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Phone Service for Fulltiming

Yahoo Message Number: 7419
Hello out there in cellular phone land.
Just had my semiannual spat with AT&T. Seems like they want to reneg on all the features for which I just signed up.

For the last two and a half years, I've had the AT&T one rate, with 1000 free nights and weekends and 500 free mobile to mobile. After reupping for the features one month ago with a verbal confirmation from their operator, we now find they aren't holdiong to their word.

Being a fulltimer the one rate (no long distance, no roaming) has worked well. My question is: What other options, phone services, etc., have worked well for any of you?

Thank you

Jeff 2002 Intrigue 11433

Re: Phone Service for Fulltiming

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 7423
Jeff;

We too are fulltiming and have been using Verizon National Single Rate, no roaming or long distance from/to anywhere nationally. We pay $55.00 for 400 minutes.
They also have Express Net and Quick 2 net included which allows data transfer (internet, etc.). This comes in handy whenever we aren't/can't use the Mototsat.
Been pleased with the service, although it was a little "bumpy" getting started. It takes awhile to set up the automatic payment and data transfer options.

Chuck

03 Intrigue 11673

Re: Phone Service for Fulltiming

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 7424
Since I am not fulltiming yet, I still have two cell phone. AT&T and Verizon. Pros and cons described below:

A year ago I stayed at Emerald Desert RV park. Had problems with AT&T, worked with AT&T to get them to test their signals, unfortunately when they came to the entrance of the park, they did not come into the park so the problem was not identified -- they said the strength was great! But based upon my interviews with many people talking on cell phones in the street, I discovered that it was the AT&T folks who had to leave their RV and stand in the middle of the street to make reliable calls, while Verizon customers sat in the RV's. My wife's Verizon phone worked great. Combined with other similar problems, I decided to give the AT&T phone to my wife, and I upgraded her 2 year old Verizon phone for me (I still work full time for HP and needed the best coverage).

Now with Verizon cell phone in hand on future trips, I find I have good cellular coverage for voice. Apparently a very extensive network of their own towers and agreements with other smaller companies. BUT, I find more areas than with AT&T where it is NOT Digital or where it does not support text paging. A real pain when you are expecting text pages but out of a digital cell. Still great voice coverage. When you finally drive back to the digital area, I am blasted with pages. I have tried calling Verizon to find out if a particular small town has paging or Digital -- they often can't say for sure. They could not even give a firm answer about Branson, which turned out to be Digital.

Another interesting feature with Verizon. Had to wait 6 months to get their mobile office kit for my LG VX4400 phone. Now my cellphone can be a modem for my laptop. Two options: 14.4 kbps connection using your airtime minutes IF YOU ARE IN A DIGITAL AREA, which if you can wait until after 9 p.m. or on weekends is unlimited time. Works good, but slow. As my wife was driving down HW 5 in California, I called Verizon and asked about their EXPRESS NETWORK.
For $80/month, which would be prorated to the day if I started and then later stopped it, I turned it on for a week while traveling.
Over 100 kbps with no additional airtime charge for unlimited connect time day or night. I surfed the internet and did some of my HP work while she drive the next 100 miles, and I was smoothly passed from cell site to cell site. In San diego it worked better than Chula Vista's non-standard wireless internet connection (not standard wi-fi) and less expensive, but not as fast as LA's area Orangeland RV park's wi-fi.

When I hit the road almost full time next year, I will probably keep the Verizon as I won't require the paging. From what I hear, Verizon and AT&T are the two major companies for RVers. (And I am doing some serious thinking about getting a two-way internet satellite antenna -- check out this site: http://www.where-rv- now.com/ -- a wonderful, well written, travel log by a couple with a MotoSat on a small Class C going some places we probably would not take our coaches).
Herb

Allure 2002 #30690

Re: Phone Service for Fulltiming

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 7425
- In, a word, there is only one to get...Verizon..............I go from wa. state to fl. up to maine all OVER IT WORK'S FINE. IN SMALL OUT OF THE WAY TOWNS.... IF YOU WISH TO TALK AND NOT BE LIKE THE OTHERS WALKING UP AND DOWN THE ROAD LOOKING FOR SEV. I HAVE A PLACE IN NC. 25 MILES FROM TOWN, AND YES IT WORKES THERE TO GOOD LUCK-- CAPT. DAN # 30498 In Country-Coach- Owners@yahoogroups.com, "Herb & Melitta Strandberg" wrote:

