WHAT CELL PHONE SERVICE ?

[Rand]

Hi,

Had Cingular which I couldn't use in the house...no signal. Had the "Nation Wide Plan" at the time...visited a friend in Georgia and tried to use my Cingular phone to make a call...no signal...my Georgia friend says, "let me try"...has a signal...which service does she use...Cingular! Interesting that my Nation wide plan isn't Nation wide!

Switched to Verizon...walked into the house, sat down in my chair and turned on my new phone...gee whiz! A signal!

So we use Verizon and Onstar satellite phone while on the road.

R:-)

[CD Smith]

Even with Verizon (or any other plan) you have to periodically download the latest infrasturcture data to keep you phone current with new cell towers that have been added.

I found this out when I couldn't make a call from Lake Lanier northeast of Atlanta, GA. The Verizon store about two mile away from the campground showed me how. Then it worked like a champ.

P.S. I couldn't make calls from the campground at Perin, TX (Bluebonnet Rally) and told my local store I was very disappointed about it. He again reminded me that any time I go on the road to update the data because they are continuously adding equipment.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Even with Verizon (or any other plan) you have to periodically download the latest infrasturcture data to keep you phone current with new cell towers that have been added.

I found this out when I couldn't make a call from Lake Lanier northeast of Atlanta, GA. The Verizon store about two mile away from the campground showed me how. Then it worked like a champ.

P.S. I couldn't make calls from the campground at Perin, TX (Bluebonnet Rally) and told my local store I was very disappointed about it. He again reminded me that any time I go on the road to update the data because they are continuously adding equipment.

How long ago was this, and how old was the phone being used?

[jerry l elven]

After reading about the problems of coverage with just about any of the cell phone systems to me it boiles down to which one is the cheapest. We've used the Track phone for close to 2 years now, only for informational calls no chit chat.it costs us less than $10 bucks a month with there promotional deals. and the coverage is pretty good. We traveled to Lacrosse Wisconson last winter for a funeral we traveled through Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota and of course Lacrosse Wi. and we had a signal most of the time and them are about as remote of states as you can travel in.We're happy with it.

[Craig Nold]

Those of us who still have AMPS (analog) and D-AMPS (TDMA) phones are living on borrowed time and resistance is futile. Those technologies are being phased out in favor of either CDMA or GSM which allow for high capacity data transfers and Internet access. There are some phones, no longer made, that are capable of supporting AMPS, D-AMPS and GSM all in one phone (using the GAIT standard) but GAIT plans offered by Cingular have been discontinued. Cingular now charges an extra five bucks per month every time I make or receive a call over an analog or TDMA digital network. So far, that has not happened due to the proliferation of new GSM sites and that Cingular has set my phone to look for GSM before reverting to another standard.
In 2002, the FCC decided to no longer require carriers to support AMPS or D-AMPS (TDMA) service as of February 18, 2008. Most AMPS carriers have converted their consumer base to a digital standard such as CDMA or GSM and small regional carriers that can not afford to make the switch are selling out. Here in Missouri, Verizon acquired one seven county network at a bargain price and promptly converted it to CDMA. Customers were required to purchase new E-911/GPS capable phones and sign a new two year contract.
In Canada, no nationwide deadline was set but Rogers is in the process of dismantling their analog network. Bell Mobility and Telus, who also operate AMPS networks in Canada, have announced that they will observe the same timetable as outlined by the FCC in the United States, and as a result will not begin to dismantle their AMPS networks until after February 2008.
OnStar is transitioning to digital service but has warned customers who cannot be upgraded to digital that their service will permanently expire on January 1, 2008.
Alarm system companies have asked the FCC to extend the AMPS deadline due to many of their alarm systems still using analog technology but a reprieve is unlikely.

