Anyone from central AL?

[harryg27]

My dad's been debating whether or not to switch the family from AT&T to Verizon. Is it worth it?

 

[Unobtanium]

Is it worth it?

Short answer: It depends.

Long answer: Only you guys can make the ultimate decision. I'm not in Alabama, but have driven through many times, though not since I went to a smartphone. In looking at VZW's coverage map, there are large LTE areas, but also many areas with no data coverage.

The first, most important thing is will the phone or device work as you want and expect in places you live, work, go to school, and play? Some of this can be gleaned from the maps, but they don't tell the whole story. I was on a business trip a couple of years ago in southern California. According to VZW's map, I was well inside coverage. However, inside the hotel's conference areas, there was little to no VZW voice or data signal. So find out from friends and neighbors how their VZW coverage is where you are.

Second, price and plans. If you switch from AT&T to Verizon, you need all new devices, since the two encoding systems and frequencies are different. So you either have to pony up full retail to avoid contracts, or pay some $$ and lock in to a 2-year contract. And you only have 14 days to decide if you made a good choice, so make the switch only when you can give the new service and devices a full work out in those places.

Verizon doesn't do roll-over voice minutes, and you generally can't get unlimited data on new contracts (one possible exception is if you or a family member is a Government employee). Verizon's monthly costs can be high, and the number of phones, number of minutes voice you need, amount of texting, etc. all drive these costs. If you need something special (e.g., roaming into Canada) your costs can soar for data.

We've been with Verizon for 12 years (since they were Airtouch) and are generally happy. Your mileage may vary.