CELL PHONE COVERAGE AREA?

There are a lot of responses above from folks who clearly didn't read the OP's post.

You have signal, but have an "emergency calls only" notice. That means TMO either does not have a current roaming agreement with whatever carrier who's network you are attached to, OR TMO has limited you because you may be roaming off-network all the time. Carriers frown on significant off-network roaming, because it costs them money.

Sprint used to be notorious for that, but I'm not sure about today.

I only have anecdotes about T-Mobile. You are generally okay in medium to large cities but in other areas, lots of luck. Traveling down highways, including freeways, again lots of luck.
While we need to have competition with cell phone companies, as an RVer, we need rural access. Verizon #1, ATT #2 and close second is Sprint. T-Mobile? Great price until you don't have service.

The analog AMPS network, which covered very large areas with very few connections (thus many dropped calls) has been shut down, as of late 2008, in case you haven't been there since then.

The 2G network (TDMA, or more properly, D-AMPS) is now being shut down, so what was there not too long ago may not be there today.

This leaves us with 3G voice technologies (GSM and CDMA) for supplemented with a collection of fourth generation technologies for data. What they have in common is that they provide many more connection opportunities in a smaller geographic area. Face it, 90% of the mobile telephone and wireless data customers live in 20% of the geographic area of the U.S. When you stray from that, you are disconnected.

Since 90% of the customers do not stray, they will tell you XXXX works everywhere in the country. Living in the wide open spaces, I will tell you that you take what you can get, huge parts of the geography are covered by no wireless telephone service.

try atand t.

we get weird coverage, just sitting in the house i can have full bars and watch the bars just drop off to nothing. then pop back up, or just bounce around and all this with out moving the phone.
and this is in town.

Mongo68 wrote:
... #1 if overloaded the site sends nothing- its busy and you get a fast busy tone...

Never heard a fast busy on a cell phone.

wa8yxm wrote:
Two things: First: They may have "lost" a tower (That is the lease agreement for the land the tower was on expired or they became "unlicensed" in that county.. I do know of one county where ONE provider, who shall not be named, bribed the county into restricting licenses (Well building permits) for towers to just them, no other company can build a tower there,, NOTE T-Mobile is one of the companies that can NOT build towers there.. Oh, I also won't name the county, Legal reasons,, If I do not name them they can not sue me.

Second: Emergency only.

This can be caused by two things.

1: System overload.. If too many people are making calls at one time the tower will send out an "EMERGENCY ONLY" notice to the remaining subscribers, This should be happening a lot next Sunday (Mothers Day).

2: T-Mobile and AT&T both use the same technology, same frequencies, in fact the phones are 100% cross compatible provided they are not jailed (Locked to one provider). Now let's say T-mobile has a tower 4 miles from the park,, AT&T builds one you can hit with a softball from within the park... Clearly you will have lots and lots of bars from the AT&T tower.. but unless T-Mobile and AT&T have an agreement on that tower's use.. You get EMERGENCY ONLY.

3:Finally, Tower problems can cause it to happen as well.

Umm no on #1 and #2.
#1 if overloaded the site sends nothing- its busy and you get a fast busy tone
#2 happens all the time in the city and your phone still works.

You are roaming onto another carriers tower and have roaming disabled on your phone or by your service contract with your regular provider.

This is in need of more info . My phone is probley four years old. I use to get coverage at MT HOOD RV VILLAGE and Ainsworth State park, exit 35 I-84 east of portland. These are the two main places I have hit and miss coverage standing in the exact same spots. When I spoke with T Mobile they did a tower check and said nothing was reported. I like T Mobile but this is frustrating. Any aditional thoughts given the updated info? I really apreciate you folks

Most cell towers are not owned by the carriers using them. There are numerous tower owners ranging from large corporations down to individuals and municipalities that own towers and lease space on them to pretty much any carrier. Check this link to see who owns the towers in your area.

Two things: First: They may have "lost" a tower (That is the lease agreement for the land the tower was on expired or they became "unlicensed" in that county.. I do know of one county where ONE provider, who shall not be named, bribed the county into restricting licenses (Well building permits) for towers to just them, no other company can build a tower there,, NOTE T-Mobile is one of the companies that can NOT build towers there.. Oh, I also won't name the county, Legal reasons,, If I do not name them they can not sue me.

Second: Emergency only.

This can be caused by two things.

1: System overload.. If too many people are making calls at one time the tower will send out an "EMERGENCY ONLY" notice to the remaining subscribers, This should be happening a lot next Sunday (Mothers Day).

2: T-Mobile and AT&T both use the same technology, same frequencies, in fact the phones are 100% cross compatible provided they are not jailed (Locked to one provider). Now let's say T-mobile has a tower 4 miles from the park,, AT&T builds one you can hit with a softball from within the park... Clearly you will have lots and lots of bars from the AT&T tower.. but unless T-Mobile and AT&T have an agreement on that tower's use.. You get EMERGENCY ONLY.

3:Finally, Tower problems can cause it to happen as well.

WyoTraveler wrote:
Or 2. Their contract ran out with owner of the tower.

x2 ... if you have bars, but the phone says emergency calls only, it means T-Mo has let their roaming agreement (contract) lapse with whomever operates the tower the phone is talking to. Uncle Sam forces compatible tower operators into allowing emergency calls regardless of roaming agreements.