Mobil plan with widest dependable range while traveling nationwide in US?!? (1 Viewer)

[Mary M S]

Any likes/dislikes from those in HTF who travel extensively in the States ?

In trouble with himself I was supposed to have already decided upon new cell phone plans but it is taking more research and very much harder to really tell (which provider best by ferreting out all details) than I thought it would.

Any phone model preferences that still have Shelf Life users report as having good reception/dependability? (some phones like the popular Rasor's I have noted are having 'issues')

He will be traveling (?) around the US. So far, FL, Tenn, Wash. Nevada, and not sure what/where destinations will come up, in future.

Due to occasional out-of-country trips, (non-European) what research I have done so far leads me to believe (so as to not bankrupt myself in Long Distance/roaming off-network fees) I should purchase a

Quad frequency, unlocked for best rates and the option that he can purchase ‘local’ prepaid long distance sims if available.
and
Dual mode analogue digital (best reception in fringe areas) which appears to knock out Cingular. (all digital).

Appreciate any comments from HTF or your friend’s family & business acquaintances on favorite cell plans when traveling.

Looking for cheapest rates whenever where ever.
Best reception.
He doesn’t text, so voice is the priority.

 

[Michael_K_Sr]

I'm partial to Verizon. They've had good coverage everywhere I've been. T-Mobile had too many dead spots and I despise Cingular. My great AT&T service turned to crap once Cingular took over. Have you checked on Howard Forums

 

[Shane Martin]

My wife travels alot and we have found so far that Sprint has fit our needs. My family and friends all had Cingular and have moved away from them for the same reasons mentioned above. We had T-Mobile and while the service was nice, I found too many dead spots. We can't have Verizon here because they aren't here yet.

 

[Arthur S]

Nationwide, Verizon is tops. Along with that, it is more expensive than, say, T Mobile. You can probably get 2-3 times as many minutes with T Mobile for the same price as Verizon.

Check out this site for a vast amount of info on cell phones:

http://www.Howardforums.com

Happy reading

 

[Jeff Adkins]

I've had Verizon, Sprint and Cingular and Verizon clearly trumps the other two. In populated areas Sprint was much better than Cingular. Cingular is better than Sprint out in the sticks but definitely my least favorite of the three.

If you're looking for good value, I'd probably go with Sprint even though Verizon is slightly better in terms of a total network. You can usually get more minutes for your money with Sprint, plus they offer the 7pm nights.

Don't believe the "Fewest Dropped Calls Of Any Network" that Cingular is advertising. The reason they are able to say that is because they use GSM technology which can hang onto a call for a long time even if neither party can hear each other due to horrible reception. Usually at that point one of the parties will just hang up and attempt to redial, thus it doesn't count as a "dropped call"

CDMA (Sprint/Verizon) technology will drop the call when it gets to that point while GSM will attempt to keep the call connected. Personally, I much prefer CDMA to GSM, but there are advantages to both.

I'd lurk around Howard Forums if I were you to get more in-depth info.

 

[Mary M S]

Thanks so much for the input and comments from all!!!.another question if you don’t mind?

I’ve scanned Howards (and phone scoop etc) till I grew to the chair.
The employee sections are the most entertaining!


The New Question regards: the horror stories I am seeing as to roaming overages on all telco’s.

I see that while most advertise nationwide no roaming/no long distance, in the reality people are being billed roaming frequently on ‘nationwide’ type plans.

The providers appear to somehow manage to charge these fees regardless of their advertising! (Some people reported hundreds of dollars showing up on a months bill)
The hitch appears (in most of these stories) that you have to be using THE home network nationwide, if the phone roams onto a roaming partners tower; roaming fees apply (even to a nationwide plan!) and you are charged.

It appears Cingular phones will not tell you till after call completes that the phone just roamed off home-network onto a partners.
Sprint says your phone will tell you (per Storefront sales I spoke with) yet I see Sprint customers posting that they were charged huge roaming while on a nationwide plan!
Verizon I can’t even decipher how they figure theirs.

most fine print I read at the providers appear to state you can have a delay of up to 3 months ?!! in even seeing roaming charges added to your bill. (you could do a lot of damage to your monthly bottomline in 3 months not knowing)

Some outraged posts I've read report that their phones are roaming to far-off and (off) home network towers even when the call is a local to local in their home region ... thereby allowing the telco to charge hugh roaming overages and shrug their shoulders over complaints.

And all providers appear to be going to a termination clause over percentage-of-use off-home network, with more and more people reporting being terminated by their provider over heavy roaming!

Which provider has the least ‘roaming’ fees assessed off home network nationwide, AND has phones which truly notify you if you are roaming. NONE OF THIS “you will not know when your phone is roaming” (so you can maintain your option to keep a conversation short rather than a leisurely 30 min call when you aware your call is off-home network activity.


I am working two angles and confusing myself, I need One phone on the best non-roaming fees, best RF reception nationwide for lower mins (500 a month)

And two moved to local high mins/high text, don’t care about reception just CHEAP.

Have any of you travelers with your current or past plans had roaming issues arise?
Which telco means what they advertise....NO Roaming fees – ever on a nationwide type plan? It is all so very confusing...they say no roaming but what I'm seeing posted in Howards and elsewhere seems to make that claim by providers a complete falsehood.

From what I seem to read...issues below can occur:
(yes you get free roaming as long as you don't really use it)
(no you WILL be charged if it's roaming on partners)
(no you can't see an accurante coverage map of home network vs partner leases in roaming.)
(yes WE have a coverage map [but we make it up] and your contract states don't go by the map......the map doesnt mean [anything] AND can include rececption area's [we don't really have] ...and even include reception we hope to have - [maybe] someday, but will not have during your contract obligations.)
(no you can't see your roaming charges for 3 months)
(no your phone WILL not tell you if your roaming)
(yes you have to pay roaming on our 'total' no-roaming no long-distance coverage plan)

Help! having trouble making sense on the topic of 'roaming' :frowning:

 

[RickER]

I have had US Cellular for 5 years, never a lick of trouble. I drive from OK to MN quite a bit and always have good coverage. Most of the area is US Cellular, so not to bad on calls placed when out of my local zone. My plan has all long distance free when i call from within my local zone.

 

[Mark Paquette]

As long as you get a nationwide plan you shouldn't be charged roaming. There is a lot of good information at Howard Forums, but many of the members over there are 14 year old boys that think they know everything. I've used T-Mobile, Cingular and now Verizon and I've never been charged a penny for roaming. The only time you'll get into trouble with roaming is if you use your phone in a roaming area for the majority of your calls. In other words, unless you plan on moving to an area where your carrier roams, you won't get charged.

 

[Bob Graz]

I've had Sprint for 6 years and just signed another 2 yr contract. I've traveled all over the US and have been very happy with Sprint's coverage. In terms of roaming your Sprint phone can be set to give you warnings that you have left the network and are roaming. You can also set the phone to use only the Sprint network and avoid the issue altogether (which is what I do). If you find yourself in an area where you need to roam, just set the phone back to roaming. The new friends and family plan I just signed for now includes roaming at no charge. I never have occasion to roam, so I can't tell you if there has been an issue with getting charged for roaming when it's included for free. I can tell you that their customer service has always been helpful when I've had a billing or other issue.

Sprint isn't perfect, but I'd consider them to be very good. Also, they have as far as I can see, the best overall pricing for their plans.