Question Available Service Provider Lists by Location

[jdroid8]

Our home and town do not have access to cell towers. The only way to get tower-based cell phone coverage is...sometimes…on the road.

My wife has Verizon but it has been very problematic. The problems she’s suffered have been so profound that last week the phone (see signature) was unusable and...Verizon store people (2 hours away) were able to do nothing and sent her (5 hours away, in the opposite direction) to Verizon “corporate stores” where after 3 hours, doing things like removing and then restoring her phone number, they’ve restored phone functionality, only to have the same problems reoccur the next day. (this has happened with her Verizon-simmed iPhone and her current Motorola).

Verizon is far from the least expensive carrier and now it seems not able to ensure proper phone operation. Verizon is also next to impossible to contact through the Internet or another phone (e.g., my Samsung).

What is the best way to find out what other services are available in our area and where their phone stores are located?

 

[B. Diddy]

I haven't tried it recently, but check the OpenSignal app, which is a crowdsourced map of signal strength.

 

[smvim]

The OpenSignal app does include the feature of a local map and available cell tower/cellular access point locations but do note that because it is crowd-sourced that's a plus and a minus. With a densely-populated locale that have a lot of OpenSignal contributors submitting usage data its map is quite useful. But when it involves a more sparsely-populated area, there just aren't enough users to submit data so the map might be relevant to you. Your posting implies the latter. Cellular carriers usually have their own coverage maps but they're also not very reliable, depending on location of course, that's a benefit of crowd-sourced maps that show actual, real-time data instead.

Anyway, have you looked into Musk's Starlink service, or some other satellite-based cellular service?

Also, do you have a cable-based, broadband ISP connection to your home?

 

[jdroid8]

That sounds like a fascinating application, sort of an Ookla for WiFi signals.

I’m looking to find other Cellular phone service providers. I’d like to know the ones who think their signal will cover this area. I already know three that don’t: US Cellular, Google Fi, and Verizon; and oh the one sponsored by Dish network, who, like all the others, insists its signal does cover this area. One doesn’t seem to be able to keep their phones working; one continued to bill us for a year pending their refusal to admit they didn’t serve us; and the other has its set of problems.

Are there others; who are they; and where are their offices?

 

[jdroid8]

The OpenSignal app does include the feature of a local map and available cell tower/cellular access point locations but do note that because it is crowd-sourced that's a plus and a minus. With a densely-populated locale that have a lot of OpenSignal contributors submitting usage data its map is quite useful. But when it involves a more sparsely-populated area, there just aren't enough users to submit data so the map might be relevant to you. Your posting implies the latter. Cellular carriers usually have their own coverage maps but they're also not very reliable, depending on location of course, that's a benefit of crowd-sourced maps that show actual, real-time data instead.

Anyway, have you looked into Musk's Starlink service, or some other satellite-based cellular service?

Also, do you have a cable-based, broadband ISP connection to your home?

Thanks for the clarification.

No, I thought the Musk service was an ISP that only handled Internet services. (I'd gone the Hughes route and that was a disaster.)

And no, we don't have cable-based ISP services, ours is a pretty good WiFi / router based ISP

 

[B. Diddy]

That sounds like a fascinating application, sort of an Ookla for WiFi signals.

I’m looking to find other Cellular phone service providers. I’d like to know the ones who think their signal will cover this area. I already know three that don’t: US Cellular, Google Fi, and Verizon; and oh the one sponsored by Dish network, who, like all the others, insists its signal does cover this area. One doesn’t seem to be able to keep their phones working; one continued to bill us for a year pending their refusal to admit they didn’t serve us; and the other has its set of problems.

Are there others; who are they; and where are their offices?

You're really just limited to the big 3 -- Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. All other MVNOs (like Mint, Visible, etc.) just use the towers from the big 3. Google Fi uses T-Mobile, so if that doesn't work, then your only other option is AT&T (unless you want to look into satellite service, which I think still tends to be more expensive and significantly slower).

 

[jdroid8]

Interesting you should mention Mint (Mobile). Interesting because an add for Mint just appeared on TV and I remembered that I’d heard about it before.

I use US Cellular (the closest office is over 2 hours away). I know it piggybacks off other towers, as you say all services other than “the big 3”.

I agree completely that satellite services are usually significantly slower than non satellite-based operations.

But in this case, I’m asking about companies like Mint, not because I believe it’s discovered some unknown tower floating in the Pacific (oh no! now you know I’m in California) but because it might have closer, or better facilities that can deal with her phone. (Regarding Mint Mobile, it seems impossible to find any Mint store. Maybe there’s a T-mobile store somewhere nearby???)

Also, I fully expect Verizon (who is more than happy to collect our monthly fee even though the phone neither can transmit nor receive calls) to eventually suggest that if we pay another over $1000--which we can pay off monthly for years whether we get service or not--that we might even be able to get a phone that works even though it’ll have to get its signal off of the Internet…

(We did however hear of someone who's son's phone didn't work--I don't know the service--and he managed to go to the service provider and exchange the phone for one that did work without having to pay for a different or newer phone....)

So I'm back to asking the names of other phone service providers who have stores where experts can be consulted...

 

[Laura Knotek]

(Regarding Mint Mobile, it seems impossible to find any Mint store.)

Mint Mobile is online only. They don't have brick&mortar stores.

 

[smvim]

Thanks for the clarification.

No, I thought the Musk service was an ISP that only handled Internet services. (I'd gone the Hughes route and that was a disaster.)

And no, we don't have cable-based ISP services, ours is a pretty good WiFi / router based ISP

If you have no cable based ISP connectivity (a cable being physical wires, i.e coax, phone line, fiber). that leaves wireless connectivity as your other option. What is your home router connecting to for any kind of Internet access?

While that might help reveal a viable option, since you don't have adequate cellular coverage from any of the major cellular services you don't have a lot of options. Have you looked into a femtocell or cellular booster? Avoid the cellular-only ones and focus on the broadband-in/cellular signal out ones. The former relies upon a cellular signal as its feed (apparently not a good option for your situation), the latter relies on a broadband connection as its feed.
As an example, here's one from Verizon:

Verizon LTE Nework Extender, Up To 16 Users | Shop Now

The Verizon LTE Network Extender enhances existing LTE coverage in your home or office and supports up to 16 users. Get it today at Verizon.

www.verizon.com

Plenty of alternatives on Amazon and Newegg, just avoid the cheap ones.

I hesitantly keep referring to Starlink given its owner, but it is a rapidly growing service that's more than just wireless Internet access:

Starlink

High-speed internet. Available almost anywhere on Earth.

www.starlink.com

https://www.pcmag.com/news/spacex-cellular-starlink-system-works-on-iphone-pixel-galaxy-devices

How long ago did you try out Hughsnet? If recently than I'd write it off your list of options but if it's been a couple of years keep in mind there's a lot of upgrading in the back end of most cellular services. A lot of people mistakenly hang on to dated, old opinions but along with all the static stuff there's also a lot of revision too.