Cell phone providers

[Fathom]

My current plan is up next month and I have been entertaining making a switch from verizon to sprint or att. Anyone with any experience making a switch or have any recommendations/suggestions? I might upgrade to a smartphone, does one company have a better data plan package? I've been pretty satisfied with my verizon service just want to look into other options.

[annasu]

You need a cell phone provider who offers the widest selection of features and avoids hidden charges and costs. Excellent customer service is also necessary.

Even though each cell phone provider offers many different plans—ranging in price and plan availability—we‘ve made a point of highlighting the various unlimited voice, messaging and data plans that have become prominent recently. In addition to these, most cell phone providers offer more restrictive plans for those who don’t need quite so much, and premium features that only add a few dollars to your monthly bill.

[CaptainMusky]

Been with every major provider except sprint. At&t is an also ran since the Cingular debacle and their network is seriously aging. They needed the T-Mobile deal to go through. T-Mobile is alright but many dead spots in mn. Verizon has by far the best coverage and fastest network. Yes there are prone bad areas but so the rest and they have more bad areas. Sprint and T-Mobile have best pricing. I will pay more for more reliable service so Verizon gets my nod.

[PierBridge]

Been with every major provider except sprint. At&t is an also ran since the Cingular debacle and their network is seriously aging. They needed the T-Mobile deal to go through. T-Mobile is alright but many dead spots in mn. Verizon has by far the best coverage and fastest network. Yes there are prone bad areas but so the rest and they have more bad areas. Sprint and T-Mobile have best pricing. I will pay more for more reliable service so Verizon gets my nod.

+1 on all counts~

[Snag]

Just got done getting wife new phone and went with Verizon. Sprint didn't work in new house. Each provider plan is slightly different so you feel like you are playing a shell game. Each carriers HSOforum has a coverage map you can look up to see where the holes in coverage are.

You can get free texting with Google Voice on any smartphone so don't pay extra for that.

I really wanted to get a smartphone too, but will settle with blackberry through work for now. 2 smartphones would put us back $3800 for two years. Can't justify that for phones even though the technology is pretty cool.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

Free texting on google voice? How does that work?

[knoppers]

I had T-mobile, and got great reception anywere I was. now I have verizon, and it seems to work about just as good, a couple dead spots were I need reception, but I can live with it.

my question, I have a blackberry storm, and have a 2 year contract. I am not too happy with the blackberry due to the apps, there are apps I would like to get, that are not offered to blackberry, and worried that other apps will no longer be available like MLB at bat 12, which I need to listen to the twins games.

I have a upgrade option in may, what does this mean? does this mean that I can get a new phone, like a android, and opt out of my current contract, with a renewed contract with verizon?

[311Hemi]

Historically ATT shines in the Iron Range region. Other than that ATT does have a few issues..

What sort of issues?

[upnorth]

Anyone know how AT&T coverage is up north....Leech, Detroit Lakes, Duluth, Mille Lacs...etc?

Historically ATT shines in the Iron Range region. Other than that ATT does have a few issues..

AT&T is hands down the best on the Iron Range area. If you stay on the main HWYs all the major players are fine, but get off the beaten path up here the rest suck bad.

[DTro]

I tell ya what, not too long ago they put a new tower in North of Virginia, and I can now get 4 bars 3G sitting at my parents house, out in the middle of nowhere with Verizon.

[DTro]

I had T-mobile, and got great reception anywere I was. now I have verizon, and it seems to work about just as good, a couple dead spots were I need reception, but I can live with it.

my question, I have a blackberry storm, and have a 2 year contract. I am not too happy with the blackberry due to the apps, there are apps I would like to get, that are not offered to blackberry, and worried that other apps will no longer be available like MLB at bat 12, which I need to listen to the twins games.

I have a upgrade option in may, what does this mean? does this mean that I can get a new phone, like a android, and opt out of my current contract, with a renewed contract with verizon?

Yes, you just sign up for a new 2 year contract and you then get the promotional pricing on the devices.

[upnorth]

I tell ya what, not too long ago they put a new tower in North of Virginia, and I can now get 4 bars 3G sitting at my parents house, out in the middle of nowhere with Verizon.

Well good to see they are making some effort to get better coverage. I know about 1 1/2 years ago it was pretty spotty.

[Borch]

I went through the Att - Cingular - ATT debacle. Was good to start with and in the end I paid $300 to get out of my contract and came out ahead after a year on verizon. The billing department there drove me crazy and I was arguing my charges every month at the end. I've been with Verizon about 6 years now and have only had one billing issue during that time whihc was a quick easy fix. The coverage has been excellent.

