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Any Recommended Cell Phone companies?
Our phones are on life support. Of course plans have changed and seems like you have to purchase a phone now.  Any recommendations on cell companies or plans that are best for coverage, cost....? Any comments on coverage for RV adventures?

Thanks

Ron
Ron and Linda
Ada Michigan
Re: Any Recommended Cell Phone companies?
Reply #1 –
Any comments on coverage for RV adventures?
---
No carrier will provide service everywhere, particularly if one travels in 'isolated' areas. You might want to check the coverage maps of each of the major carriers; subject to local 'geography' and conditions, these will give a general idea of where you will be able to connect.

IMO, Verizon offers the widest and most consistent connectivity, but even then, some RVers install signal boosters; there are many discussions on this topic on the board.

A fine source of all sorts of 'connections' information is the Technomadia blog Mobile Internet site:

RV Mobile Internet Resource Center

2003 TK has a new home
 
Re: Any Recommended Cell Phone companies?
Reply #2 –
There are discussions in tech and cellular forums about this that have been ongoing for years. Most center on network performance in the big cities.  They include some nice cost/feature comparison charts too, like this- Best 2017 Unlimited Data Cell-Phone Plans for One-Person

We have ATT and Verizon, and have used TMobile. When we travel overseas we swap SIM cards and either phone (iPhone 6 & 7), works on other networks

Coverage
TMobile has been working to improve coverage, but I gave up over a year ago, because the rural areas we live and travel in were dead zones.  Nice features and speed, but until they complete their improvement plan for the backroads I will pass.

Verizon used to be the only game in town, literally, where we live, and where we travel. It seems slow to me, and the inability to use at a website or map while using the phone is ridiculous, but that's the old CDMA2000 limitation. Customer service has been great.

ATT has always been in our mix of networks, since Cingular days. It has achieved parity with Verizon in my opinion, in rural America.  It seems faster. Customer service has always been great.

We find there are several areas in the country, like Texas and Florida, where one will work and the other won't.  This lets each of us  lord it over the other about our wise choice of carrier.  Mildly entertaining when one can't stream.

Plan
My wife has the old grandfathered ATT unlimited plan. Works well enough, and when on the road we use it to stream. Sadly, there is no tethering allowed, so no sending the video to the iPad or Apple TV for sharing. And when you hit 21Gb of data, you can be throttled, but in the sticks, there is so little cell demand that it hasn't mattered.  The new Unlimited plan from ATT allows hotspot data, and has some benefits for DirectTV subscribers I think.  I would consider changing her over, but she likes continuity. Check on current features. 

I have used a few Verizon plans, currently I use a pre pay plan, but I don't actually change the plan when we travel or are at home, so I don't get any real benefit from this.  I went from 2 to 5 Gb data because when traveling I always was buying additional data. I can hotspot from my phone.  I use less than 2gb when not traveling, but I may go to unlimited anyway because the cost is close.

Signal Boosters
I have no experience with these but there is a 2015 discussion on this board here- Boosting cellphone signals
And a very recent one here- Cell Amp Boosts Speed Also
Other fulltimers have written up some good articles about them too, like this- Cell booster | Technomadia
Paul
'92 Mid Bath
Re: Any Recommended Cell Phone companies?
Reply #3 –
The answer to that question depends on how much you travel and where you live and how much do you need data on your phone.

We travel in our LD full time and based on that I would normally opt for some sort of Verizon coverage since it still appears to be the best and most widespread. We spend most of our time in the west.

However, in Jan 2013 we opted for Ting.com as our cell phone provider. They are a MVNO and they operate on two primary networks. Your choice is either T-Mobile which I understand roams on some of AT&T's network or Sprint which roams on Verizon's network.  The pros have been that we have had coverage almost everywhere and with two smartphones our total bill comes in at or under $40 per month. The two cons that come to mind is that you only get data when you are on the primary network, so no roaming for data.

Our phones are on Sprint so the other negative for that has been this. As long as you are getting any signal from a Sprint tower, no matter how weak, you will not roam even if you are sitting under a tower for a cell provider that you could be roaming on.

