any T-Mobile reports? just curious.....
any T-Mobile reports? just curious.....
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.
2013 AT Thru-hike: 3/21 to 8/19
Schedule: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...t1M/edit#gid=0
that could very well be the equipment too. Some phones have better antenna than others....
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.
At the risk of sounding like a total idiot, does this Trackfone have a built-in camera?
AT: 695.7 mi
Benton MacKaye Trail '20
Pinhoti Trail '18-19'
@leonidasonthetrail https://www.youtube.com/c/LeonidasontheTrail
thanks - I'm an alien to all this
Eddie Valiant: "That lame-brain freeway idea could only be cooked up by a toon."
https://wayne-ayearwithbigfootandbubba.blogspot.com
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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.
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.
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.
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....
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
Last edited by MuddyWaters; 03-03-2017 at 00:59.