Quote
Since I am not fulltiming yet, I still have two cell phone. AT&T > and Verizon. Pros and cons described below: >

A year ago I stayed at Emerald Desert RV park. Had problems with > AT&T, worked with AT&T to get them to test their signals, > unfortunately when they came to the entrance of the park, they did > not come into the park so the problem was not identified -- they > said the strength was great! But based upon my interviews with

many

Quote
people talking on cell phones in the street, I discovered that it > was the AT&T folks who had to leave their RV and stand in the

middle

Quote
of the street to make reliable calls, while Verizon customers sat

in

Quote
the RV's. My wife's Verizon phone worked great. Combined with > other similar problems, I decided to give the AT&T phone to my

wife,

Quote
and I upgraded her 2 year old Verizon phone for me (I still work > full time for HP and needed the best coverage).

Now with Verizon cell phone in hand on future trips, I find I have > good cellular coverage for voice. Apparently a very extensive > network of their own towers and agreements with other smaller > companies. BUT, I find more areas than with AT&T where it is NOT > Digital or where it does not support text paging. A real pain

when

Quote
you are expecting text pages but out of a digital cell. Still

great

Quote
voice coverage. When you finally drive back to the digital area,

I

Quote
am blasted with pages. I have tried calling Verizon to find out

if

Quote
a particular small town has paging or Digital -- they often can't > say for sure. They could not even give a firm answer about

Branson,

Quote
which turned out to be Digital.

Another interesting feature with Verizon. Had to wait 6 months to > get their mobile office kit for my LG VX4400 phone. Now my > cellphone can be a modem for my laptop. Two options: 14.4 kbps > connection using your airtime minutes IF YOU ARE IN A DIGITAL

AREA,

Quote
which if you can wait until after 9 p.m. or on weekends is

unlimited

Quote
time. Works good, but slow. As my wife was driving down HW 5 in > California, I called Verizon and asked about their EXPRESS

NETWORK.

Quote
For $80/month, which would be prorated to the day if I started and > then later stopped it, I turned it on for a week while traveling.
Over 100 kbps with no additional airtime charge for unlimited > connect time day or night. I surfed the internet and did some of

my

Quote
HP work while she drive the next 100 miles, and I was smoothly > passed from cell site to cell site. In San diego it worked better > than Chula Vista's non-standard wireless internet connection (not > standard wi-fi) and less expensive, but not as fast as LA's area > Orangeland RV park's wi-fi.

When I hit the road almost full time next year, I will probably

keep

Quote
the Verizon as I won't require the paging. From what I hear, > Verizon and AT&T are the two major companies for RVers. (And I am > doing some serious thinking about getting a two-way internet > satellite antenna -- check out this site: http://www.where-rv- > now.com/ -- a wonderful, well written, travel log by a couple with

a

Quote
MotoSat on a small Class C going some places we probably would not > take our coaches).

Herb

Allure 2002 #30690

Re: Phone Service for Fulltiming

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 7426
We are definitely in the minority among full-timers as we use Sprint PCS. Our choice because both AT&T and Verizon only work while standing outside at our So. Cal. winter base park. Sprint added towers along the highway and we have excellent service from inside the coach. We spend a total of about four month there, so use the cell phone a lot.

While traveling, Sprint is generally okay along most interstates and in kind of a "W" shape over the U.S. (okay along west coast, across AZ, metro TX, then up the Mississippi Valley, then across LA, FL and up the east coast, Also good coverage in metro areas of rust belt.
We use PSC data capability with connection to PC for emails (slow at 14.4 kbs). If you get a PCS Vision phone & service, the cable and software from Radio Shack will allow a much faster connnection (supposedly at almost broadband speeds); but you have to be ina PCS Vision area.

Sawbuck

2002 Magna Resort #6159

Re: Phone Service for Fulltiming

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 7427
I agree with using Verizon. We have been FT for 2 years and go from coast to coast and South Dakota to Texas. If they don't have a digital tower, you will get analog, but at least you can talk. The nationwide no roaming and no long distance is great.

