Verizon vs T-Mobile October 11, 2021, 10:56:36 am A few years ago, we switched from a small somewhat expensive Verizon data plan to an unlimited T-Mobile plan for $70.00 a month for both of us. The T-Mobile plan was weak in many areas outside our metroplex. Recently I dropped my T-Mobile plan and Margee kept her unlimited plan for $35 a month including taxes. Now I have a Verizon 5 gigabyte plan for $35 a month with auto pay. We’ve been comparing the coverage while on this 3 week trip to rural Arkansas. So far, I often have slightly better reception than Margee’s T-Mobile service. The real test for us will be in next Spring while on a 2 month trip to North & South Carolina. I intend to share those results with the LDOF Neighborhood. Hope this helps. 1 Likes
Re: Verizon vs T-Mobile Reply #1 – October 11, 2021, 12:55:16 pm I predict you will find much better coverage from Verizon than T-mobile in the place RVers typically go.TotalWireless uses the verizon network if you're looking for something that might be cheaper and prepaid, with hotspot. Last spring I was streaming a company meeting while camped w/o any hookups on Ocracoke Island along the outer banks of NC. There are worse places to be checking in from. Rich 1 Likes
Re: Verizon vs T-Mobile Reply #2 – October 11, 2021, 07:12:40 pm T-Mobile has good coverage in metro areas, but elsewhere, not so much. Out in the boonies--especially in the Southwest--you're much more likely to be able to get online with Verizon. (I tried T-Mobile a year or so ago, lured by a cheap data plan. After a few months I ditched it. Since I could rarely get online, it didn't matter how little it cost.) That said, T-Mobile does appear to have fairly good coverage in the Carolinas. These maps are what I see in the very useful "Coverage?" iPhone app.
Re: Verizon vs T-Mobile Reply #3 – October 11, 2021, 08:23:28 pm Quote from: Ed & Margee - October 11, 2021, 10:56:36 amA few years ago, we switched from a small somewhat expensive Verizon data plan to an unlimited T-Mobile plan for $70.00 a month for both of us. The T-Mobile plan was weak in many areas outside our metroplex. Recently I dropped my T-Mobile plan and Margee kept her unlimited plan for $35 a month including taxes. Now I have a Verizon 5 gigabyte plan for $35 a month with auto pay. We’ve been comparing the coverage while on this 3 week trip to rural Arkansas. So far, I often have slightly better reception than Margee’s T-Mobile service. The real test for us will be in next Spring while on a 2 month trip to North & South Carolina. I intend to share those results with the LDOF Neighborhood. Interesting timing as we I’ve been tooling around rural Arkansas and Missouri the last six days or so. We are comparing Verizon coverage and Consumer Cellular side-by-side using the same exact phone and have found that Verizon has typically better coverage so far.
Re: Verizon vs T-Mobile Reply #4 – October 12, 2021, 10:22:04 am I've had Consumer Cellular for years. I've traveled far and wide, and have no complaints. Customer service is very good (all customer service is supported in the US). Sharing phone and data plans are reasonable, bring your own phone if you want, no contract, choose the lowest data plan needed. They automatically move it up to the next plan if you bump up against the limit, and it's easy to go online and drop back down to the previous plan the next month if the extra data need was temporary. All very desirable features in my opinion! As far as I know, they rely on the infrastructure from the big telecoms, so signal service should be as good as with any of them. I could be mistaken about this, anyone with more knowledge please chime in. It has always been satisfactory for me from a signal service POV, and they have been very easy to deal with when I've wanted to switch\add a phone, or had any other sort of problem that required interaction with them. BTW, I have no personal interest in the company.Bill
Re: Verizon vs T-Mobile Reply #5 – October 12, 2021, 02:34:39 pm For a good comparative there are many parts to cell phone coverage. Just comparing what you personally get is leaving put many of the other variables. The biggest unknown when comparing what I get to what you get is the cell phone itself. All cell phones are not created equal. The internal guts are different on each cell brand. A inexpensive cell phone will 'act' completely different then a flagship cell. I.E. some cell phone receive many more frequencies then others. (question -- did you look at the cell specs when you acquired your cell or did you get get the one then looked and felt nice <smile> no judgement). Weather, time of day, cell tower location, cell tower bandwidth, cell frequencies, local politics, and etc. About the only thing that a common person can measure is when you get no service. No service as in no service provider is in the area.Bottom line it's all 'witchcraft'.... glen 2 Likes
