cell phone service

[mabel]

What is a good cell phone service that works when you are in areas away from freeways and cities. I plan on traveling west on us 2 from michigan

[noe-place]

We've used AT&T several years and have only hit one dead spot and that's about an hour from home at a state park.

[Winged_One]

pitch wrote:
I think Verizon is best overall. For nothing but phone service Trac Fone is good, they seem to contract with all the carriers.

We have TracFone and it worked well in any place that had any service when we came back from Montana to Michigan, via US-2.

[tafman618]

Encountered lost SPRINT connection last three times camping. Very disappointed in service since I had just added four smart phones. Hoped I could at least check the weather while camping, but no luck.

Contact SPRINT soon upon my return from the last trip. Relayed displeasure with service to SPRINT CSR. The CSR relayed most carriers share towers and when utilization rate is reached, the result is dropped calls. The CSR relayed when I drop a call to call SPRINT customer service so they can re-provision the phone for the strongest tower in the area. To me this sounded like a BS sales pitch, but this past week I did in fact "re-provision" my phone and had zero problems.

Not saying this works for all, but did for my family and I.

[CA_Traveler]

I have both Verizon and ATT and Verizon is far better service. If my Verizon cell works then the MiFi almost always works as well.

Don't depend on the coverage maps for any carrier unless it says no coverage! They are largely marketing hype that is out of touch with reality - with reality being a cell phone doesn't work. I have an outside antenna on the roof (12' high) and Wilson amplifier that helps to extend my coverage which is then closer to the coverage map. But it wasn't cheap and the LTE coverage equipment is even more costly.

Also be careful with phone capability. ATT decided my iPhone was 4G because they found a marketing hole and made a software update - everyone knows that the equipment is different! It is NOT LTE. Verizon says they will have LTE coverage for their entire network by the end of the year - ie installed in every tower.

[utahhusker]

We have Sprint and live in Utah. We travel extensively and visit family in many areas. Our Sprint has worked in 90% of the areas. It is not cost effective for any cell company to spend thousands to cover 5 residents in remote areas, interstates serve thousands a day so coverage makes sense. I am posting this in Kansas in a remote area using my Samsung S3. Other phones in area have little to no coverage. Remember cell signals are line of sight, can't see a tower with binoculars you probably wont have a signal.

[Dutch_12078]

BurbMan wrote:
Verizon has the most complete network. Sprint has a roaming deal with Verizon so if you have Sprint you have voice coverage everywhere Verizon users do.

If you read through a Sprint PRL ("Preferred Roaming List"), you'll find that the number of Verizon towers they have access to is really quite limited compared to the total available. Also note that most of their MVNO's, such as their own Virgin Mobile, do not have access to their roaming towers at all.

[PatrickA51]

RoyB wrote:
VERIZON has been the best one for us getting way off the Interstate highways... even works in GOBER, TX...

Roy Ken

Go to Wally World, buy a Straight Talk Phone, make sure it's a Net10 Phone they use the verizon network. It's very inexpensive, Unlimited everything for less than $45 bucks a month. I have two of these phones and the plan we have is less than the one we had for a dumb phone (one that did nothing but talk)

[mvpmich]

Verizon but check the service map on their web page

[2112]

There are areas in West Texas that if you don't have AT&T you're talking to yourself.

[2milesup]

I've found that no matter where I pull my TT, the phone's "off" button works just fine...

:C

[Veebyes]

If you don't already have Verizon, get yourself a Wallyworld Tracfone that works on the Verizon network.

7 years with one here. Back & forth across the country many times, mostly avoiding interstates, & the thing works great. Oh yes there are dead spots but they are few & usually in remote mountain areas.

[JJBIRISH]

I have been overpaying for Verizon for many years, and while they have the most coverage it is often not the best coverage… for me it’s their slow lousy data and dropped voice calls, or no service at all, all too often…

Their coverage map is worthless fire starter material… they say it is just a representation of what service they have, IMHO their coverage map is just a misrepresentation of the service they provide when printed it turns into bold face lying…

It isn’t just their data roaming that gets pushed to 1xRTT, I do at -108 dBm and according to their maps I should have 4G and if I do get 1xEDVO broadband it is at _114 dBm… both slower than dial up…

[ncrowley]

Another vote for Verizon.

[jjjandrbaker]

When traveling with my youngest and his buddy, we have both AT&T and Verizon. Most of the time, coverage is the same. In some spots we have service on AT&T and he does not on Verizon. Other places are the exact opposite. In some very rare places, none of us had service. However, even in spots with no service, we have found that a hike up a hill or a short drive can get us to service if needed. I know that in any Texas state park I have not had service in, the rangers could tell me exactly where the closest point was. I like to be able to call my wife and tell her I have arrived safely, etc.