Verizon or AT&T?

[folivier]

Looks like it's getting time to upgrade my phone. I'll probably go with a smartphone since we'll plan to be on the road most of next year. I currently have AT&T which works well here in Louisiana. But most of our travels will be in the southwest next year, then move up the west coast, then across the northern states. I imagine we'll be in remote areas most of the time.
So which cell service has better coverage in the more remote areas, Verizon, AT&T, Sprint?
I did get a SPOT for Christmas (how did Santa know?) so we'll have a way to get help if we really get lost :o
Thanks

[prairieschooner]

Forest,
We have found Verizon to be the best for us. We live in a remote area and I travel around So. Cal. and have found it best for us.

PS I chose a Hot Spot over the Smart Phone. The Smart Phone was too fragile for me.

[chockwald]

Forest, I vote for Verizon if you're in the Southwest.....has worked well for us for anywhere west of the Mississippi. Get a smart phone with it's own hot spot.

Steve...I understand the new Motorola Razor Android phone is virtually indestructible.

[prairieschooner]

how about water? I do work on the sea.

[chockwald]

The Razor comes with it's own snorkel......lol!

[HoosierDaddy]

I have traveled most of the midwest and some west coast. Verizon has worked well. I signed up for the smart phone prior to 7/1/11. I get unlimited GB for $30.00/mo. After 7/1/11 they are limiting it to 2GB for $30.00/mo. Here's an article you might find helpful:

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/kimkomando/story/2011-11-18/best-smartphone-service-carriers/51278646/1

[prairieschooner]

Call me old but I still like my phone to be a phone, I don't use the camera and do not receive text messages. I was surprised when they stated about $10.00/Month for the Insurance! and working around the water...it would be needed.
HoosierDaddy is correct and I was told that they are limiting the data to 2GB with the newer plans.
We are getting 5GB and the Hot Spot is $50.00/Month and the wife can get online while I am somewhere else or we can both be online at the same time. So far the Hot Spot is working out great for us and since we have Verizon for our landline, internet and wireless they gave me a "package deal" that makes the Hot Spot almost not cost anymore that what we were paying before without it.

[Wally Arntzen]

I've had Verizon for about ten years and have only had a few times (in the mountains) that I had any trouble with usage. I have worked and traveled all over the country and when working storms most of the workers that do not have Verizon have to switch because that is the only one that seems to have enough towers to provide service in difficult areas. Nearly all of my friends that have ATT are not happy and when there contract runs out they switch.

[encantotom]

i have a ATT blackberry and a verizon samsung droid charge smartphone.

i travel all over the usa and world for work. the ONLY reason i have a ATT blackberry is it is an international phone and works for voice and data anywhere i go in the world. domestically, my verizon has far better coverage and service.

tom

[RussWhite]

Verizon has worked very well for me.
Russ

[express1]

With all of our travels, Connie and I agree Verizon is best for coverage......worst for price. When my contract is up. I will look into a verizon program with no CONTRACT!!!!!
I was just telling a Verizon agent "my cell bill is more than my first new car payment"
in 1971. Chevy Monte Carlo.... $6800.00 off the showroom....... My note was $158.00
Those were the DAYS????? maybe NOT!

[prairieschooner]

MINE is shorter!!!

[Brad Townsend]

We checked out the best overall service for rvers and Verizon was the favorite hands down.
Seems they rule most the towers that other providers buy time from which when they get real busy the Verizon customers are favored while others get bumped.

[ABnormal]

Sprint and Verizon both roam on each others towers, so anywhere you can get Vz, you will also have Sprint. Sprint does still offer an unlimited data plan and they are always going to be priced lower.

I have had Sprint for 5 years and dropped two calls. Rarely hit a dead spot anywhere and I travel the highways every weekend.

Larry p.

[MarkofSJC]

I'm going to be the counterpoint. I've been a long time AT&T client and traveled throughout the U.S. but live in S. CA. We've had smart phones since they first came out and AT&T's service has been completely trouble free. Better yet, we can multifunction ~ i.e. have a phone conversation and google something at the same time. You'd be amazed how convenient that becomes at times!

