Cell phones

[cruzkid]

Getting ready to head out on the road in April and need to know about cell phone service. What is the best phone to buy and what service works good while traveling?

[cruzkid]

Thanks. As always you guys have the info. Sounds like Verizon.

[wa8yxm]

jondrew wrote:
Here's my solution:
phone

A bit pricy, but the coverage is unsurpassed

Thought Iridium filed for bankruptcy under one of the "Throw in the towel" chapters.

Who owns them now days?

How pricy is it.

How are their data plans?

[down_home]

We ran into holes with all of the ones we had. Verizon has most coverage but did not cover NW Arkansas etc a few years ago and many areas, in the west. We have a Verizon plan that allows us to roam anyone's towers, or we did. I understand that may have changed. When it did work it took some doing sometimes to work.
Talk with Verizon Rep.

[J-Rooster]

AT&T or Verizon IMHO

[USMC46]

My wife has AT&T and I have Verizon. Between the two, we're able to communicate in MOST places, not all. In the Great Northwest, there are areas where all signals are bad on just not there.

[wny_pat1]

If your are planning on traveling through any cell fringe or dead areas you should pick up a Wilson Cradle Booster. And also pick up one of the optional Wilson Cell antennas. The little rubber ducky that you get with the booster kit just doesn't hack it. And remember, you can't boost 0 signal if your are in a completely dead area. But if there is just a little signal available, the cradle booster can make a difference.

[jondrew]

Here's my solution:
phone

A bit pricy, but the coverage is unsurpassed

[Empty_Nest__Soo]

rgatijnet1 wrote:
. . . The again, there is the "quiet zone" in part of West Virginia and Virginia where you will never be able to receive a cell phone or WIFI signal because of Federal regulations.

We live in the National Radio Quiet Zone. Radio broadcasts are tightly controlled here due to the sensitivity of the equipment at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory at Green Bank WV and the Navy Information Operations Command at Sugar Grove, WV. I know that in the town of Green Bank, you're not even allowed to have WiFi or a cordless land-line phone, let alone a cell phone.

But cell service (AT&T) exists here, in spots. We have cell service at our house. We can use WiFi. We even have low-power radio stations in the area.

It's well worth a visit, even without cell service. 🙂

Wayne

[2oldman]

OhhWell wrote:
whatever phone currently works for you may not work so great anymore and you seek the advice of others that are doing what you will be doing.

When the OP returns and describes what he expects to do with his phone, then we can tell him the 'best' phone.

[SRT]

BobandShaz wrote:
That's hard to say. Where will you be do you want data text or just calls. Nation wide I would look at Verizon's plans.

Over the years we've gotten great service from Verizon Wireless. In fact I just upgraded to an IPhone 5S 16mb. So far I've gotten the mobile hotspot working. :B

[ferndaleflyer]

One of my kids lives in Elicot City MD (Baltimore) and Verizon dosn't work there either---nothing! They installed some kind of booster thing at her house so it would work.

[Dutch_12078]

OhhWell wrote:

Dutch_12078 wrote:
We have all of the coverage advantages of Verizon's network, but none of the hassles of dealing with Verizon. Our cell phones are Android smartphones from Tracfone, and our Internet data service is from Millenicom. Our phone service averages $16/mo. per phone, and our data service is $70/mo. for 20GB of 4G LTE with 3G fallback.

Verizon is the WORST cell company I have ever dealt with and I about cried when they bought out ALLTEL, making me their customer. Even though I was told my current ALLTEL plan would be 100% honored, I had mystery charges every month and then was told that my plan never existed.

Unfortunately, they have the best overall national coverage. I never had a complaint on signal. So... I would also suggest one of the other companies that uses their network. On one hand, I don't think any of the prepaid companies on Verizon allow tethering but on the other hand, tethering with Verizon itself is scary from a monetary standpoint.

That's correct, Tracfone, Straight Talk, etc., don't allow tethering. Our 20GB 4G data service from Millenicom more than makes up for that though.

[Snomas]

X2 We have traveled all over the US and found Verizon was better than AT&T for connections but you can still have some dead spots!

[rgatijnet1]

Keep in mind that having cell phone service in an area, to make a phone call, does not mean that you will have 4G, or even 3G service for the internet. Some fringe areas just do not have full service yet, and may never have it. Approaching Silver City, NM from the north, we did not have Verizon or At&T PHONE service until we were 10 miles from the city limits. There was about a 100 mile stretch of secondary road that we could not even make a cell phone call. We ran in to the same situation along the Blue Ridge Parkway a few years ago. The again, there is the "quiet zone" in part of West Virginia and Virginia where you will never be able to receive a cell phone or WIFI signal because of Federal regulations.