Author Topic: Best cell phone service provider? (Read 6251 times)

Headless Thompson Gunner · « **on:** June 13, 2007, 05:13:41 PM »

I need a new cell provider. Who's the best?

wmenorr67 · « **Reply #1 on:** June 13, 2007, 05:18:28 PM »

Now you have gone and done it. Asking that question is like asking what is the best beer, car, etc...

charby · « **Reply #2 on:** June 13, 2007, 05:25:04 PM »

US Cellular if you live in their coverage areas

mtnbkr · « **Reply #3 on:** June 13, 2007, 05:27:41 PM »

It really depends on where you are located. Here in the mid-Atlantic, I really like Verizon, but if I were to move to WV, I'd have to strongly consider Sprint. Just an example, but it shows how different the services can be from state to state.

Chris

Manedwolf · « **Reply #4 on:** June 13, 2007, 07:10:03 PM »

Sprint is decent here. Unlike some others, they don't charge a per-data/per minute arm and leg for their web access services.

Paddy · « **Reply #5 on:** June 14, 2007, 04:58:20 AM »

In my area, it's Cellularone. Next best is Verizon.

RadioFreeSeaLab · « **Reply #6 on:** June 14, 2007, 05:28:45 AM »

In southern California, Verizon.

Brad Johnson · « **Reply #7 on:** June 14, 2007, 06:25:09 AM »

Don't worry about the provider. Worry about the phone.

Most of the "free" and many of the upgrade phones are single-band or provider-specific. Sprint comes to mind as many of their entry-level phones only work on Sprint systems (I'll leave it to the Tech-Heads to explain exactly why). A dual- or tri-band phone with digital and analog capability should have you talking anywhere in the country. Since most providers cross-lease tower time coverage should not an issue presuming there is a cell coverage in the area.

Your home-calling and roaming areas will be something to look at, provided you need area-specific coverage that a provider might, or might not, offer.

Brad

Manedwolf · « **Reply #8 on:** June 14, 2007, 07:02:37 AM »

Actually, a lot of the top of the line CDMA phones are digital-only as well now, to make them smaller and more power efficient and such.

The Samsung Blade, one of the thinnest phones made, and with a magnesium case, much better than the crappy Razr, is one such example.

K Frame · « **Reply #9 on:** June 14, 2007, 07:06:57 AM »

Normally the best is the company that you do NOT have at any given moment.

The second you change companies, the process repeats itself.

mtnbkr · « **Reply #10 on:** June 14, 2007, 07:09:44 AM »

Quote from: Manedwolf on June 14, 2007, 06:02:37 AM

Actually, a lot of the top of the line CDMA phones are digital-only as well now, to make them smaller and more power efficient and such.

My ancient Treo 600 is digital only, yet gives me better performance in terms of signal strength and battery life than any of the mixed mode phones I've owned. I can easily go an entire weekend on one charge at my normal duty cycle.

Chris

Brad Johnson · « **Reply #11 on:** June 14, 2007, 07:13:42 AM »

Quote

I can easily go an entire weekend on one charge at my normal duty cycle.

So will my Audiovox 8900 except when I'm on analog service. I go to my aunt and uncle's place in extreme northeastern New Mexico quite often. While there my phone kicks over into analog and will suck the battery dry in under a day.

Brad

charby · « **Reply #12 on:** June 14, 2007, 07:25:46 AM »

Quote

I can easily go an entire weekend on one charge at my normal duty cycle.

I have a Nokia 6235i that I can go 5 days with between charges, but I only use about 300 total minutes a month in talk time. My wife on the other hand is the reason why we have 1200 minutes anytime minutes on our shared plan. She is around 1500 total minutes.

I love US Cellular because nights and weekends start at 7PM, free incoming calls and free in network calls. Most of the folks that we call regular are about 50% US Cellular customers. I think our plan is around $85 a month.

Also yes don't take the free phone they offer, upgrade some. You will be happy. I paid $100 for my phone last year when my old was dying.

-C

mtnbkr · « **Reply #13 on:** June 14, 2007, 07:30:59 AM »

Folks, the Treo is a PDA-Phone. My normal duty-cycle has me doing a lot of non-phone stuff with it.

As for plans, our plan has 700 minutes, but our calls on nights and weekends are free, as are calls to other verizon subscribers. We only use our cellphones and never the home phone. The only time we ran out of minutes was back when we had a 500 minute plan around the holidays. I think we spend about $70/month and generally use 300-400 of our minutes (but several thousand "free" minutes).

