My wife and I are wanting to change cell phone carriers from AT&T to anything. My other two viable choices in the area are Verizon and Sprint and maybe Alltel. Bear in mind that I one day plan to get on a VRS network and I was told that some carriers have problems with latency.
Could any of you guys give me some pros and cons of the networks you've had experiences with?
Thanks,
Phillip
I had T-Mobile for nearly 9 years. It was a tough decision to leave them but I wanted 3G coverage and they just couldn't fit the bill. Plus their phone selection had always been atrocious. But customer support was excellent. Probably my only complaint about that was wait time.
I ended up with Verizon and have had them now for almost 7 months. Sure, I pay a little more now but I had no idea what I was missing! The phone selection is great, customer support is even better than T-Mobile (I get a person in the U.S. almost immediately) and I have yet to find an area with no coverage. 3G speed is fast and everywhere and I absolutely LOVE my Droid.
So, while T-Mobile is great in many ways, Verizon trumps them many times over. You get what you pay for.
One thing to consider though: I read far different opinions of each carrier in different parts of the country. Verizon may work awesomely for me here in Oregon, but it may suck horribly in other areas.
Here I get 3G with T mobile about anywhere. Funniest thing is I get 3G in the AT&T building and the people using AT&T have to go outside to get a signal.
I started off with CellOne which got bought out by AllTell which got bought out by Verizon.
Verizon is a real love / hate relationship. They are our land line carrier around here and I despise them.
They have been good with cell and there is a big store in town where I can get decent service. Coverage is good every where - even places I wouldn't expect. And my cell modem works good - even in a moving car (when I am a passenger).
I have AT&T for my personal cell and Verizon (and AT&T data phones) at work....
Both work fine on VRS networks.
Each has better/worse coverage than the other depending on where you are.
Wendell...I am getting my Droid X next month!
Tom Bryant PLS
Saint Louis MO
When I first got a cellphone, everyone was on roam half the time. Verizon had free roaming, so I went with them.
My phone will ring most anywhere when those on other providers will not.
Since they took in Alltell, coverage has improved and signal strength is still getting better.
In my experience, Verizon is better in the Northern part of the 48 states and ATT is better in the Southern part. Verizon should have improved in the Southern part with the acquisition of Alltel. It is a regional thing.
SJ
I carry my personal AT&T phone and my State Verizon cellphone. I find Verizon generally works in more places especially rural areas but isn't necessarily as good quality as AT&T when it works.
AT&T seems to work best in urban areas.
On Mount Zion there is an AT&T tower. My AT&T phone is pegged there and my Verizon phone can't get sufficient signal which I assume is because of the powerful AT&T signal. This is a first, AT&T worked and Verizon didn't.
This is in California, of course. Verizon could suck other places. My limited experience is Verizon works in more places but isn't necessarily as strong when it does work.
ATT advertises they have excellent coverage in my town, Alexandria, LA, yet when I drive across town on the cell phone I will generally get dropped about once every 5 minutes or so, at least. Seems like false advertising. Cell companies are not regulated by the Louisiana Public Service Commission.
I use a TracFone @ 9 cents a minute. I get coverage comparable to Verizon's in my State. I spend about 12 dollars a month on average and pay for only the time I use.