Another plus is that they have great customer service.

Here is a detailed article about picking a plan. The Best Cell Phone Plans | The Wirecutter

Jim
Re: Any Recommended Cell Phone companies?
Reply #4 –
The best way to determine who has cell coverage in a given area is the Technomads' free iOS app "Coverage?", which offers zoomable maps showing coverage for all four major US cellular carriers. I've attached screenshots of the maps for the western US so you can see the differences. (Note: while the first three screenshots show 4G coverage, the Sprint screenshot shows LTE coverage--but Sprint's 4G coverage is exactly the same.)

As Joan pointed out, no carrier provides service everywhere, but most RVers I know use Verizon, because their coverage is the best nationwide. AT&T is second best, although there are some large blank areas in their coverage. T-Mobile and (especially) Sprint lag far behind, with coverage mainly in urban areas. That's why they sometimes offer too-good-to-be-true deals: they're struggling to compete with Verizon's huge network. If you travel mostly near cities, these deals may be worthwhile. Otherwise, Verizon or second choice AT&T give you the best chance of finding a signal no matter where you are.

As for internet speed, it varies widely depending upon the cell tower and the traffic level. With Verizon I've seen speeds as high as 39 megabits per second. (These are download speeds, which are what most of us care about. On any wireless network, upload speeds are typically a fifth to a tenth of download speeds.) On the other hand, in remote areas I've seen speeds as low as 0.32 mbps, although that's very rare. 10 mbps seems typical for today's Verizon. Right now I'm seeing 16 mbps from AT&T and 19 mbps from Verizon.

By the way, with Verizon you can use the internet while on a call, at least if you have a recent phone. I often do it with my iPhone 7.
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: Any Recommended Cell Phone companies?
Reply #5 –
My wife and I both have AT&T with 4 GB shared.  We had minimal issues on our summer rv trip to the Grand Canyon.  I used my phone for navigation, email and FB.  My wife uses hers for texting, phone calls, and FB. No streaming for either of us.  AT&T was spotty at Trailer Village at the Grand Canyon but fine along the South Rim. That was the worst issue we dealt with.
Art & Bonny Taylor
Lazy Daze Newbs
2001 Green 30'TB "Maeve"
Re: Any Recommended Cell Phone companies?
Reply #6 –
Yes, in Verizon's LTE served areas, you can indeed call and use Internet at once. But not where we live, or other areas covered by CDMA.

The wirecutter review is the best I've seen yet, thanks Jim.
Paul
'92 Mid Bath
Re: Any Recommended Cell Phone companies?
Reply #7 –
We use Verizon, but the "unlimited" plan is only good for up to 4Gigs of data and then they throttle you back to slow speeds.
David and Marie Philbrick
Proud former 2017 27' MB Owners
Re: Any Recommended Cell Phone companies?
Reply #8 –
We have Verizon's unlimited plan.  It is good for 15GB on each phone (we have two) and MIFI (45GB) before they gear you back to 3G.  We only reach this level on the MIFI occasionally.  In this case, we turn one of the phones into a hotspot, no extra fee from Verizon, to get 4G.
Ross Taylor
2017 MB
Re: Any Recommended Cell Phone companies?
Reply #9 –
Unfortunately, for any given carrier the definition of "unlimited" seems to change every few months. And regardless of what they call it, there are always fine-print limitations. It's "unlimited" unless you use more data than they like... or you stream movies from certain sites... or they change their minds and forget to tell you that the deal has been altered.

In short, they don't want to make it easy to compare plans, and they are constantly changing them--sometimes without any notice. Your best bet is to check with the Technomads.

Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: Any Recommended Cell Phone companies?
Reply #10 –
We are long-time Verizon users but their costs have been trending upward over the years. We are thinking of switching to T-Mobile.  T-Mobile has a 55+ plan with "unlimited" phone, text and data for $60.

T-Mobile ONE for Age 55 Plus | 2 Unlimited Lines for /Mo. For Life

The price includes taxes and fees.  Looking at their online coverage map, it appears it would serve our needs where we live and travel most often but I would like to hear from actual users.