[folivier]

Well after looking at Verizons prices I think I'll stay with AT*T for a little longer. My son gave me his old iphone4 so I didn't have to renew my contract and can cancel later if I find AT*T doesn't work out.
Wow Verizon is expensive! I'll pay almost as much for 1 phone as I do for 3 with AT*T.

[prairieschooner]

hey Forest, can you here me now?

[busnut]

I have had Sprint for years and have found nothing better over most of the US and Canada. I based our original signup on Data only and Sprint won hands down.

If you are looking for Data only check out Virgin mobile. $40 per month and no contract. Runs on Sprint.

[busnut]

Sorry, but should not have mentioned Canada as we were roaming up there.

[Hugo]

For years I had AT&T and then we switched to Verizon and then back to AT&T. Over all I think they both have poor customer service and I it hasn't gotten any better over the years. AT&T has the best family plan and with both of our daughters away at college (one is still here in state) and the other is out of state. We flip the bill for our daughters cell phones it gives the wife peace of mind knowing how they are doing and they text with her daily. I'm not to keen on the idea of texting and a touch screen phone for me took some getting use to but I get a good laugh once in awhile when they text me a joke or send us pictures of what they've been up to!

It's gotten to the point where cellphones are less expensive to have than landlines. The only reason we even keep a land line at home is for emergency purposes. The land line hardly ever rings since we almost always use our cellphones.

[MrE]

I have an Android phone and a friend turned me on to PDAnet, a free app that turns your phone into a WiFi hotspot that does not require the extra fee from Verizon. http://junefabrics.com/android/index.php
They also have apps for iPhone, Blackberry, PalmOS and Windows Mobile. Came in really handy finding the best diesel prices while traveling.

[fulltiming]

If you are on the new Verizon Share Everything Plan, mobile hotspot is included at no extra charge. We have two smartphones and a MiFi mobile hotspot. I just changed over from the Family Plan to the Share Everything Plan and my bill dropped by over $35/month including fees and taxes. The unlimited calling and texts are not a big deal for me since I wasn't using nearly all of the 1400 billable shared minutes per month anyway (thanks to free mobile to mobile within the system and Friends and Family, my total usage varies from 1400 to 4600 minutes per month) and was staying under my text allowance for $10/month on my phone and $5/month on Georgia's.

Old plan: 1400 shared minutes/month $70
2 Smartphones ($9.99 each): $19.99
Data Plan for Smartphones ($30 each): $60
Text (my phone $10/month, Georgia's phone $5/month): $15
MiFi 4G LTE (5GB): $50
Total (before taxes and fees): $214.99

Share Everything:
2 Smartphones with unlimited minutes and texts @ $40 each: $80
1 MiFi: $20
6 GB monthly shared data including mobile hotspot on both phones and MiFi: $80
Total (before fees and taxes): $180

Tablets can be added for an additional $10/month each and share the same data. Data Plan can be expanded to 8GB/month for an extra $10/month or decreased to 4GB/month and save $10/month. We don't use over 2GB per month at home but we use close to 6GB/month when traveling. Data overages are charged $15/GB.

We will try this for a few months and see if we need to increase or decrease the data amount.

[NEWELLWIZARD]

I use Verizon for personal cell phone. Seems to have the best coverage for most RVers I have talked with on the subject.

[ccjohnson]

I'm with you Steve on the phone for a phone. I still use Motorola V120E. I bought 25 on e-bay for $20. Thinking I could economically pitch them out when they broke. Only problem is they are nearly indestructible! As for Verizon, We live & work all over the southwest. Rarely, we have some service issues in extremely isolated parts of the "wide open" spaces. Almost never have any problems in the populated areas.

[Neweller]

I've heard Verizon has the best signal if your traveling through Canada. They have there own local company's like Rogers and several others I've never heard of. I was talking to another Neweller who mentioned using Virgin when he frequently travels up there.