Currently, AT&T, about $15 a phone, unlimited talk and text/messages, no internet, extra for international calls. It's an extended family plan... sister/brother in law account, last I heard 6-8 people on the plan, each phone line has a separate billing listed in the bill. I just pay the brother in law about 6 months in advance, twice a year and it's trouble free. No insurance but with no internet, all ya need is a slide out phone with a qwerty key board and you're good to go. I think sis and the bro in law have the internet added to their phones for extra.
If you have a few close friends interested, make some inquiries, see what options are available to you. I saw an ad that mailed a separate bill to each phone of these extended family plans also.... call em up and ask...
I'm paying about what I paid for a land line about 30 years ago.
Might look into Consumer Cellular.... sounded pretty cheap a while back.