Cell Phone Service

[LwnmwnMan2]

I was looking through the past posts, I know I saw one on this topic from a while ago, just couldn't find it. Basically I'm down to AT&T, Sprint or even Nextel for the options and prices that I'd like. Just wondering if between these two, if anyone here has used either or both up at Red or LOW? Figured if they work there, they'll work anywhere. Don't get much farther away from civilization than this, gotta get home to plow snow and all.

Thanks,
Lwn

[SuddenlySummer]

AT&T has worked for me in both places. I was in the Baudette area at LOW.

[Ole1855]

I have verizon, the reason being it's the only cell phone service that I can get to work when I'm at my hunting shack south of Hibbing. I've tried the others and I get zero reception. I was at LOW in Dec. and my reception with my verizon service was perfect, I also fish Leech and Mille Lacs and I've used the phone while on both of these lakes as well and the service was great. By the way I'm from the Cities, so my home area is down here. I'm not an ad for them and I would definitely like to see a cheaper bill at the end of each month, but I like having the service for emergencies.

Ole

[Kaz]

I'm going to Verizon after my current contract is up. Their more flexable and the cost is lower for the wide area coverage. AT&T is to hard to get along with and their programs don't fit my needs. Moving to Verizon in May. Dam, I just bought a new phome too, which AT&T wouldn't give me a deal on when the old one went south....Kaz

[Wave Runner]

I've had Verizon for years and it has worked well all over northern Minnesota. I fish the NW Angle area of LOW regularly and it works great up there also.

[willowcat]

I just canned my AT&T. I think I'm going to go with the prepaid minnuts,With whom I do not know. But I do know that it's not worth paying for 600 a month when I'm only using 100.

[Farley]

Last spring I had Verizon, and when comming back from the BWCA I was the first to have service, about 20 miles up the Gunflint Trail from Grand Maris. Everyoine else had to wait untill we were close to Duluth untill they had service. This year I have Sprint PCS and havent had a problem with service but the furthest I've had it up north is Gull Lake but it worked great there. I liked my Verizon phone but it doesnt compare to the Sprint PCS picture phone, you can take a picture of your catch and release it as you send the picture to a buddy via email or right to his phone if he also has a picture phone, even attach a text or voice message telling them how big it was. Hopefully this phone doesnt end up in the Crow River like the Verizon phone.

[slabberknocker]

It is a dump shoot with cell phones. We were with T-mobile and then switched to Verizon. We live in Montrose which is 30 miles west of Minneapolis. We could not get a signal in our house. If we did, our call would cut out in the middle. Also, when we were in the basement, all of the sudden we were roaming. I have talked to a few people with the same roaming problem. When your call starts your local and then you are roaming. Needless to say we have switched back to T-Mobile. It fits our needs good. We dont have a land line, so it was imaprative that we have good cell service in the home.

Slab

[ChuckN]

My wife and I have had Verizon for 4 years and I just can't get rid of it!
I've never had any problems with Verizon. I've never paid one penny for roaming (even years ago before they bought out about 95% of MN air space).

I had AT&T once and they pulled way to many fast ones on me with roaming and overcharges, etc, etc..

[say_der]

Sometimes it may not necessarily be the service provider but the phone it self that causes poor reception.

I had no problems with AT&T - and tons of problems with Verizon customer service, but that was several years ago.

Now since I live in the boonies I went with a local provider, Midwest Wireless - awesome service and customer service is really top notch. They really go the extra mile to make sure the customer is happy.

[black max]

I also just got rid of AT&T and got Verizon. Verizon will cover about the whole state with no roaming and at a rate cheaper than at&t was charging me per month.

[waterwolff]

You can ax nextel once you leave the interstate highway service area your dead in the water

[LwnmwnMan2]

Just did ax Nextel, went to Verizon. Gotta like shared minutes, especially no air charges between phones on the same plan.

Lwn

[Guest]

I have Verizon also.

Two weeks ago I was at Long Point, Lake of the Woods. My cell was the only one that would work.

After comparing all the providers, Verizon had the best coverage of northern Minnesota.

[LundExplorer]

I just switched to Verizon as I am on Vermilion quite a bit. They had the best coverage in NE MN.

Make sure you get a tri-mode phone, as there are a lot of areas up north where an analog signal is all you get.

[jparrucci]

Spring is next to worthless on Lake Vermillion as of this fall..havent been up there since, and I'm guessing it is only a matter of time before they finally put up a tower nearby. ATT gets some decent but not great service on the big V, and Verizon i believe got the best signals.

[rscabin]

Ive had sprint for 9 yrs. Been all over minnesota and have always had service. Its never been cut out or a week signal.

[Iron Cowboy]

I dont know about all over Minnesota. I know you havent been to my house. Ive had sprint for a couple years now. just got fed up and dumped it about a month ago. I would get no signal at all at home in the clear lake area or on clearwater or other wright county area lakes. Went to T-mobil and have 100% signal in my house now. Havent been to the lakes with it yet so I dont know how it will do there but it sure cant be any worse

[Surface Tension]

My contract is up soon with Cell-One and have been looking at different carriers. I was considering Verison but to me the coverage areas look small in their Nation Wide Network. Looked like I would be roaming quite a bit. Its hard to get straight answers over the phone from Verison reps. Some say there isnt roaming and some say there is. Cell-One seems to have the best rates and overall coverage. My only complaint is the lack of signal up Superior's North shore from Two Harbors to Grand Maris and west of that area.

[Farley]

Iron Cowboy, it might have been your phone. I have sprint pcs and have good service on Clearwater and wherever I've gone in Wright county. The only place I have bad reception is by Hollywood Ranch house (Carver County)for about a mile or so west of that, and in that valley a mile or two before you get to Shadowbrook. It works good in my house (out in the sticks) but if I go to my buddies house in Cokato, I'm on roam, but when I go outside I have full digital. I don't know what's up with that.

A buddy of mine has T-Mobile, I will never go with that company, he has bad service on the lakes and his voicemails and text messages get to him a couple hours after you call and leave them.

[This message has been edited by Farley (edited 02-11-2004).]

[MrBig]

We have T-mobile and have very limited range. Couldn't get a signal in Duluth, or out west (can't remember how far). Also couldn't get a signal in Watertown, SD. Just have it cuz it's cheap and we're usually in the cities.

[Ole1855]

Surface Tension,
One reason you may be getting different answers to your question is, they're both right, what I mean is there are a several different plans. I happen to have the nation wide plan which is pretty expensive but I don't have many places that I go where I have roaming. I use to have a plan through them where anytime I went north of Pine City on 35 that I started roaming.

Ole

[Iron Cowboy]

Farley, I dont know how it could have been the phone. It was a couple of years ago but at the time I had one of the higher end phones and my wife had what was suppose to be the best one they had for sprint.(same plan) and they were both bad. I went with T-mobil after looking at everyones phone that would come over and comparing reception in the house. Sucks to hear about problems with them out in the annandale area.

[protiller]

I've had AT&T for 4 years now. I have a hard time giving it up because my night/weekend minutes start at 8pm and go to 7am. Also my home area is the upper midwest down through ohio to virginia. tought to beat sucha wide coverage area and night minutes starting at 8pm. as for the reception i get reception on URL, Mille Lacs and Lake Vermillion. The signal isn't strong, but I can make a call and hear the person just fine.

[LundExplorer]

To me the big deal was the "Home Area" - When I had sprint it was always a roam call (@ $0.67 per minute) when on vermilion... now with Verizon it is within the home area, and thus not a roam call.
TL