Cell service in Belfast (how much, house, buying)

[Elcarim]

Can anyone tell me who the cell phone providers are in Belfast? We just found out our current carrier, AT&T, is not in that area. They said we'd have to change providers and they will let us out of our contract. So who should we check out? Thanks.

[warpedg]

The two that I really know of are US Cellular and Unicel...rumor has it that Verizon is on the verge of buying out Unicel too. T-Mobile might be available but Im not sure about that one. The majority of the people I know have either US cellular or Unicel. I have Unicel ( I used to work in the Belfast area) and they are pretty good. Its almost an even split in service though....you will find people on both sides that have good things and bad things to say about both companies.

[BillRadio]

I would advise you to wait until you have "settled" before you make a choice. Both Unicel (soon to be owned by Verizon Wireless) and US Cellular are good carriers. But what if you choose one that has a dead spot right where you move?

Your AT&T phone will work there and will roam on Unicel. So you'll get a first hand look at how it will operate initially. I don't know if other carriers have started to serve the area, but a look in the newspaper or phone book will answer that.

For additonal hints on choosing a new carrier, visit the How to Switch Cellular Carriers web page.

[Elcarim]

Yes, AT&T told us we'll have to cancel our contract, because they will only allow us to use the other service for a short time. Unicel offers the best plans, but we'll ask around to see who everyone gets the best reception from before switching. Thanks!

[warpedg]

BillRadio offers good advice...one thing to add to that too is dont judge the carrier on just where you live. Maine is rampant with deadspots. Ive heard some people claim it was the worst they had ever experienced compared to other states.
You would be best to check out the coverage areas for both. I believe US Cellular will let you 'test drive' one of their phones for a month and if you dont like it they pay for the calls you made and you owe nothing.

The merger between Verizon and Unicel is not going to happen too soon. Both systems are not compatible currently and Verizon will have to figure out how to upgrade current Unicel customers to their system. Not to mention the government still has to approve the purchase.

[zwoman2u]

unicel has lots of dead areas, i used to have them and switched to us cellular with much better coverage.

[Zymer]

Cell phone service being spotty is just a fact of life. Near metropolitain areas or major highway it will be better, but the fact is that low power output severely limits range. Line-of-sight figures heavily into the equation. If the signal is blocked by a hill it will drop.

When you get into areas with a low population density and away from major routes there is less incentive to build towers because of the length of time it takes to get any ROI, if ever.

I've tested Sprint, Nextel (before they merged) and Verizon phones throughout eastern Maine, and the VZ phone/service has been more reliable.

Oddly enough, no matter where I've lived and what service I was using, service *at* my house has always sucked. But, there are external antennas you can mount on the roof that will improve it. Cell phones are really just little radios, and, as with all radios, the higher you can get the antenna the better it will work.

[mollysmiles]

In this part of Maine, the most consistent provider with reliable coverage is US Cellular. I know they're statewide, but I'm not sure how anyone's cell service is statewide! US Cellular does allow a 30 day trial period though. That might be a good option!

[Elcarim]

That stinks about Unicel. They have the best rate plan, but it won't matter how much I pay if I can't use my phone enough!

[K-Luv]

I have T-Mobile and so far it works just as good here as anywhere else that I have been.