Cell phone coverage

[searching for nowhere]

I need to get a new cell phone and plan. I’m retiring – no more company cell phone. I’ve looked at the coverage maps for the western US and AT&T and Version look like they have similar coverage. I would appreciate any real life experience in coverage experience while wander the west that suggests one has better coverage than the other.

Additionally I'm wondering about using T-Mobile. With an InReach I don't need coverage all the time even though I would like it. Any experience with T-Mobile?

Thanks.

 

[TGK]

I'm in the Portland area and have ATT. Based on my experience in eastern Oregon years back, ATT had the best coverage. Then, at some point, Verizon upped their game and appears to have better coverage for some time now. My experience when hanging with friends with Verizon while in eastern Oregon seems to support that. Friends who live in Bend have Verizon for that reason. Now, as with anything, there are exceptions. I've been in a spot SE of Burns when a friend's motorcycle broke down and they couldn't get coverage on Verizon, while I did on ATT. If I weren't so locked in with ATT at the moment, I might switch to Verizon. Not sure how this relates to Washington though.

 

[Advmoto18]

When we retired and moved to a far off the beaten path Low Country shrimping village, we switched to T-Mobile for the $70 per month Old Geezer promotion which includes 2 lines and unlimited data. No contract, pay month to month. We brought our ATT iPhone 6s over to T-Mobile. T-Mobile provided their sim cards at no cost.

We don't live "off the grid" but do not have an internet provider in our village; we don't even have dial-up (no that it would be useful)! As such, we rely on our T-Mobile hotspot feature to connect our laptops and TV (Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, etc) to the internet. Hotspot is limited to 3G max.

We're always able to connect the laptops so no issue there.

T-Mobile currently doesn't have the massive area coverage (throughout the US) as Verizon, but, coverage will soon be the largest in the US once the T-Mobile and Sprint networks are fully integrated.

We do not use a lot of data, never more than 25Gb combined in a 30 day period, as such, we have not seen our data flow restricted due to use. But, T-Mobile states is does not restrict your "pipe" based on data use, unlike Verizon.

I've been a InReach customer since it first came out. I carry it everywhere when camping, moto trips, even coastal inshore fishing so I don't rely on the cell phone for comms.

 

[Mighty Dodge Ram]

I’d choose the carrier that has the best network for the area you spend the most time in. I dropped ATT years ago due to the constant roaming charges I was hit with. I’ve been with Verizon for literally decades because of the network coverage. When I retired I transferred to my wife’s Verizon family plan with her and the kids. It works for us now but if the merger of T-Mobile/Sprint creates a better network I’d certainly consider switching. I hold cell phone carriers in the same esteem as cable companies.

 

[Cayuse]

Overall been happy with my Verizon coverage. Seems to be the best overall for the western U.S. though there will always be those outlier areas where another carrier might be better.

Will take a serious look at Google Fi as an alternative for my next phone and plan as it carrier hopes based on available coverage and the data should work for most.

 

[knoxswift]

I'm happy with T-Mobile....admittedly in some remote sites it didn't work but I've actually been quite impressed where I've gotten T-mobile to work.
I've also used in Canada and it wasn't until really remote in the Yukon that I ran into issues.
But always where there is population T-Mobile seems to work.
Already stated T-Mobile is the best priced out there right now...

 

[larryqp]

We have been on the road full-time for 21 years with Verizon the entire time. Rarely have we not had coverage when someone else with another carrier does. It has happened, but more often we have coverage and another carrier user doesn't. There are lots of places in the boonies with absolutely no coverage by any carrier.

 

[Atlin]

I had ATT for several years, then switched about 8 years ago to Consumer Cellular. They use either ATT or Tmobile towers (you choose the type of chip - can be different chip for different phones on a family plan). MUCH cheaper than the major carriers (I pay about $80/month for three phones). Downside is that there are some areas where I can get a phone signal and make a call, but cannot get data. Worth checking your particular area. Some of these places one would think would be popular enough to have data (e.g. I-80 east of Reno) but don't. Overall, for the price, I'm happy with the service.

 

[searching for nowhere]

Thanks everyone for your comments. I appreciate it. In a year or so, I'll report back. For now, I'll start visiting the stores and get the full information on cost and fees.

 

[craig333]

I have verizons geezer plan. Unlimited data is nice to have sometimes.

 

[cwdtmmrs]

I have been using the Walmart Family plan for years. It is T-Mobile with unlimited text talk and data for about $40 month. I don't even have internet at home. I just use my phone as a hot spot for my laptop. It isn't the best coverage, but the price more than makes up for that.

 

[Arctic]

I have had AT&T for over 10 years but have had poor customer service for the last year so I am shopping for a new Carrier.
Thanks for the contributions to this thread.
BTW, what did the OP decide after his research?

 

[rubberlegs]

We use Verizon which seems to work better in the mountains. I’m surprised at some of the places that work. It’s expensive though. Haven’t compared with ATT but T mobile is considerably worse where we travel (WA and CA mostly). We also have InReach so maybe if we were more willing to forego email and this website, that would be sufficient.

 

[craig333]

If you're ummm, on the more mature side Verizon has a nice plan with unlimited data. Still not cheap.

 

[rubberlegs]

I looked up the "mature" Verizon plans, but it seems only three states offer. One is Florida, I forget the others. How ya finding those plans?

 

[Kolockum]

Verizon is the best that I have found coverage wise in the Pacific Northwest. Customer service has been OK but not great. Honestly I don't think any company has good customer service any more.

If you have some trusted friends or family the overall cost per line starts to go down with 4 lines and a little negotiating.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

At one time we preferred ATT for their business practices/customer service, but their coverage didn’t work for me. When Verizon honored my veteran’s discount, we went back, and have had no issues or complaints.

 

[PackRat]

Cell phone carriers and cell phone charges/plans do differ. I'm in Marin County and most of the ATT guys have had it and moved to Verizon. Its just that dropout coming north on the 101 down the hill out of the rainbow tunnel that gets ya every time. Sometimes going south just before you get OUT of the tunnel to the approach of the GG Bridge you get a dropout.

Around Marin and Sonoma counties, Verizon seems a tad better in terms of getting/keeping a signal but as I sit in front of my computer with the modem one foot away, and my Samsung using Comcast, I get dropouts that necessitate me going to the living room to stay online during some longer conversations.

I feel that the choice of a carrier or a plan is not based on which is best, but which is the least troublesome for the majority of the surrounding areas you travel frequently. Hopefully you do get service at least a ways out in the hinterlands, so I call it the "Lesser of Evils" approach....none are perfect, none are the best service vs best pricing either. Like gasoline, there are probably 20 stations within 10 miles of me and they all say they are "the best" with one catch-phrase or another....and usually range about fifty-cents difference in price for 87 octane.

 

[craig333]

Interesting. I'm in CA and get the senior plan for $60.