Re: Verizon vs T-Mobile Reply #6 – October 13, 2021, 07:17:46 pm Just thinking about my T-mobile account makes smoke come out of my ears. I have heard all kinds of comments about every carrier, my experience has only been with 3. I cannot believe anything T-mobile tells me. They DO have contracts be it by another name. They con con con their customers....Yes, the customer service agents are super pleasant.....ugh I have 2 more months on my NO CONTRACT plan and then I am done with them. 2 years....ugh
Re: Verizon vs T-Mobile Reply #7 – October 13, 2021, 07:33:32 pm Quote from: spartan11 - October 13, 2021, 07:17:46 pmJust thinking about my T-mobile account makes smoke come out of my ears. I have heard all kinds of comments about every carrier, my experience has only been with 3. I cannot believe anything T-mobile tells me. They DO have contracts be it by another name. They con con con their customers....Yes, the customer service agents are super pleasant.....ugh I have 2 more months on my NO CONTRACT plan and then I am done with them. 2 years....ugh Plus, they have been hacked royally...T-Mobile data breach 2021I'll stick with Verizon.Charles
Re: Verizon vs T-Mobile Reply #8 – October 15, 2021, 11:38:54 pm WOW CHARLES, That is some good doo doo.
Re: Verizon vs T-Mobile Reply #9 – April 26, 2022, 09:58:16 am Quote from: Ed & Margee - October 11, 2021, 10:56:36 amThe real test for us will be in next Spring while on a 2 month trip to North & South Carolina. I intend to share those results with the LDOF Neighborhood. The “so called” real test results are clear to us. Just ask Margee, who has T-Mobile, who consistently had better service? And get ready for an unambiguous report…NOT HER SERVICE. It’s probably not a surprise to this Neighborhood that Verizon was much better in rural areas and back roads. And that’s my update. 1 Likes
Re: Verizon vs T-Mobile Reply #10 – April 26, 2022, 11:41:47 am My partner has T Mobile and I have Verizon. I often have service when he has none as we wander around Washington.
Re: Verizon vs T-Mobile Reply #11 – April 26, 2022, 04:44:20 pm Thanks for your appraisal. Regarding internet service…. We recently got T-Mobile internet service in Grand Rapids Michigan area. $50 month and they give you free cable modem and Wi-Fi server. It uses 5G CELL Network. Best price around and service has been great. Ron
Re: Verizon vs T-Mobile Reply #12 – April 26, 2022, 06:22:43 pm In Grand Rapids, I don't doubt T-Mobile offers a good deal. As has been discussed here before, T-Mobile works well in many metro areas, and often has attractive pricing (because like the old Avis ads, they "try harder").Get out into the boonies, and the picture is very different. I know of exactly two RVers who have had good results with T-Mobile in rural areas. Most find that Verizon has the best coverage, AT&T is second best, and T-Mobile is a very distant third when traveling. I've had all three, and my experience in the Southwest matches that assessment.
Re: Verizon vs T-Mobile Reply #13 – April 26, 2022, 06:33:08 pm Ed, Thank you for the report. My experience is the same on our travels around the country. We have one t-mobile line and two verizon lines. The verizon lines were the clear winners in our travels. One thing I noticed about the t-mobile line is that if I lost service the phone wouldn't always automatically pick service back up when back in a covered area. I found if I restarted the phone it could pick back up. I never had this problem with a verizon line. I can also confirm what Glen says about the phone having a big impact on reception. At our rural house we have really good t-mobile reception on our Samsung S7, and had fair verizon reception with our old Samsung Note 5 and S8. We just replaced the Note 5 and S8 phones to iPhone 13's and what a difference. The improvement is so good that now the iPhone reception is much better the t-mobile. Since I can have two lines on the iPhone 13, I'm thinking about adding the t-mobile line on the 13 too. Ron Y 1 Likes