I'm now researching Duet IP with their unlimited voice, data and text plan with no roaming nation wide. Looks like their coverage maps have better coverage than Verizon all at less money. Not sure if I'll change but checking into it.

[delcecchi]

I just looked at their site and it isn't clear that the broadband coverage is outside the local st.cloud area. Who do they use as their partner for voice outside the area?

[Borch]

I just looked at their site and it isn't clear that the broadband coverage is outside the local st.cloud area. Who do they use as their partner for voice outside the area?

I believe that the internet they have on that map is for their wireless wifi router plan for home and office set ups. But I still need to check into it. Not enough info out there on the web so I'll likely just stop into their store to get more info.

[Ishikawa]

Interesting read Why is that? Because I work in the wireless industry, but I'm not going to say who haha. Alot of good and valid points brought up, some a little off but all in all pretty good tips. Couple of notes, if you are talking about coverage then stay away from the prepaids. You get what you pay for in terms of coverage. Almost all prepaids are actually owned by one of the national carriers but they only work on their home network, no roaming allowed.

Be careful when you read the maps by the carriers because not all maps are created equal, meaning one will show you if you have coverage through roaming or home network and another map will combine roaming and home network into one coverage map.

Every carrier has deadspots! No way around it because the Earth is not a big piece of flat land!

If you care, Tmobile is the only national carrier not building a 4G LTE or 4G Wimax network. Main reason AT&T wanted to buy them out and use Tmobile's network to build out the rest of their LTE network.

Tmobile and Sprint are rated pretty highly in regards to value and customer service. AT&T is one of the worst in the industry and is one of the 10 most hated companies in America, for a reason. If you don't want to take my word for it, google it!

Verizon and AT&T have biggest coverage in country for covering middle of nowhere sometimes, but to those who don't travel to the middle of nowhere it won't make a difference! Buy what works where you need it to work!

Oh, and most important. Confirm everything your sales rep tells you. If it's not on paper then it's heresay! Good luck trying to get something fixed because of misinformation or inaccurate charges quoted you. You are at the mercy of the billing department and who you talk to at that point.

Also important, for those of you who don't ever open your bill and read through everything that is there, me included to be honest, important announcements in regards to plan or price changes are always communicated through your bill! How else can the companies inform you of changes? And I'm not just talking wireless companies, I'm talking everybody who sends you a bill. Most companies will not take responsibility for people who do not read through their monthly bill statement!

[Ishikawa]

Oh, I forgot to mention, some local carriers are just resellers of service from the national carriers.

[delcecchi]

Sorry to contradict you but I have t-mobile pay as you go and it roams and is exactly the same coverage as my wife's t-mobile contract phone.

[Ishikawa]

Oh, I forgot, reason I mentioned roaming is because your coverage is broken up into 3 types actually. You have your home network which are towers owned by the actual company. You then have your strategic roaming alliance, which are owned by a different company but phone usage here is treated like home network usage, and then you have your regular roaming where the phone will notify you of roaming coverage.

Everybody's coverage map will combine home network and strategic roaming alliance coverage into one category of non roaming coverage!

[Ishikawa]

You missed the part about most prepaid, I did not say all.

[ClownColor]

From what I noticed working in the EMS field, most (not all) used Verizon just because of the coverage it has (MN). Verizon also had better service in the north woods then 3 other providers I was with near Aitkin, Baudette, and Warroad. But...Verizon tends to be a little more expensive but they do offer discounts it seems like for most jobs. Just my experience.

[delcecchi]

You missed the part about most prepaid, I did not say all.

My buddies have tracfone and they aren't complaining either. Care to name names?

[dan z]

I had T-mobile, and got great reception anywere I was. now I have verizon, and it seems to work about just as good, a couple dead spots were I need reception, but I can live with it.

my question, I have a blackberry storm, and have a 2 year contract. I am not too happy with the blackberry due to the apps, there are apps I would like to get, that are not offered to blackberry, and worried that other apps will no longer be available like MLB at bat 12, which I need to listen to the twins games.

I have a upgrade option in may, what does this mean? does this mean that I can get a new phone, like a android, and opt out of my current contract, with a renewed contract with verizon? [/quote

not sure if there still doing this but, me and my brother both got droids a week ago on his plan, yes he had to re-contract as he had a alltel contract. but ne way we both got droids and they were BOGO.

[knoppers]

thanks for the replys, I will ditch the blackberry in may, and get something better, still not sure what to get, a droid or the Iphone.