Yes, I too have investigate those plans.
There is a similar plan available in Oz. A few years ago I investigated it, but way, way out of my budget.
You'd be better off getting a prepaid sim over in the US, even though it may not serve all your needs. A traveller from Oz, whom I met in AK, had his own (smart?) phone, a prepaid plan, can't recall how much, but he had voice, text and web through, I think it was T-Mobile. He was very happy, even updating his blog with photos. And if I recall correctly, he also used it as his gps.
He found it worked well, except in the most remote areas of AK. All through Canada, WY/CO and west of there in the US he did not have a problem.
Lifey