Need advice on a low-cost backup phone plan for my teenager

[Fehourempard]

My son just started staying late for jazz band practice, and I want him to have a backup phone just for emergencies. Has anyone tried those government-subsidized or low-cost prepaid plans? I am not sure how the coverage holds up when he is stuck in the school basement. Any recommendations?

 

[Zucososh]

We use a budget prepaid plan for our emergency family vehicle phone. It runs on one of the major networks, which is generally fine on road trips. Just be aware that priority sometimes drops during busy hours. For a backup device in a pinch, it gets the job done cheaply.

 

[Youst19]

I went the Lifeline route for my mother a few months ago when she moved into her new apartment. The application process was straightforward, and they sent a standard smartphone. The coverage is actually quite decent, though we had a minor technical issue with the initial SIM card activation. I eventually had to look up an airtalk wireless phone number to get the provisioning reset on their end. Once that was sorted out, the call quality has been perfectly adequate for her daily check-ins. It is definitely a viable option for a secondary device.