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yaam58
02-17-2017, 11:30
Hi

coming from aboard , need to know which cellular company give the beast coverage in the AT area ?

thanks

lwhikerchris
02-17-2017, 11:39
verizon supposedly

Turk6177
02-17-2017, 12:07
I have used Verizon very successfully as far north as the end of the Smokeys. I am sure it is still good after that, but I just haven't been that far yet.

Slo-go'en
02-17-2017, 12:52
Just buy a disposable Trackfone when you get here. For as little as $20 you can get a functional smartphone and another $20 gives you 3 months of service. Add data if you need it for an additional $15/ Gb.

Christoph
02-17-2017, 12:54
Verizon seemed to be the popular one with the most service in my group I hiked with.

Ckb81
02-17-2017, 12:57
Verizon, straight talk (using Verizon towers), sprint, tracfone... in order from most to least useful


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bamboo bob
02-17-2017, 17:27
In towns ATT worked fine. On trail it's off so it doesn't matter. If your using Guthook it also doesn't matter.

4eyedbuzzard
02-17-2017, 17:39
Verizon. If you want to go with Walmart straight talk (no contract) AND use Verizon towers, your phone has to be CDMA, not GSM. There are many to choose from, from simple phones to smart phones. You can get a Samsung Galaxy 4 CDMA smart phone for $99 and use it on straight talk while you're here in the US, then sell it when you're done using it.

https://get.straighttalk.com/bring-your-own-phone/shop.php?gclid=Cj0KEQiA25rFBRC8rfyX1vjeg7YBEiQAFIb 3b8KTO9KAc-wmNxo3QUY5WO1Lh42xESLdu1WJ_YUSoLAaAjro8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CIGlhfGLmNICFZBCAQodO3wGbg

Engine
02-17-2017, 17:56
In towns ATT worked fine. On trail it's off so it doesn't matter. If your using Guthook it also doesn't matter. Occasionally the need to call for a shuttle, reservations, or in a worst case scenario...help, from the trail means we use Verizon now. We tried AT&T for a couple LASH's and it was a complete failure when compared to others who used Verizon.

soumodeler
02-17-2017, 18:09
For the southern quarter, Verizon hands down has the best coverage.

bamboo bob
02-17-2017, 18:49
Occasionally the need to call for a shuttle, reservations, or in a worst case scenario...help, from the trail means we use Verizon now. We tried AT&T for a couple LASH's and it was a complete failure when compared to others who used Verizon. Yes, very occasionally I had to wait until I was at a high point to get a signal. I wouldn't all that a complete failure. That was in 2013 so perhaps they tore down some towers.

Engine
02-17-2017, 19:10
That was 2013 from Fontana Dam south...

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Sandy of PA
02-17-2017, 21:46
I have been using a cheap Tracphone 3G flip phone for the last 6 years on the trail. I have not done half of New Hampshire or any of Maine, but it has worked from mountaintops on the rest. I have only had 2 days that I could not get a signal to call home. $20 and no worry if some thing happens to it.

Slo-go'en
02-17-2017, 23:46
I've used my TracFone along most the AT with no trouble, except the places no one had service because there was none to be had. In the more remote locations your best off high up on a ridge, but that's mostly NC and Maine. Vermont can be real iffy since they don't like to see cell towers in that state.

Don H
02-19-2017, 14:31
Verizon. Very few places on the AT where you can't get a signal out for at least a text message as long at you're up on a ridge or mountain top. Many places down in the gaps where there is no signal no matter what carrier you use.

rafe
02-19-2017, 14:39
Verizon overall though not everywhere.

HelveticHiker
02-19-2017, 15:27
Just buy a disposable Trackfone when you get here. For as little as $20 you can get a functional smartphone and another $20 gives you 3 months of service. Add data if you need it for an additional $15/ Gb.

Please help: I'm also from abroad and very interested in this topic....but whats a Trackphone? Google was no big help.....

