Cell Phone Coverage in Alaska (Anchorage: renting, buy, taxi)

[megensmom]

I need a phone that will work from Seattle to Fairbanks,anyone know which one to go with?

[Arcticthaw]

Originally Posted by megensmom

I need a phone that will work from Seattle to Fairbanks,anyone know which one to go with?

I did a quick search and found this bit of info.

The MILEPOST Message Board: Cell Phone Update

For general information: You need to know what technology your phone carrier uses. GSM or CDMA. These are the most common. In Alaska Cell One and GCI use GSM. ACS uses CDMA. On average ACS has better statewide coverage, but GCI and Cell One have phones with more features etc.

Hope this helps.

[warptman]

I have a Cellone prepaid and it didn't work in most of Canada. My father's Alaska Digital worked in every town on the Alcan, I was impressed!

[travispat101]

hey people i want to get a new cell phone but ti only works with verizon. and i was just wondering if i would get charged for roaming or anything in alaska.

[RN2travel2]

I have used my Verizon phone in Alaska for almost a year. I have never had a problem with them. I have a plan that covers the US with no roaming. NOw I have to admit I cant text or send photos or anything like that, but, I can call out and recieve calls
Carol

[karibear]

Originally Posted by RN2travel2

Thank you for the encouraging word on Verizon, I really did not want to give it up! I hated the thought of leaving them and breaking my current contract.

Thanks

My daughter's had Verizon for years, and she no longer lives in the area where she first got it. She still has her original # from the deep south and is now way north on the Atlantic seaboard going to school. She said she has to punch in a code once every 6 months to let them know she still has the # and is still out of state, and that's it. There's no hassle when she pays her bill with the 'wrong' area code, which she does in person. She does retain her previous state of residency for a variety of reasons, and it makes it much easier for her going to school. Once she's graduated, she plans to leave asap, because life in a megalopolis doesn't suit someone who grew up in rural AK! The other thing about Verizon is that they don't charge for calls made to other Verizon numbers, and I don't care what the others say, they can get kind of snippy about it after awhile.

[karibear]

Originally Posted by JavaPhil

Cellular one (AT&T) works, but is limited to the areas around the cities and along most of the highways, but I use ACS

My son has a Cellular One phone that mostly doesn't work. He had to pay an utterly exhorbitant deposit to get it in the first place, because he doesn't have a land line - he's a fisherman and is out westward most of the year, or around Anchorage or the Lower 48 when he's not actually at sea. But his phone was defective from the beginning, no one seems able to figure out how to delete messages from the voice mail, and he's taken it back to the store where he got it and to the main office in Anchorage. They all fiddle with it and say they don't know WHY it doesn't work - but the one thing they haven't done is offer to replace it with one that works.

[marylandkip]

Does anybody know if sprint works up there? I am moving in a month and just wanted to know if I have to cancel my plan or not.

Thanks

[groovya]

My husband has sprint and is unable to send text messages. He receives txts but it's 2-3 days later! His voicemail doesn't work very well either. Come to find out, there is only 1 sprint tower in Anchorage and it's by the base.

[cappyda]

what is acs?? Im getting ready to move to ketchikan, Alaska. And my cell company told me that they dont have coverage up there at all. But I need a cell phone.. Any suggestions