We are also considering Consumer Cellular so would like to hear from their users as well.  Thanks!

Greg & Victoria
2017 Mid-Bath  “Nocona” towing a manual 2015 Forester
Previously a 1985 TK
SKP #61264
Re: Any Recommended Cell Phone companies?
Reply #11 –
I've been a Tmobile customer since they were Voicestream.  Always been happy with customer service, and rates, but coverage isn't as dense as Verizon and AT&T in many places.  It is improving quite a bit recently, as a byproduct of the spectrum auctions.  But you should review where you camp vs. their maps as mentioned earlier.
2000 Front Lounge
Re: Any Recommended Cell Phone companies?
Reply #12 –
There is a realativly new player in town.   Project Fi from Google.   They use three different networks depending on the strongest signal in the area.   The cost is $10 a gig with a cap at , in my case, $90 for two phones.   After 15 gigs they can slow down the speed.   Downside is you need a cell phone that can switch between networks.  

personal fine art photo stuff
TF Mack | Flickr
It's all good .......
2014 Twin King
Re: Any Recommended Cell Phone companies?
Reply #13 –
Quote from: paul banbury  - 

Verizon used to be the only game in town, literally, where we live, and where we travel. It seems slow to me, and the inability to use at a website or map while using the phone is ridiculous, but that's the old CDMA2000 limitation. Customer service has been great.

We're Verizon customers and can simultaneously be on a phone call *and* connect to the Internet, either on the phone itself, or on the computer using the hotspot feature of the phone.  This isn't a new feature...we've been using it for years ever since we first got smartphones.  We do use android phones, so maybe that's the difference?
Linda Hylton
Re: Any Recommended Cell Phone companies?
Reply #14 –
Quote from: Ross and Beverly Taylor  - 
We have Verizon's unlimited plan.  It is good for 15GB on each phone (we have two) and MIFI (45GB) before they gear you back to 3G.  We only reach this level on the MIFI occasionally.  In this case, we turn one of the phones into a hotspot, no extra fee from Verizon, to get 4G.

The 15GB per device on Verizon is for using the phone as a hotspot.  Otherwise, the "soft" limit for data is 22GB per device after which speeds *may* be slowed depending on how busy the traffic on the tower is.  I frequently go over the 22GB limit on my phone and, so far, haven't noticed any slow down.  I've only reached the 15GB hotspot limit once, but we have two other devices that we can switch to for hotspots.
Linda Hylton
Re: Any Recommended Cell Phone companies?
Reply #15 –
Greg,

I've had Consumer Cellular for 4 or 5 years and have been completely satisfied with their service.  I have a home 'base' that replaced our land line phone, and I brought my own MotoX that they sent me a free sim card for.  When I was ready, they ported our 15 year old land line to the base, and my already established cellular number to the MotoX.  I've only needed customer support to figure out if I could do what I wanted with their service, and then when I made the transition, which was smooth.  AFAIK, they are based in Oregon, and the customer support people there are well-trained and helpful.

I like that their plans are straightforward, easy to understand and change, and no contracts.  Their website is easy to use.  They charge all of the govt. taxes, so my $60.00 plan is around $72.00.  Their largest data plan is 10gb, which may not be enough for some folks.  I use my MotoX as a hotspot when traveling, and I have a data manager on it to track my usage as the CC website doesn't update the usage quickly enough to suit me even though I rarely reach my plans 5gb limit.  PM if you have a question about my experience with them.

Bill
2003 -- 23' FL
Re: Any Recommended Cell Phone companies?
Reply #16 –
"We're Verizon customers and can simultaneously be on a phone call *and* connect to the Internet... We do use android phones, so maybe that's the difference?"

iPhones used with Verizon have also had this capability for some years. The old CDMA limitations seem to have gone away with the advent of LTE and modern phones.
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: Any Recommended Cell Phone companies?
Reply #17 –
Quote from: HiLola  - 
We are long-time Verizon users but their costs have been trending upward over the years. We are thinking of switching to T-Mobile.  T-Mobile has a 55+ plan with "unlimited" phone, text and data for $60.