Ckb81
02-19-2017, 15:33
Please help: I'm also from abroad and very interested in this topic....but whats a Trackphone? Google was no big help.....

Tracfone is a brand of cheap phone and service in the states. It's a common "burner" phone. The coverage is pretty good and great for the price. They are available at many retailers here (Walmart, Dollar General, etc.)

http://www.tracfone.com/


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HelveticHiker
02-19-2017, 15:54
[QUOTE=Ckb81;2128886]Tracfone is a brand of cheap phone and service in the states. It's a common "burner" phone. The coverage is pretty good and great for the price. They are available at many retailers here (Walmart, Dollar General, etc.)

http://www.tracfone.com/


Thank you very much, Ckb81 - and would you recommend Tracfone? Can I go just in any Walmart and get a phone from them? Does "prepaid service" also exist in the U.S. or do I need to have a contract?

Ckb81
02-19-2017, 16:00
[QUOTE=Ckb81;2128886]Tracfone is a brand of cheap phone and service in the states. It's a common "burner" phone. The coverage is pretty good and great for the price. They are available at many retailers here (Walmart, Dollar General, etc.)

http://www.tracfone.com/


Thank you very much, Ckb81 - and would you recommend Tracfone? Can I go just in any Walmart and get a phone from them? Does "prepaid service" also exist in the U.S. or do I need to have a contract?

I would recommend it. As far as I know they don't offer accurate gps information but work fine for other typical cell phone needs. You would be able to purchase a phone and prepaid service at any Walmart.

Hope that helps!

:-)


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blw2
02-20-2017, 17:49
any T-Mobile reports? just curious.....

CarlZ993
02-20-2017, 23:33
I heard that Verizon had the best coverage. So, I went with a cell phone from StraightTalk (Walmart; prepaid wireless; cheaper than a contract phone from Verizon) that used Verizon towers. It worked ok for the most part. I hiked w/ a buddy for 700 miles who used a contract phone from Verizon. He always had better coverage than me & we were using the same towers.

This was in 2013. Unsure who has upgraded their tower coverage since then. My buddy used a contract Verizon phone this past year on his thru-hike. He seemed like he was able to post something on the web practically every night.

blw2
02-21-2017, 18:02
that could very well be the equipment too. Some phones have better antenna than others....

ldsailor
02-22-2017, 12:40
I have a Samsung S5 and Verizon service. In 2016, I had good service from Springer to the Partnership shelter in Marion, VA (as far as I went). There will always be dead spots and I found my share, but hands down, the best service is Verizon. AT&T customers had no service at all except in a few towns or at least that is what they told me when talk turned to cell phone service.

TTT
02-22-2017, 12:59
At the risk of sounding like a total idiot, does this Trackfone have a built-in camera?

illabelle
02-22-2017, 13:07
I have a Samsung S5 and Verizon service. In 2016, I had good service from Springer to the Partnership shelter in Marion, VA (as far as I went). There will always be dead spots and I found my share, but hands down, the best service is Verizon. AT&T customers had no service at all except in a few towns or at least that is what they told me when talk turned to cell phone service.

We use AT&T. We had okay service generally, but not as good as Verizon. The most disappointing thing was that AT&T was entirely useless in Hot Springs, NC. Last I knew, Hot Springs was an actual town, and real people live there. Apparently AT&T knows nothing about it.

JC13
02-22-2017, 14:47
At the risk of sounding like a total idiot, does this Trackfone have a built-in camera?They offer a variety of phones with features based on the price you are willing to pay. Any non-smartphone is going to have a ~3 Megapixel camera at best or thereabouts.

TTT
02-22-2017, 19:20
thanks - I'm an alien to all this

rafe
02-22-2017, 20:20
We use AT&T. We had okay service generally, but not as good as Verizon. The most disappointing thing was that AT&T was entirely useless in Hot Springs, NC. Last I knew, Hot Springs was an actual town, and real people live there. Apparently AT&T knows nothing about it.

