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#1 searching for nowhere

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Posted 21 March 2019 - 01:34 AM

I need to get a new cell phone and plan.  I’m retiring – no more company cell phone. :-)   I’ve looked at the coverage maps for the western US and AT&T and Version look like they have similar coverage.  I would appreciate any real life experience in coverage experience while wander the west that suggests one has better coverage than the other. 

 

Additionally I'm wondering about using T-Mobile.  With an InReach I don't need coverage all the time even though I would like it.  Any experience with T-Mobile?  

 

Thanks. 

 

 


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#2 TGK

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Posted 21 March 2019 - 01:41 AM

I'm in the Portland area and have ATT.  Based on my experience in eastern Oregon years back, ATT had the best coverage.  Then, at some point, Verizon upped their game and appears to have better coverage for some time now.  My experience when hanging with friends with Verizon while in eastern Oregon seems to support that.  Friends who live in Bend have Verizon for that reason.  Now, as with anything, there are exceptions.  I've been in a spot SE of Burns when a friend's motorcycle broke down and they couldn't get coverage on Verizon, while I did on ATT.  If I weren't so locked in with ATT at the moment, I might switch to Verizon.  Not sure how this relates to Washington though.


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#3 Advmoto18

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Posted 21 March 2019 - 12:59 PM

When we retired and moved to a far off the beaten path Low Country shrimping village, we switched to T-Mobile for the $70 per month Old Geezer promotion which includes 2 lines and unlimited data.  No contract, pay month to month.  We brought our ATT iPhone 6s over to T-Mobile.  T-Mobile provided their sim cards at no cost.

 

We don't live "off the grid" but do not have an internet provider in our village;  we don't even have dial-up (no that it would be useful)!  As such, we rely on our T-Mobile hotspot feature to connect our laptops and TV (Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, etc) to the internet.  Hotspot is limited to 3G max.

 

We're always able to connect the laptops so no issue there.

 

T-Mobile currently doesn't have the massive area coverage (throughout the US) as Verizon, but, coverage will soon be the largest in the US once the T-Mobile and Sprint networks are fully integrated.

 

We do not use a lot of data, never more than 25Gb combined in a 30 day period, as such, we have not seen our data flow restricted due to use.  But, T-Mobile states is does not restrict your "pipe" based on data use, unlike Verizon.

 

I've been a InReach customer since it first came out.  I carry it everywhere when camping, moto trips, even coastal inshore fishing so I don't rely on the cell phone for comms.


Edited by Advmoto18, 21 March 2019 - 01:07 PM.

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#4 Mighty Dodge Ram

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Posted 21 March 2019 - 03:18 PM

I’d choose the carrier that has the best network for the area you spend the most time in. I dropped ATT years ago due to the constant roaming charges I was hit with. I’ve been with Verizon for literally decades because of the network coverage. When I retired I transferred to my wife’s Verizon family plan with her and the kids. It works for us now but if the merger of T-Mobile/Sprint creates a better network I’d certainly consider switching. I hold cell phone carriers in the same esteem as cable companies.
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#5 Cayuse

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Posted 21 March 2019 - 04:52 PM

Overall been happy with my Verizon coverage.  Seems to be the best overall for the western U.S. though there will always be those outlier areas where another carrier might be better.

 

Will take a serious look at Google Fi as an alternative for my next phone and plan as it carrier hopes based on available coverage and the data should work for most.


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#6 knoxswift

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Posted 21 March 2019 - 05:48 PM

I'm happy with T-Mobile....admittedly in some remote sites it didn't work but I've actually been quite impressed where I've gotten T-mobile to work.

I've also used in Canada and it wasn't until really remote in the Yukon that I ran into issues.

But always where there is population T-Mobile seems to work.

Already stated T-Mobile is the best priced out there right now...


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#7 larryqp

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Posted 21 March 2019 - 06:45 PM

We have been on the road full-time for 21 years with Verizon the entire time. Rarely have we not had coverage when someone else with another carrier does. It has happened, but more often we have coverage and another carrier user doesn't. There are lots of places in the boonies with absolutely no coverage by any carrier.


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#8 Atlin

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Posted 21 March 2019 - 07:10 PM

I had ATT for several years, then switched about 8 years ago to Consumer Cellular.  They use either ATT or Tmobile towers (you choose the type of chip - can be different chip for different phones on a family plan).  MUCH cheaper than the major carriers (I pay about $80/month for three phones).  Downside is that there are some areas where I can get a phone signal and make a call, but cannot get data.  Worth checking your particular area.  Some of these places one would think would be popular enough to have data (e.g. I-80 east of Reno) but don't.  Overall, for the price, I'm happy with the service.


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#9 searching for nowhere

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Posted 22 March 2019 - 12:15 AM

Thanks everyone for your comments.  I appreciate it.  In a year or so, I'll  report back.  For now, I'll start visiting the stores and get the full information on cost and fees.  


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#10 craig333

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Posted 22 March 2019 - 01:47 AM

I have verizons geezer plan. Unlimited data is nice to have sometimes. 


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