Cell Phone Providers (Minneapolis: transfer, living in, versus)

[River Wood]

Who is your favorite call phone provider...

I am also wondering who provides the best Nation Wide Coverage...

From the research I've done, it looks as tho Unicel is the only one that includes Alaska in their National wide coverage?

[moving123456]

T-Mobile is my favorite, but Verizon probably has the most nationwide coverage with AT&T coming in at a very close second place.

I stick with GSM providers(T-Mobile/AT&T) for my service because I need my phone to work outside the United States. I also like being able to easily change phones any time by just swapping my SIM card between phones. Most of the world uses GSM, Verizon and Sprint use CDMA.

[aluminumpork]

I'm currently with Sprint and have no problems, but I don't travel much and don't really need a phone I can take over seas. I would love to have a GSM phone (AT&T, Unicel, T-Mobile) but in my area GSM coverage just isn't up to par. Sprint and Verizons EVDO network is rolled out nearly everywhere versus AT&Ts 3G network which is only currently available in major metro areas. For the best coverage in the states, Verizon seems like the best shot, but unfortunately I don't agree with many of their practices (such as replacing the BETTER factory firmware on phones with their custom joke firmware). I tried Unicel for awhile but the coverage was terrible in my area, although the plans were very affordable. In my area, coverage (in order from best to worst) pretty much goes like this: Verizon, Sprint/Nextel, ATT, Unicel.

[moving123456]

Originally Posted by aluminumpork

For the best coverage in the states, Verizon seems like the best shot, but unfortunately I don't agree with many of their practices (such as replacing the BETTER factory firmware on phones with their custom joke firmware).

That is something that sucks about Verizon. They like to disable phone features in their custom firmware, especially bluetooth features. Many they disable in an attempt to force you to use their extra paid services.

[ozzie679]

I've used AT&T, TMobile, Verizon, and Sprint.

Worst range - TMobile
Worst Customer Service - AT&T
Sprint was OK
I'm currently a Verizon customer. No Complaints.

[Clifford63]

Originally Posted by River Wood

Who is your favorite call phone provider...

I am also wondering who provides the best Nation Wide Coverage...

From the research I've done, it looks as tho Unicel is the only one that includes Alaska in their National wide coverage?

Cell Service is a bit of moving target. I had AT&T for many years but switched to Verizon after the Cincular debacle.

T-Mobile - if you are metro type of person -- Solid choice. Great Phones, GSM network. Since I tend to go to more remote locations, not a good choice for me.

Verizon - CDMA Service, but they have a very solid network. My complaint with these guys is that they have sucky phones. Pretty much a case where the manufacures are less willing to make special phones for CDMA and would rather make GSM phone with bigger market.

Sprint - OK at best. Same crappy phones as Verizon, but coverage is not as good.

To all the providers - Can I please get a regular phone phone. I don't want a camera, MP3 Player, games, speakerphone, and 12 extra buttons, and a web browser. Oh, and make them suckers vibrate only. Anybody else tired of living in a feaking phone booth 24x7?

[Thegonagle]

I've used Verizon for a long time. I virtually always have a usable signal, unless I'm in an elevator, and some basements (forgivable--it's only radio signals). First-level customer service doesn't seem as competent these days as it was in 2001, but at least I never wait on hold for more than a minute or two. (Usually, I get right through). They'll transfer the call to a higher level if they can't help.

Verizon has extensive nation-wide coverage, and that appears to include Alaska. (Some of that nationwide coverage uses other companies' networks, but generally there's no roaming charge.) Works in Canada, too, but I believe it's 69 cents per minute unless you have some sort of international plan. Oh, and my dad called me from Mexico (Cancun) on his Verizon phone the last time he was there. (The next day, I tried to call him in Cancun but it wouldn't connect. So I sent a text, which went right through, and he called me back.)

Earlier this year, I borrowed a T-Mobile phone from a friend for a few weeks, and their network was fine in Minneapolis, no problems. My friend loves, loves their customer service, too.

Sprint. I had 'em a long time ago (my first cell phone was through Sprint in '99), and now I'm NON-customer for life! They just didn't care about customer service back then (50 minutes on hold one day, rarely less than 15, and the reps usually sounded unhappy), and I haven't heard anybody saying "Oh yeah, they're great!" today. And coverage sucked! Dropped calls, network busy messages, poor signals in the suburbs. I'm sure that's improved, but once they lost me, they lost me for good. I will never recommend Sprint to anybody.

AT&T. What's the deal? They made everybody get new phones and new calling plans (!) a few years ago (or else their phones would stop working), then they changed their name to Cingular, and now they're AT&T again. Try it if you want, but I wouldn't bother.

EDIT: Verizon is the only US company currently offering a "ruggedized," water-proof phone. It's the Casio G'Zone. I have the "Type-S" model. It's a tank, but it's perfect for me. I love it. No lie, this thing is durable. I've dropped it a million times, and I've put the waterproof feature to the test many times. No problems at all! The Type-S has been replaced by a new, slightly more compact model (it's still kind of a tank though). Every cell phone in my future will be rugged and waterproof, and if Verizon continues to be the only company offering this feature, then I will continue to be a Verizon customer.

[River Wood]

Thank you to those that took the time to reply. I appreciate it

[River Wood]

For those that are frequent flyers...

Do you have a particular company/website etc.....that usually offers the best deals on airline tickets?

Thanks!!

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by River Wood

For those that are frequent flyers...

Do you have a particular company/website etc.....that usually offers the best deals on airline tickets?

Thanks!!

My wife and I only fly on Midwest Airlines these days, though I think those days are now numbered. Very large comfortable seats, hot cookies, and a short stopever in Milwaukee for lunch and (sometimes) a plane change.

I think the airline is dying, tho. If anything, the surviving airline will no longer have the reason we fly them -- the seats.