[gerald rush]

Those of us who still have AMPS (analog) and D-AMPS (TDMA) phones are living on borrowed time and resistance is futile. Those technologies are being phased out in favor of either CDMA or GSM which allow for high capacity data transfers and Internet access. There are some phones, no longer made, that are capable of supporting AMPS, D-AMPS and GSM all in one phone (using the GAIT standard) but GAIT plans offered by Cingular have been discontinued. Cingular now charges an extra five bucks per month every time I make or receive a call over an analog or TDMA digital network. So far, that has not happened due to the proliferation of new GSM sites and that Cingular has set my phone to look for GSM before reverting to another standard.
In 2002, the FCC decided to no longer require carriers to support AMPS or D-AMPS (TDMA) service as of February 18, 2008. Most AMPS carriers have converted their consumer base to a digital standard such as CDMA or GSM and small regional carriers that can not afford to make the switch are selling out. Here in Missouri, Verizon acquired one seven county network at a bargain price and promptly converted it to CDMA. Customers were required to purchase new E-911/GPS capable phones and sign a new two year contract.
In Canada, no nationwide deadline was set but Rogers is in the process of dismantling their analog network. Bell Mobility and Telus, who also operate AMPS networks in Canada, have announced that they will observe the same timetable as outlined by the FCC in the United States, and as a result will not begin to dismantle their AMPS networks until after February 2008.
OnStar is transitioning to digital service but has warned customers who cannot be upgraded to digital that their service will permanently expire on January 1, 2008.
Alarm system companies have asked the FCC to extend the AMPS deadline due to many of their alarm systems still using analog technology but a reprieve is unlikely.

Hi,
After trying most of the big names we settled on trac phone for all the reasons already stated.. no comtracts, 10 cents a minute, and free phones. It has worked in most areas
we travel. They always have bonus minutes available when you reup your minutes as well.
regards gerald

[Darwin Maring]

trak Fone

Around $100 per phone a year (With the 1 year card) and you can look up their cell service on line. Charge double per minute for roam.

We only use ours for absolute emergency.

[Patrick M.]

Tracfone for $100 a year. Very good national coverage. Best fixed price phone based on my research. http://tracfone.com/home_page.jsp Phones and time/minute cards available everywhere it seems.

However, if you like to call family from the grocery store, mall, or while driving out the driveway, one of those $400/year alternatives might be better!

[CD Smith]

How long ago was this, and how old was the phone being used?

Lake Lanier was 2004. Phone was new in December 2003. Phone was LG, don't know model number.

Perin was 2006. Phone was new in December 2005. Phone is and I now use, LG 4650.

Verizon customers can update the their programming by entering *228, press SEND, and select option 1. You can update the tower information by entering *228, press SEND, and select option 2.

[peterh]

Tracfone for $100 a year. Very good national coverage. Best fixed price phone based on my research. http://tracfone.com/home_page.jsp Phones and time/minute cards available everywhere it seems.

However, if you like to call family from the grocery store, mall, or while driving out the driveway, one of those $400/year alternatives might be better!

I bought a TracFone for my son a year and a bit ago. $20 for the phone, $10 a month for service and some very basic airtime. Good deal for basic cell access, and if he looses it, so what.

He hasn't lost it. This week it was time to buy another two months of service for his card (60 days and 60 minutes for $20), and I saw they're offering a one-year a one-year, 250 minutes + 250 bonus minutes card for $99.

That's $8.34/month. Not a bad deal when an extra "family" phone runs $13-14 a month. ($10 for a "family" phone add-on and several bucks in taxes).

--Peter

[LindyW2]

I'm far from a expert on cell phones

We use AllTel and it's been good for us from texas to Fl To New England . Yes there was dead Zones even at home as we live in a valley and had to stand in a certain spot in yard to get service .
But after getting a Maximum Signal device I can sit in our house and use the Cell phone and it works well in the Car as well as the Casita
and is excellent with Datta card from Alltel for our computer using a EVDO 1X card connect most time at 150 KBPS
I use the Alltell National unlimited plan
http://www.alltel.com/business/enhan...access.html?bm

http://www.maximumsignal.net/xcart/home.php

http://evdo-coverage.blogspot.com/2005/04/...el-v620-vs.html

There is a Choice of antennas as well that plugin to the data cart then into the Signal booster
and I did get a antenna Truckers type for the Casita as it needed a ground plane