Has Anyone Used a Verizon Pre-paid SIM while traveling in areas T-Mobile does not cover?

[pearlmikejam]

I have a trip planned in a couple of months that will take me to an area of the US that T-Mobile has confirmed that have no service. From what I can tell on their map, only Verizon has service. Can I use a Verizon pre-paid SIM to maintain service while keeping my phone/number? I do not want to be disconnected from the family for 4 days without service.

Is their another option? Keep in mind I need to keep my number.

 

[Rukbat]

Not in a TMobile phone. TMobile is GSM, Verizon is CDMA - totally different technologies. And, swepending on the particular phone, it may not cover AT&T data frequencies (you can check that on Cellular frequencies by carrier for the carriers and on Samsung Galaxy Note8 - Full phone specifications for the phone (just select the manufacturer at the upper left, then drill down). Most of AT&T uses band 17, wh9ich a TMobile phone wouldn't have (unless you like playing Russian Roulette and have a Qualcom chipset in the phone - see [GUIDE] Add all GSM and LTE bands to your ph… | Samsung Galaxy S 5).

 

[raino]

I have a trip planned in a couple of months that will take me to an area of the US that T-Mobile has confirmed that have no service. From what I can tell on their map, only Verizon has service. Can I use a Verizon pre-paid SIM to maintain service while keeping my phone/number? I do not want to be disconnected from the family for 4 days without service.

Is their another option? Keep in mind I need to keep my number.

Your desire to hold onto your number implies to me that you care about at least voice calls, and/or text messages (if you don't have an OTT messaging option.)

I can think of two options: call forwarding and Digits.

1. If it's only calls you care about, getting a Verizon network SIM and setting up call forwarding from TMO may be an option. If you want the cheapest talk/text option on the Verizon network, at the moment it seems to be Boom Mobile.

One thing I'm not sure of is if you actually need to put the SIM card in a Verizon phone during activation.
If it isn't necessary, then it's really easy: activate the SIM>get a phone number>set up CF with TMO.

Just to be safe, I'd find someone kind enough to let me use their Verizon phone for activation should I need it. Also, I'd activate before leaving.

2. Digits is the more expensive option because a) it requires you to have a Verizon phone, and b) it would require you to get a Verizon-network data plan. Once you activate service on this phone, you'd be installing Digits, and taking your TMO calls/texts on this phone.

The nuclear option would be porting out from TMO to a Verizon carrier and then back in. But I wouldn't recommend this.