cellular coverage on the AT

[blw2]

any T-Mobile reports? just curious.....

[CarlZ993]

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]

that could very well be the equipment too. Some phones have better antenna than others....

[ldsailor]

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]

At the risk of sounding like a total idiot, does this Trackfone have a built-in camera?

[illabelle]

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]

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]

thanks - I'm an alien to all this

[rafe]

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]

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]

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


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[shelb]

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]

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]

any T-Mobile reports? just curious.....

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

[Miner]

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]

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