T-Mobile ONE for Age 55 Plus | 2 Unlimited Lines for /Mo. For Life

The price includes taxes and fees.  Looking at their online coverage map, it appears it would serve our needs where we live and travel most often but I would like to hear from actual users.

We are also considering Consumer Cellular so would like to hear from their users as well.  Thanks!
I just watched the pitch in the link above for the 55+ plan. It's a very aggressive ad, complete with a few expletives, and obviously appealing to the very coolest and hippest 55+ers. Where/when can I sign up?  :)

Chris
Formerly: 2002 30' IB
Re: Any Recommended Cell Phone companies?
Reply #18 –
Quote from: Chris Horst  - 
I just watched the pitch in the link above for the 55+ plan. It's a very aggressive ad, complete with a few expletives, and obviously appealing to the very coolest and hippest 55+ers. Where/when can I sign up?  :)

Chris

I found that pitch entertaining as well!  ;)
Greg & Victoria
2017 Mid-Bath  “Nocona” towing a manual 2015 Forester
Previously a 1985 TK
SKP #61264
Re: Any Recommended Cell Phone companies?
Reply #19 –
"It's a very aggressive ad, complete with a few expletives, and obviously appealing to the very coolest and hippest 55+ers."
---
Uh huh; those 'cool' 55+ers might want to put on their reading glasses and scrutinize the potential 'gotchas' at the bottom of the site page.  ;)

Verizon does have its issues, but I've found that it offers the most consistent coverage over the broadest areas; YMMV, as always.
2003 TK has a new home
Re: Any Recommended Cell Phone companies?
Reply #20 –
We use ATT and Verizon. We find ourselves in areas where one or the other functions with a good signal and the other has poor signal.  IIRC Florida worked in more places for ATT, in southwest Texas Verizon was better, and so on. It is costly to have both, and foolish.  If we wanted to save some $, it would be a long conversation about which to keep. My money is on Verizon. 

I have really really wanted to use TMobile, but the coverage is so poor where we live.  The new upgrades havent reached us yet, so I fear other places in the boonies are likewise underserved. Not many hipsters where we sometimes travel.  In the cities it is great. 
Paul
'92 Mid Bath
Re: Any Recommended Cell Phone companies?
Reply #21 –
Verizon. And I cried uncle awhile back and just signed up for the unlimited plan, shared by me, my wife and our son.

Our plan doesn't throttle until 22GB. We've exceeded that limit when traveling, most recently in December, and I've never noticed any speed changes.

Verizon is pricey but I just want my phone to work if possible, wherever I am. I think Verizon still has the best coverage and that coverage advantage is their main marketing advantage, so I feel they will work to preserve it.

I'm at the age where a few extra dollars is less important to me than avoiding screwing around with stuff that doesn't work as advertised.
Terry
2003 26.5'RB
Gardnerville, NV
Re: Any Recommended Cell Phone companies?
Reply #22 –
Thanks for everybody's take on this.  It looks as if we will be sticking with Verizon for now.  It turns out that our son, who has a developmental disability and does not accept change easily, has an old style Verizon flip phone without a SIM card so it cannot be used on another network (so I'm told).  Thus, he would have to upgrade his phone if we change service.  At some point, this aged phone will no longer work and he will have no choice but for now we'll stay with Verizon.
Greg & Victoria
2017 Mid-Bath  “Nocona” towing a manual 2015 Forester
Previously a 1985 TK
SKP #61264
Re: Any Recommended Cell Phone companies?
Reply #23 –
"I'm at the age where a few extra dollars is less important to me than avoiding screwing around with stuff that doesn't work as advertised."
----
Bingo!    :D 
2003 TK has a new home
Re: Any Recommended Cell Phone companies?
Reply #24 –
I am satisfied with verizon for my cell & tablet.   Both can work as wifi hotspot.   At home, I go with the minimum 2 GB/ mo and upgrade for the months I travel.   The only time I have exceeded 8gb was when M$oft crammed a 6 gb update down my throat.
Joel & Terry Wiley
dog Zeke
2013  31 IB   Orwan   / 2011 CRV Tow'd LWEROVE