Canadian hikers using Verizon pre paid cell phones

[Tallpine]

I plan on an April start in 2024 at Springer and will be buying a prepaid cell phone using Verizon. Verizon has a clause in their service that states,
” Mexico & Canada talk, text & data

If more than 50% of your talk, text or data usage in a 60-day period is in Mexico, Canada, Puerto Rico or US Virgin Islands, use of services in those destinations may be removed or limited. Also includes Unlimited talk and text to Mexico, Canada, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands when you are in the US.

It’s the second sentence in the clause that is causing some confusion. Will Verizon cancel the ability to talk or text to my family in Canada while I’m on trail if more than 50% of the usage is to Canada??? I tried contacting Verizon but the website won’t allow any communication. Does anyone have any input to which prepaid cell phone is better for Canadians to use while travelling in the States? Prepaid is better for me so I don’t enter into any contract.

[Tennessee Viking]

Verizon PrePaid Global Calling plan-
https://www.verizon.com/plans/prepai...lobal-calling/

From what I can tell, the clause you found is for the standard VZ prepaid plans. The Unlimited Plus plan gives one country at 180 min for an extra $10.
But the Global Calling add-on will give you the greatest flexibility.

[tiptoe]

Haven’t checked recently, but Tracfone offers lots of phones that do not mandate contracts. That’s what I used on my AT section hikes, and still use. Not sure about international calling, but worth checking out.


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[gpburdelljr]

Seems pretty clear to me. You can make unlimited calls/texts to Canada from the US. The 50% clause only applies to calls/texts made while in Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

[HeartFire]

Have you looked at a Holafly Esim card? (it's all digitial, no real sim card) https://esim.holafly.com/esim-usa/

[gpburdelljr]

Have you looked at a Holafly Esim card? (it's all digitial, no real sim card) https://esim.holafly.com/esim-usa/

Holafly uses AT&T and T-Mobile. I’ve always heard that Verizon has the best service on the AT.

[peakbagger]

Verizon used to have the best coverage but they bet big on 5G in urban areas and their rural build out suffered. ATT on the other hand has to do amajor build out to support their First Net commitment and have been putting in towers in rural areas big time. From what I understand, they now have the best rural coverage and Verizon is playing catch up. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_...work_Authority

[gpburdelljr]

Verizon used to have the best coverage but they bet big on 5G in urban areas and their rural build out suffered. ATT on the other hand has to do amajor build out to support their First Net commitment and have been putting in towers in rural areas big time. From what I understand, they now have the best rural coverage and Verizon is playing catch up. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_...work_Authority

Does the AT&T increased rural coverage include the AT, making it better on the AT than Verizon?

[Tallpine]

I think you’re correct. I’ve become such a pessimist that I don’t trust much of anything, especially a corporation!!

[Tallpine]

Does the AT&T increased rural coverage include the AT, making it better on the AT than Verizon?

I looked at the AT&T prepaid cell phones at Walmart and the seem to be priced better and the monthly rate is good as well.

[peakbagger]

Does the AT&T increased rural coverage include the AT, making it better on the AT than Verizon?

The AT is rural and that is where ATT has expanded. Look at the coverage map for NH and Maine https://www.firstnet.com/coverage/coverage-new.html In NH its pretty much total except down in the Pemi valley in the whites. In Maine there are still some areas without coverage like the Western High Peaks area (where Inchworm got lost 10 years ago) and the 100 wilderness as there is no grid power in much of that area and very low population. There will still be dead spots down in valleys but on the ridges. Give it a couple of years and I expect most new cell phones will have the capability of some level of communication with low earth orbit satellites so it will be non issue.