Best internet solution for 2018?

If the cell sites are overloaded you have to go hardwire or satellite.

Bill is right

overload is overload, and the only way is if more coverage is provided

local government, fire, police have a priority override, but thats built into the system and goes by the assigned phone number of the caller

thats OK they need their phones in crowed emergency situations, like storms and other disasters

Sprint brings additional cell towers to the races that Sprint sponsors. Otherwise, no.

Do any of these systems work where the area is overloaded? I was at the race in Talladega last fall and when I got there, everything worked great on my phone. But as more people arrived, it was difficult to even get a text out. Going back this fall and looking for a solution for that. But it sounds like all these things talked about here may not be the solution.

If anyone plans on only one source of internet service and internet is a mission critical option, you WILL be be disappointed. Period.
The good news is that we are all capable of planning where we travel and if you MUST have internet you can PLAN your travels and the necessary equipment to make that happen. That might mean satellite internet and cellular if you are so completely determined to head to the deep boonies despite the fact that you know your income in based upon internet connectivity. It's all about choices and, for most folks, the most reliable choice is going to be cellular (even if you have to get service from 2 providers). I have been very happy with Verizon and AT&T but I am now similarly happy with T-Mobile and AT&T and the savings are HUGE!

That's a very good point; if the signal is blocked by terrain it's simply blocked no matter the antenna etc.

Dutch_12078 wrote:
Our setup consists of both AT&T and Verizon hotspots, with Tracfone/Verizon Android smartphones, and a Maximum Signal Max Amp RV cell booster/repeater with internal and external antennas. We travel extensively east of the Mississippi, and have yet to land anyplace we did not have a usable signal from both carriers, albeit with one often stronger than the other. We've been in a number of areas, particularly in the Adirondack mountains, where both the coverage maps and and our phones/hotspots showed no service with the Max Amp off, but usable voice and data signals with it turned on.

I'm not going to detail the two unlimited data plans we use, since one is no longer available and the other is a grey market plan that's likely to be gone in another couple of years.

While I agree that both Verizon & AT&T have made vast improvements in coverage over the last year or two, I'd be interested in the results of the Maximum Signal Max amp in Cades Cove Campground in the Smoky Mountain National Park. Just about the only place on a 7000 mile trip that did not have either Verizon or AT&T coverage, even with a WirEng antenna & Sleek amplifier.

We are now in Deming, NM and service with both AT&T and T-Mobile are good. Voice is excellent and the data is, again, acceptable but noticeable slow. It reads 4G LTE on both services but it's not nearly the service I have gotten with Verizon in the past.

Orient toward commercial cell gear and don't get too excited about wifi. Park wifi is hardly ever actually usable. It's common to get a strong signal but no bandwidth.

For example, where I am now the AP is on the next site over but since it's connected to an older satellite system it's barely usable. It's ok for text such as this forum but nothing else. The problem is that wired broadband isn't available here and we're too far away for an ordinary cell hotspot to work.

At some parks wifi sometimes works ok during the day but dies in the evening and on weekends when everyone cranks up their devices and goes on Facebook, Youtube and start trying to stream stuff.

Our setup consists of both AT&T and Verizon hotspots, with Tracfone/Verizon Android smartphones, and a Maximum Signal Max Amp RV cell booster/repeater with internal and external antennas. We travel extensively east of the Mississippi, and have yet to land anyplace we did not have a usable signal from both carriers, albeit with one often stronger than the other. We've been in a number of areas, particularly in the Adirondack mountains, where both the coverage maps and and our phones/hotspots showed no service with the Max Amp off, but usable voice and data signals with it turned on.

I'm not going to detail the two unlimited data plans we use, since one is no longer available and the other is a grey market plan that's likely to be gone in another couple of years.