My Verizon phone couldn't make a data connection either, in that town. I was wanting to share an old photo with the young fella baking bread in the kitchen at Elmers' place.

illabelle
02-22-2017, 22:31
My Verizon phone couldn't make a data connection either, in that town. I was wanting to share an old photo with the young fella baking bread in the kitchen at Elmers' place.

That's surprising. I don't understand why these companies don't have service there. Maybe there's some sort of local ordinance preventing it?

Venchka
02-22-2017, 22:40
We use AT&T. We had okay service generally, but not as good as Verizon. The most disappointing thing was that AT&T was entirely useless in Hot Springs, NC. Last I knew, Hot Springs was an actual town, and real people live there. Apparently AT&T knows nothing about it.

We live in a similar AT&T Black Hole. We finally switched to Verizon. We now have functional cell phones.
Our Verizon service worked in Hot Springs.
Wayne


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shelb
02-24-2017, 02:14
This past summer, I hiked Springer to Clingman's Dome. I was the ONLY person who ALWAYS had coverage. I have Verizon. Most of the other people RARELY had any coverage... for days at a time!

I past years, I have hiked Harpers Ferry to the NJ/NY border. Verizon had sporadic coverage in those areas; whereas, AT & T had better. Note: Sporadic coverage means that I could still get coverage at least once a day and maybe had to move around at a shelter to get service.

Helopilot
03-02-2017, 17:44
I hiked last year from Springer to just south of Harper's Ferry. Verizon had excellent coverage, especially through NC and the GSMNP (one morning I facetimed with my grandkids, the coverage was that good in GSMNP). Other hikers that had AT&T had some coverage in town but not on the trail (until Virginia). Sprint and T-mobile was nonexistent in coverage in the southern 500 miles.

Helopilot
03-02-2017, 17:48
any T-Mobile reports? just curious.....

Any person I met with T-mobile always complained that they had no service

Miner
03-02-2017, 22:43
There is only one reason I have put up with Verizon over the last several years. They tend to have better coverage out in the sticks so its somewhat usable when I go hiking anywhere in the US. Just because you get a better plan with an off carrier like T-Mobile, its pointless if you can't use it when you need it. For my brother who never leaves the city, he doesn't need Verizon.

MuddyWaters
03-03-2017, 00:39
There is only one reason I have put up with Verizon over the last several years. They tend to have better coverage out in the sticks so its somewhat usable when I go hiking anywhere in the US. Just because you get a better plan with an off carrier like T-Mobile, its pointless if you can't use it when you need it. For my brother who never leaves the city, he doesn't need Verizon.

Verizon has largest network and best coverage overall. Proud of it, and charge accordingly. But yeah, they made real effort at rural locations while ATT didnt.


We live in a similar AT&T Black Hole. We finally switched to Verizon. We now have functional cell phones.
Our Verizon service worked in Hot Springs.
Wayne


Yep, i work occassionally in a small town , no good ATT reception for 60 miles, had to get verizon phone for work. Walmart dont even bother to sell att go phones. Funny ATT coverage map shows service....


I heard that Verizon had the best coverage. So, I went with a cell phone from StraightTalk (Walmart; prepaid wireless; cheaper than a contract phone from Verizon) that used Verizon towers. It worked ok for the most part. I hiked w/ a buddy for 700 miles who used a contract phone from Verizon. He always had better coverage than me & we were using the same towers.
.


With a mvno you only get verizon towers, no roaming at all. With verizon service you roam on sprint and other regionally owned cdma towers for voice, and data on lots more 4glte towers. So even though you have verizon thru the mvno...you have less towers. You are limited to ONLY verizon towers. Your data speeds are also capped. And theres no data and voice at same time. Verizon mvno is still better than ATT...

Of course as mentioned, some phones may be better than others too with weak signals