Cell phone service in the mountains?

[slaz]

A warning about the free month.

IT MAY NOT BE FREE.

When I sold cell phones the contract for all carriers said you were responsible for the usage during the trial period. Most sales people will not tell you that. They are trained to tell you it is a free month when actually it is a get "out of the contract" month.
Also if you take your phone number with you and you don't like the service you will not get your old plan back if you go back to your old provider. Some older plans are much better than the new ones. I had one customer with 1000 minutes and all incoming free for $35. He went with sprint, didn't get coverage and when he tried to go back to USCC he lost his old plan.

Cell companies will stick it to you if they can.

Needless to say i was a horrible sales person.

[Catbirds]

It just depends where you are. It can be very frustrating at times for sure. I do have Verizon and I live in Blowing Rock. I can not get service at my house and going down Hwy 221 or The Blue Ridge Parkway it goes out, but if I hold my mouth a certain way, then I sometimes get lucky. Works in Boone really well. Towers are the problem because the providers can't put them just anywhere. I heard that the different companies were sharing more. Anyway, right now for me Verizon works the best.

[YorkshireLass]

Hi Everyone,

As a real estate agent I've been asked this same questions by a lot of clients who are moving to the wnc area. I honestly think there's no hope! There are spots in my County (Rutherford) where we'd be better off using a string and a couple of cans.

I had Alltell when I moved from Nashville but switched to ATT a couple years ago. I have a lot more coverage with ATT than I had with Alltell and about equal to what a friend has with Verizon. The ABSOLUTE best coverage has been with my daughters pay as you go TRACPHONE. It's amazing when my Palm Trio has no signal at all and is "searching for service" her little $20 pay as you go will have full bars. It's maddening!

Also be warned, the providers are notorious for saying..."oh, it's the type phone you have" that's how I went from a Motorola (Alltell, poor signal) to a Trio (ATT, not much better).

Good Luck!

[roadpony]

I've had Cingular/AT&T for more than 10 years in the Boone/Banner Elk area and it works well most of the time. As others have said, there are always going to be some dead spots with any service. Yes, parts of Blowing Rock are impossible... especially at the Blowing Rock Horse Show grounds (unless you go to the top of the highest hill).

[hymnsinger]

Originally Posted by roadpony

. . . especially at the Blowing Rock Horse Show grounds (unless you go to the top of the highest hill).

However, if you climb the grandstand steps right beside the judges box, you can get a signal on the landing! lol

On another subject, do you give driving lessons?

Tracey

[roadpony]

Originally Posted by hymnsinger

However, if you climb the grandstand steps right beside the judges box, you can get a signal on the landing! lol

On another subject, do you give driving lessons?

Tracey

I'll send you a PM.