Switching cell providers - need your opinion?!?!

[thcguy12]

We live in Colorado in a city. I think all the leading networks probably have great service in the city. We do a lot of camping and while all their websites show great service I hear mixed reviews of where we camp every weekend.

I am on ATT right now - pay $56 for 2gb of date and unlimited calls/texts.

I was thinking Verizon at first because they are supposedly the best.

T-Mobile has been trying to sway me over with $60 for unlimited and a free phone.

I also just found out about GOOGLE FI - they use US Cellular, Sprint, and TMobile. They refund you for any data not used. Switch between those networks and wifi to get you best deal. Sounds intriguing. I love all things Google (Chromebook, google launcher on phone, photos, play, gmail, docs, etc).

----

So any opinions on which way I should go?

Any experience with these - good or bad?

 

[kramer5150]

First of all, forget those red, pink, yellow, blue USA coverage maps. Those are totally bogus (to put it nicely). Surf on over to the opensignal www site and search the areas you frequent. I have found it to be pretty accurate, at least with my Verizon coverage. True to their reports, I have no Verizon signal at all in my neighborhood.

I am a scout leader for my sons troop and 1-2 weeknds a month were camping, backpacking, adventuring somewhere off grid. Generally we are anywhere from 1~3 hours away from city life in the bay area CA. One thing we do is compare cellular coverages. I can honestly say when you're way "out there"... nothing is going to reach you. We find ourselves in places where no one gets ANY signal. The one thing I can ABSOLUTELY say is Sprint is terrible. At no point throughout the year do the sprint phones get the strongest signals. That whole 1% ad campaign is bogus... so as long as you avoid the yellow thats a good starting point.

One thing I have noticed over the years is if there is one network to have a chance of remote area coverage... its going to be V. Now, other networks may also reach those places at the same time... but I don't recall too many circumstances where TMO has coverage and V doesn't, or ATT has coverage but V doesnt. If anything... generally its in favor of V.

You mention google Fi... There's a couple scouts or their dads on that and its been pretty good. Not much noticeable difference at all between Fi and TMO. Which kind of makes sense since Fi uses TMO network (let others provide details on signals etc...). Based strictly on coverage, I don't observe any advantage TMO over Fi. whether thats just luck of the draw, where we were at, or anything more generalized... I am not sure.

 

[thcguy12]

Google Fi doesn't use ATT I don't think (at least their website says TMobile, US Cellular, and Sprint)

 

[kramer5150]

OOps... sorry I meant TMO... brain fart

 

[kramer5150]

.. the one thing about Verizon I absolutely hate is how voice mail messages and text message attachments HAVE to be sent using their cell network. There is no way to send/receive or download either using wifi. If you are like me and live in a non-existent coverage area it sucks.

 

[LabRat]

.. the one thing about Verizon I absolutely hate is how voice mail messages and text message attachments HAVE to be sent using their cell network. There is no way to send/receive or download either using wifi. If you are like me and live in a non-existent coverage area it sucks.

The Verizon Messages + app supports sending text message attachments over WiFi.

 

[kramer5150]

The Verizon Messages + app supports sending text message attachments over WiFi.

Attachments too? My understanding is attachment files are forced over their cellular transmission.
Is it for all devices?... or just iPhones? My understanding is iPhones on V are the only ones that allow full text messages and attachments over wifi.

 

[LabRat]

Attachments too? My understanding is attachment files are forced over their cellular transmission.
Is it for all devices?... or just iPhones? My understanding is iPhones on V are the only ones that allow full text messages and attachments over wifi.

I don't have an iPhone, I can send attached photos and videos with my WiFi only tablet with this app. You have to have the app on your Verizon phone and couple them.

 

[kramer5150]

Verizon treats tablets and cell phones differently. Cellular activated devices V forces MMS data over their cellular network. Tablets (wifi only devices) they allow MMS data over wifi. SMS data they allow over either wifi or cellular. The app makes no difference. The restriction is in the carrier (unless they have indeed made changes, which I am questioning).

The difference is iPhones. Apple forces V to allow MMS over wifi on iphones, or at least give their customers the choice.... Apple has that kind of muscle.

At least this is my understanding. someone please correct me as needed.

 

[smvim]

Verizon is already planning on upping its spyware game now that our anti-regulation Congress critters sold us out:
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/...e-has-already-arrived-verizon-announces-plans
But really, I don't know if this is any kind of deal-breaker if you are going to go with Verizon, it's not like the other carriers won't be doing the same. (Remember the CarrierIQ debacle?).

 

[LeoRex]

It all depends on coverage... If you are in an area that has mostly homogenous coverage through the major carriers... then it's a matter of which carrier's plans work best for you.

In my area, T-Mobile and Verizon are essentially identical; mostly LTE everywhere with the odd dead spot that either carrier has. So it was a matter of plans. I switched when they first rolled out their carrier freedom thing and snagged the original 2 Unlimited lines for $100 plan back in... 2014 I think? In the three years since, T-Mobile went through a bunch of coverage upgrades and now the only time I don't have a signal, NO ONE has a signal. I've been quite happy with my choice.

Through timing and good fortune, I've since added three more unlimited lines that are free via bill credits... so my current plan has 5 unlimited LTE lines for $100.

Needless to say that the chances of me switching are fairly negligible.

 

[kramer5150]

The other thing I like about V is wifi hotspot hosting comes with the service. For me this works very well with their 4G coverage when I am out and about during the work week. I am a mobile worker and I need to be able to log in via my company VPN, wherever I am at. So even though every carrier is cheaper than V, when I factor in the added monthly cost of wifi hotspot hosting and my frequency of usage... its not as clear cut. I think if I were to sign onto TMO and add hotspot hosting to my plan, it would still work out to be slightly less than what I am paying now on V.

 

[Adam Matlock]

If you spend time outside of the city and like to go camping, in my experience, ATT and Verizon have the best coverage in rural and wooded areas. I hate recommending either of them. Sprint is good sometimes. Most of them do have a 15-30 day service guarantee so you could try one and if it doesn't work then maintain the status quo. Maybe ask your friends if any of them have other services and see how their service quality is.