Cell phone service in Prescott? (Chino Valley: live in, costs, land)

[txwoodchuck]

I have at&t cell phone service. How is the service in Prescott. Besides bad, I hope to hear from some un-biased users. I'll be in Prescott for the summer, and hope I'll be able to use it to make phone calls. Thanks!!

[Zonie5]

your AT&T should serve you well in Prescott and surrounding areas.

[Esenjay]

Like most cell services, I think it depends on where you're standing. Between work and personal cell phones I've had AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon. The first two were spotty in some areas. Verizon was the most consistent.

[wretched wrench]

Originally Posted by Esenjay

Like most cell services, I think it depends on where you're standing. Between work and personal cell phones I've had AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon. The first two were spotty in some areas. Verizon was the most consistent.

We have found Verizon to work well in Prescott, but, out in the county, their coverage maps are so optimistic as to be criminally fraudulent.

[cdajane]

We live in North Idaho and have TracFones. Does anyone know if there is service in Prescott for this service? Thanks!

[keninaz]

cdajane~

I have had pay-per-use phone like that as we just don't need a cell phone and it's more or less or emergencies and while traveling in the car.
TracFones can be spotty here. They are OK but the service is not totally reliable as they don't have many contract towers. Net 10 was also iffy in some areas here. Neither would work well where I like to fish at a city park here. I like to have it on while I am there is case the wife needs me as we only have the one car.
I switched to Verizon as even their limited use phones the same network towers as their regular services do.
It costs the same, or very close, and I have had no problems anywhere in this area with Verizon.

[cdajane]

Ken, I thank you. I was afraid of that..we've found that to be the case in other areas we have traveled. Good to be fore-warned. I will be in touch soon. Jane

[keninaz]

For the most part while you visit here you will find that it should work OK for you. But if you get out into our mountains or in the fringe areas you could have a problem.
That is the problem I found with all providers that do not own their own towers like the $.10 per minute plans. Verizon was the only one in AZ that I found that used the same network for their low cost phone services as the premium users.
Just for information, my wife used to work for the Forest Service, she is now retired.
About 6 years ago they were getting ready to write a major contract to provide phones and service for Forest Service employees in AZ. Their needs can get pretty demanding as they are up and down in the mountains all the time.
They invited any and all companies to supply service and phones for testing and several major companies did just that.
At that time, Verizon came out on top by far. Just the facts.
No radio type service is perfect and they all depend on line of sight to the towers but in this case at that time Verizon was the best and got the contract.

[wretched wrench]

Yeah, despite their shortcomings, I stay with Verizon. They are the best of a bad lot.

What's the Erasmus saying?.......In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.

[smilinpretty]

I had Sprint when I first moved to Chino Valley, it kept cutting me off. I got Verizon and found it to be excellent service but I had the most inexpensive plan and it was costing me $55 a month and I felt I did not use it enough to pay that kind of money. I bought a Virgin Mobile Android phone, I have access to the internet and email and so far so good. It is pay as you go. It costs $44 a month. I am not a phone person, I don't text, I just use my phone when need be. I am satisfied with Virgin Mobile, and those I talk to are satisfied with it as well. Last night, I was in the country, and my phone worked excellent.