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Cell phone coverage, for safety

Burning1

Burning1

I'm scareoused!
Joined
Dec 3, 2007
Location
Mountain View, CA
Moto(s)
GS500E, K1300GT
Name
Chris
Hey BARF,

I've been a Verizon customer for about 10 years. Initially, because they were the only people who provide coverage in Boulder Creek, but these days because they seem to provide the most consistent coverage when I go touring. In that respect, they've been amazing - I often get data coverage in areas my AT&T friends can't even make a call.

However, it looks like they are going to terminate my unlimited data plan, and frankly, my cell phone bills are getting a little excessive. I'm not terribly happy with their long train of neutered phones, or lack of SIM support (which affects me when I travel to Europe.)

I'm thinking of switching to T-Mobile. I may keep a pre-paid AT&T SIM handy in case I need emergency coverage.

What's your experience with alternative providers been? If I need to place a 911 call, will I still be able to use Verizon towers?

I'm aware that SPOT provides a good alternative to cell phone coverage. It's something I've considered on-and-off for a while now.
 
i have AT&T, though if it weren't with a family plan, i would seriously look into sprint. it seems to have a really fast network and fairly robust in places that AT&T lacks coverage. i cant give specifics, but maybe someone else can chime in on sprint's performance.
 
i don't tour much but i do do outdoor activity quite a bit throughout the year and i've had all three carriers before(Sprint, Verizon, ATT) i liked verizon the best because when i was out snowboarding i got signal, out on the lake in my boat i got signal, fishing at a lake/river i got signal. With sprint it was ok from time to time; ATT no signal anywhere

I will be switching back this fall to verizon; now a days they will charge you for anything and everything phone bills aren't cheap no more
 
I had T-Mobile a couple of years ago, and it was appreciably worse than AT&T, and I hear that Verizon has the best coverage in this area. I use AT&T now. Sprint is the only provider who has unlimited data plans right now...but those are likely to become grandfathered and then discarded in time as well. Verizon and AT&T have relatively similar plans...with AT&T's slight advantage being speed to Verizon's slight advantage in coverage. And everyone sucks at service. :twofinger IMO FWIW.
 
Sprint. Unlimited everything and roaming costs nothing extra. As long as ANY provider has signal in that area, so do I. Problem solved.
 
Kornholio said:
Sprint. Unlimited everything and roaming costs nothing extra. As long as ANY provider has signal in that area, so do I. Problem solved.
Click to expand...

which is why i'm w/ sprint. A number of years ago they were famous for lousy customer service but imo they really turned that around a couple of years ago.
 
T-Mobile has far worse coverage than Verizon in the places you might need it most - e.g. backside of Hamilton.

When T-Mobile is good, it is great - fast 4G data, way better than ATT in my experience. When it is bad it is non-existant.

If you travel in the US, you may find you have a signal for voice, but it is roaming (on ATT or something else) and then you will quickly use up your roaming data allowance and have no data at all.

I will be ditching TMobile when the new iPhone comes out. They have good customer service, but their network is no good in terms of coverage IMHO.
 
Sprint/Verizon generally seem to have the largest coverage areas especially in the outlands.

Coverage can also be dependent on how many frequency bands you phone supports. Some phones are dual-band, tri-band, quad-band and sheesh some new phones are now penta-band.

850 and 1900 MHz, mostly used in Canada and the United States, and the common 900 and 1800 MHz bands in Asia/Europe. And I think there's a new 2100MHz band.

Cellular Frequency Bands.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellular_frequencies#Carrier_Frequency_Use
 
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Don't count on cellular from anyone when out in the boonies. They don't build cell towers in places without a good number of people. If you're in a remote area, SPOT is gonna be your best reasonably-priced bet for emergencies.

One alternative I keep meaning to test on those rides is my handheld amateur radio.
 
rodr said:
Don't count on cellular from anyone when out in the boonies. They don't build cell towers in places without a good number of people. If you're in a remote area, SPOT is gonna be your best reasonably-priced bet for emergencies.

One alternative I keep meaning to test on those rides is my handheld amateur radio.
Click to expand...

There's almost nothing in the skyline/84/pescadero areas. There is a towe rnear La Honda, but other than that, you're on your own.
 
As long as you don't renew your contract then you can keep your plan/unlimited data. Unfortunately, The downside to that is if you ever did want a new phone, you'd have to pay the offcontract price. Ehh, pick your poison.
 
j0hnnyn said:
As long as you don't renew your contract then you can keep your plan/unlimited data. Unfortunately, The downside to that is if you ever did want a new phone, you'd have to pay the offcontract price. Ehh, pick your poison.
Click to expand...

I just renewed my contract/upgrade my phone last week and was able to keep my ultd data with no issues. I called verizon a few days prior to that and the rep told me that he doubts that will ever actually happen. Regardless, I went ahead and purchased a 4g phone just in case. If they're really going to axe the ultd data plan, they haven't yet
 
I have Verizon as well since last year, prior to that I had AT&T - Cingular since 2005. Verizon is far better IMHO. How did you loose your unlimited data plan? I have a legacy data plan as well, and even if you were to upgrade the same line Verizon will not change it or loose it unless you start a new line.


Burning1 said:
Hey BARF,

I've been a Verizon customer for about 10 years. Initially, because they were the only people who provide coverage in Boulder Creek, but these days because they seem to provide the most consistent coverage when I go touring. In that respect, they've been amazing - I often get data coverage in areas my AT&T friends can't even make a call.

However, it looks like they are going to terminate my unlimited data plan, and frankly, my cell phone bills are getting a little excessive. I'm not terribly happy with their long train of neutered phones, or lack of SIM support (which affects me when I travel to Europe.)

I'm thinking of switching to T-Mobile. I may keep a pre-paid AT&T SIM handy in case I need emergency coverage.

What's your experience with alternative providers been? If I need to place a 911 call, will I still be able to use Verizon towers?

I'm aware that SPOT provides a good alternative to cell phone coverage. It's something I've considered on-and-off for a while now.
Click to expand...
 
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Why get sprint when alot of their coverage is provided by Verizon. I switched from AT&T to Verizon because in the Sierra's Verizon has the best coverage
 
Because Verizon still won't get you the prices Sprint does nor the unlimited options.
 
limey said:
T-Mobile has far worse coverage than Verizon in the places you might need it most.When T-Mobile is good, it is great - fast 4G data, way better than ATT in my experience. When it is bad it is non-existent.
Click to expand...

Exactly this.

My girlfriend has Verizon, I'm on T-Mobile. She gets a usable signal on her phone in far more places than I do.
 
Have contrasted and compared cell phones for years. Verizon is by far the best signal in the SF Bay Area and most areas to which I've traveled in the US. Expensive to be sure, but an expensive phone that works is better than a cheap one that has no signal.

Riding in the Sierra Nevadas recently with "rodr" and group, can confirm that the boonies are sporadic in cell signal, even for Verizon.

It has been my experience that T-mobile/AT&T (same towers, I've been told) are more suspectable to low signal when in buildings.
 
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