Chris

Antibubba · « **Reply #14 on:** June 14, 2007, 07:32:31 AM »

Quote

Most of the "free" and many of the upgrade phones are single-band or provider-specific. Sprint comes to mind as many of their entry-level phones only work on Sprint systems (I'll leave it to the Tech-Heads to explain exactly why). A dual- or tri-band phone with digital and analog capability should have you talking anywhere in the country. Since most providers cross-lease tower time coverage should not an issue presuming there is a cell coverage in the area.

That may have once been true in the past, but all of the current Sprint models are at least dual-band. One of Sprint's newest plans include free roaming (up to the number of minutes in the plan); I don't think anyone else offers that.

mtnbkr · « **Reply #15 on:** June 14, 2007, 07:42:28 AM »

Verizon has offered free roaming since at least as long as I've been a subscriber.

Edit to add: That's nearly 6 years.

Chris

ilbob · « **Reply #16 on:** June 14, 2007, 08:08:13 AM »

Quote from: charby on June 13, 2007, 04:25:04 PM

US Cellular if you live in their coverage areas

yep. don't always have all the latest and fanciest gimmicks, but has good, solid service.

Brad Johnson · « **Reply #17 on:** June 14, 2007, 08:45:17 AM »

Quote

That may have once been true in the past, but all of the current Sprint models are at least dual-band.

Didn't know that.

We have folks here in our office that are still cussing because they fell for a cheapo Sprint plan and the even cheaper "free" phones, later to find that the phones only work in Sprint-served areas. Set one foot outside the service area and you're SOL.

They aren't about to admit they got snookered and, of course, they are too cheap to upgrade even if all the current phones are dual band.

Brad

Manedwolf · « **Reply #18 on:** June 14, 2007, 08:46:46 AM »

Quote

That may have once been true in the past, but all of the current Sprint models are at least dual-band. One of Sprint's newest plans include free roaming (up to the number of minutes in the plan); I don't think anyone else offers that.

Not really. I just got the Blade a couple of months ago, and it's digital-only. And one of their best phones.

charby · « **Reply #19 on:** June 14, 2007, 08:59:49 AM »

Quote from: ilbob on June 14, 2007, 07:08:13 AM

Quote from: charby on June 13, 2007, 04:25:04 PM

US Cellular if you live in their coverage areas

yep. don't always have all the latest and fanciest gimmicks, but has good, solid service.

I think that is why its good, no bandwidth eating freakizod phones and extras

Tallpine · « **Reply #20 on:** June 14, 2007, 03:22:49 PM »

The best one would be the one that provides coverage to the north side of the hill where my house is located.

But alas, that cell phone service provider does not seem to exist ... sad

mtnbkr · « **Reply #21 on:** June 14, 2007, 03:34:41 PM »

Quote from: Tallpine on June 14, 2007, 02:22:49 PM

The best one would be the one that provides coverage to the north side of the hill where my house is located.
But alas, that cell phone service provider does not seem to exist ... sad

There are solutions for that. How much taller than your house is this hill? I've seen systems consisting of a yagi antenna on one end, with a small disk antenna on the other and an amp in the middle. You put the yagi on the roof pointed towards your nearest tower and run the coax to the room where you want your best reception, that's where the other antenna goes.

That's a very simple description of the system. IIRC, one of the companies that made this sort of stuff had a low end kit for residential users that ran about $500 for one carrier type. In your case, you'd simply put the yagi on a pole tall enough to clear the hill.

Chris

K Frame · « **Reply #22 on:** June 14, 2007, 03:46:06 PM »

You got antennas on the mind lately, boy... cheesy

Reading this thread, and others like it, make me think that I'm really the only person on the face of the earth anymore who doesn't have a cell phone jammed into my ear 24x7x365.

I haven't even bothered to turn mine on in over a month.

cosine · « **Reply #23 on:** June 14, 2007, 04:13:36 PM »

Quote from: Mike Irwin on June 14, 2007, 02:46:06 PM

Reading this thread, and others like it, make me think that I'm really the only person on the face of the earth anymore who doesn't have a cell phone jammed into my ear 24x7x365.

I haven't even bothered to turn mine on in over a month.

Well, it's probably just you and me. I don't even own one. undecided

mtnbkr · « **Reply #24 on:** June 14, 2007, 04:23:57 PM »

Quote from: Mike Irwin on June 14, 2007, 02:46:06 PM

You got antennas on the mind lately, boy... cheesy

Actually, I learned about that system while doing some stuff for our favorite Uncle Sam. Not only are the denizens of this board addicted to their cellphones, so are various bureaucrats.

Chris

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Author Topic: Best cell phone service provider? (Read 6251 times)

Paddy