Cell Phones

[JigsawedEyes]

Is there a carrier that covers most of minnesota and other states? I need to get a cell phone and not sure which plan to get.

[Bryce]

Started out with Midwest Wireless which was bought by Alltel which is now being bought by Verizon. Was pretty decent service with MW and got better with Alltel. Gotta think Verizon will make it even better. Still run into areas that you struggle to get a signal by getting on a hill or stopping when you see enough bars. Have travelled the midwest quite a bit and my phone is generally the one that gets used because the others don't work.

One vote Verizon

[DTro]

Make that 2 for Verizon.

For me coverage is the number one factor in a service. I've had very few issues and good experiences with customer service.

[Jim Uran]

Verizon just took over my part of the state, north central Minnesota, since they took over the signal seems stronger in places that it was weak before!!!!

I'd go with Verizon also!

[hanson]

Longtime ATT/Cingular customer that just switched to Verizon. I now have great coverage at Lake of the Woods and NW MN where my parents live that I'd never had before along with great coverage pretty much everywhere else. Calls are free between Verizon customers as well which includes most of my friends. I've been happy since switching and wish I would have done it earlier. Verizon is also the only carrier with the Blackberry Storm right now as well, that was another key factor.

Another vote for Verizon.

[Matt C]

Verizon.

My Blackberry worked for Data and of course voice at the Sturgeon Excursion(Baudette) all the way up and back down south with out a hic-up.

Took 371 up and 169 back.

[Windy City Walleye Hunter]

I can tell you that living in Chicago, I can choose from just about any carrier I want and I have been with Verizon my entire cell phone life. My relatives always kid me and tell me that they get a much better deals or lower price with other carriers, etc, but every year we vacation up in Cass Lake, MN and they are always borrowing my phone because they can not get a signal. My phone works just about everywhere including on the lake which is important. I have traveled the US pretty extensively and I always get a signal whether I am at the poker table in Vegas, golfing with my father in law in Florida or fishing Cass Lake in Minnesota. I am sold! Go with Verizon.

[Nick Kuhn]

I get pretty good coverage for Sprint as far as voice goes, can't say with my last two phones I've even found a voice deadzone. As far as 3G for data, it's like finding a needle in a haystack even in the metro. Oh well I don't pay much for it...

[crothmeier]

Verizon all the Way.

[TurnUpTheFishing]

I just switched to verizon but so far so good. Good customer service when I had to deal with them (nothing major). The thing that I really liked was the fact that calls and messages to other verizon users are free and most people I know are on verizon. Before I signed up I talked to people I knew with verizon nobody had any big complaints.

[Jakesbuds]

Verizon

[Sandmannd]

I've had sprint for over eight years. Haven't had problems with coverage at all.

[mrklean]

i have had sprint for 5 years liked it so far but might switch to AT&T for the Iphone

[Jakesbuds]

I've had sprint for over eight years. Haven't had problems with coverage at all.

I had Nextel/Sprint for about 7-8 yrs as well. I never could get a signal in my house in Dayton and still couldnt in Otsego. I never had so many dropped calls as I did with Sprint/Nextel. Plus the fact once you get outside a bigger city, bars would drop faster than a anchor. I lost the phone a month ago, my contract was up 4 yrs ago and I took the step to VZW and couldnt be happier. And it works everywhere with 0 dropped calls

[B. Amish]

I have sprint and I can't get reception most places off the beaten path (NW MN).

[Iambjm]

Went up to Upper Red in Feb, I have Verizon and it worked great some of the other gals had ATT and they couldn't get a signal. I am glad I stuck with Verizon.

[McGurk]

I've had Sprint for around 5 yrs, and it has been OK, but not spectacular. Our friends switched to, and then from, Verizon due to dropped calls and poor quality. On paper, though, it looks like VZ has the best coverage. We're at the point where we need to look into our options, and we may stay with Sprint as we have been happy in the cities, and it is OK for Ottertail cty.

[JigsawedEyes]

Sounds like Verizons the way to go.

[LMITOUT]

Been using Sprint for a few years now and no issues. Great service in fact. In the fall when I'm out pheasant hunting in the middle of ND I can still check my fantasy football scores, look at the weather forecast, or make a phone call in between walks.

The only places I don't have service are the same places that other phone companies don't have service....just a good ol' fashioned dead zone with no coverage whatsoever regardless of the phone or carrier.

The bonus is that Sprint is cheaper when comparing apples to apples monthly plans.

[Drewski]

Verizon. Hey, does anyone know what "in" text messages are?

[walleyeking19]

Verizon. Hey, does anyone know what "in" text messages are? [/quote

"in" text messages are just messages you send to other verizon customers.

I got Verizon and love it. I was the only one with a phone that worked last year on lake of the woods. No one else had any service while i had 2 or 3 bars the whole time.

[bucketmouth64]

Had a work phone with cingular and had bad reception up north. My son and I are on Verizon and practically get a signal anywhere. Even up north signal is good in the ely area.

[Drewski]

The "in" text messages are free aren't they?

[TurnUpTheFishing]

Any calls or messages between two verizon phones are free.

[zamboni]

I had Sprint in KC (where they are headquartered) and had the worst service I have ever had. Then I switched to Nextel (pre Sprint buy out) and loved them there. But when I would come to my parents house here in MN- no service at all. I know AT&T does not have coverage here in Martin County (they have a sign at WalMart right above the display selling their phones). I now have Alltel, and am pretty happy.