OT: Cell phone plans and coverage

[seenvic]

I need to get a cell phone plan. Ideally, one for me and my wife to share.

Curious if you have good signal at the various trails....ideally FATS, Horn Creek, Turkey, Wine and Modoc.

Are you happy w/ your plan? Would you recommend it?

[azdrawdy]

The SO and I have used Cingular for years but recently got on with Verizon. Got zero trail coverage with the Cingular cell.

With the Verizon, excellent coverage at FATS, Petersburg, HKSP, BCSP, Turkey, etc. I don't get cell coverage with either at HC.

[wooglin]

Don't do it! Save yourself! Get a beeper!

(Alltel gets nothing at HC, is weak at the FATS trailhead, and I have no idea elsewhere)

[bikecop]

I get a decent signal with alltell at FATS. the signal seems to be better on the trail than on the nearby roads. Otherwise, Alltell seems to have the best coverage in the CSRA from my experience.

[Angela]

We have had Verizon since the old days when it was called Cellular One and the coverage has been extremely good the majority of the time. I've made and received calls on all our trails some do have areas that are difficult to receive/make calls but generally if you move to a different you can get the bars!

I was told once I would not get cell coverage up at Tsali so was surprised when I was down in a large dip near the edge of the lake with a lot of tree coverage and received a call from my son asking me to bring him lunch on our way home!!

The key has been not to go over in minutes so we've selected a plan that provides ample minutes. Since so many of our friends and family also use Verizon (and the calls between Verizon users is free) it has worked out extremely well for us.

[DMSC]

Verizion is about as good as it gets with coverage area. I can make calls from FATS, HKSP, and BCSP. I haven't been to ride Modoc, Turkey or Wine in a few years but, IIRC, I could make calls there as well.

One thing to think about is the phone you get. I have a Motorola E815 which is all digital. I was worried about not being able to make analog calls but, I haven't been to a single place where I couldn't make/receive calls in the year since I got it. That includes the Western NC area (Tsali and Tail of the Dragon/Cherahala Skyway) where reception was once a non-event. Verizion has changed most of there network to digital. Combined with the better reception and longer phone battery life of using a digital network, getting a digital only phone now makes sense.

Verizion's Family-Share plans are nice to have when you need more than one phone. The In-Calling and free night/weelend calling are good features.