
OnlineWho: You

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

The Triangle has real home internet competition, which almost nowhere in the US does.

Google Fiber launched here early and AT&T and the cable incumbents responded with their own fibre builds. The result is that many Raleigh, Durham and Cary addresses have two or three genuine options for symmetric gigabit, and prices reflect it. Most American metros are effectively single-provider. If you work remotely, check the address rather than assuming — and use the competition when you negotiate.

Source: FCC — National Broadband Map

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, the Gulf or Southeast Asia the absence of paperwork reads like an oversight. It is deliberate, and it makes this the fastest task of your first month.

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, uses the same towers, costs less, and converts to postpaid later once you have history. Start prepaid on principle.

Source: community-reported

Coverage between the Triangle's corners is good, but rural gaps start quickly.

Carrier coverage across Raleigh, Cary, RTP and Durham is uniformly strong. Drive twenty minutes east toward Johnston County or north toward Franklin County — both areas where people move for cheaper houses — and it degrades noticeably on some networks. If you are considering an outer-county address, check the coverage map against the specific route you would drive daily.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Bringing a carrier-locked handset and discovering it after landing.
Applying for postpaid with no credit file and facing a large deposit.
Signing a lease without checking fibre availability at that exact address, in a metro where it varies.
Relying on a foreign number for bank and NCDMV SMS verification.
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.