Judith and Mark
96 Magna 5325

Re: Phone Service for Fulltiming

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 7428
I second Capt Dan...Verizon has the best overall service. Their customer care reps have always been courteous, helpful, fair, AND kept their word. I too had issues with AT&T {more like monthly than semi-annually!) so I gave the phone away and paid to get out of the contract. I also have Nextel with free incoming. It workswell for us. Happy Holidays, Candace

Re: Phone Service for Fulltiming

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 7431
We travel extensively in our coach and work full time from our cell phone. We do not have many options for service in our hometown. We have service with two different carriers, Verizon and Nextel. The Nextel is fine if you are on the interstate and in a Nextel area. The only reason we keep it is for the free incoming minutes.

Our other phones are with Verizon. We currently have the America's Choice plan but when we travel out of that area (which as mentioned in a previous post, is difficult to determine ahead of time) we change the plan to the one rate plan which works anywhere there is any tower.

Herb,

After some checking I found out that you do not have to be on Verizon's "Express Network" to get fast internet service. I connect via Verizon's "network" with out paying the extra and the connection speed is 115K. You can only connect while in a digital area (same as the Express network) and it uses your minutes during the day but with nights and weekends free.....You don't need to pay extra unless you don't want to use your minutes. BTW it uses the same cable and software.

Tammy

Quote from: jeffefine
Hello out there in cellular phone land.

Just had my semiannual spat with AT&T. Seems like they want to

reneg

Re: Phone Service for Fulltiming

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 7436
In a message dated 12/3/2003 12:21:01 PM Pacific Standard Time, cdhollick@... writes:
been

courteous, helpful, fair, AND kept their word. I too had issues with AT&T {more like monthly than semiannually!) so I gave the phone away and paid to get out of the contract. >>

I think customer service is good and bad with all carriers. I had Verizon for three years. They overcharged, couldn't get the billing right month after month, kept promising to reverse certain charges and didn't so in March of this year I dropped them and went with Sprint as I knew that I wouldn't be "off the beaten path" this year. Plus, Sprint has the best "new tech" stuff. We have been in areas where you can't get a signal with Verizon and could with ATT and Sprint and other areas where you could only connect with Verizon. Verizon does have the best coverage when you're on the back-roads.
When I go back "on the road" I will resign with Verizon, but will keep Sprint.

Robert

Re: Phone Service for Fulltiming

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 7440
Hi Robert, I had the same problems you memtioned only with ATT. I have never used Sprint, their TV ads look good. We are mostly in So Calif or Oregon, so Verizon works when Nextel doesnt. I think youre right, we all experience different things with customer service with each company. I love Nextel and have had service with them for 7 years. I like free incoming, walkie talkie, and internet for $10 a month unlimited. I am typing this on my cell. Candace

Re: Phone Service for Fulltiming

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 7448
There is a Yahoo group "InternetByCellPhone" where you can get lots of information on this topic. Lots of knowledgable folks on the list.
I use Verizon with ExpressNet (when available)or Verizon Quick 2 Net. When out of a Verizon network, I have an Ositech King of Clubs modem and can use an ISP dial up number.

Ree

Full-Timin' 2003 Allure 30852 -- temporarily back in Texas

Re: Phone Service for Fulltiming

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 7496
I read with interest the discussion about cell phone coverages and services. I am about to hit the road in the next few months for some extended travels of 3-4 months at a time. We will be traveling in areas that have either analog or digital services and areas that will likely have no service, like areas of the upper mid-west . I need to get something for voice as well as internet/email connection. Could everyone recommending the Verison services be more specific as to name of plan, model of phone, model of interface cable or PC card used and the ISP used.

Jim Hughes

2000 Allure #30511

Quote from: Tammy
We travel extensively in our coach and work full time from our

cell

Quote
phone. We do not have many options for service in our hometown.

We

Quote
have service with two different carriers, Verizon and Nextel. The > Nextel is fine if you are on the interstate and in a Nextel area.

The

Quote
only reason we keep it is for the free incoming minutes.

Our other phones are with Verizon. We currently have the

America's

Quote
Choice plan but when we travel out of that area (which as

mentioned

Quote
in a previous post, is difficult to determine ahead of time) we > change the plan to the one rate plan which works anywhere there is > any tower.

Herb,

After some checking I found out that you do not have to be on > Verizon's "Express Network" to get fast internet service. I

connect

Quote
via Verizon's "network" with out paying the extra and the

connection

Quote
speed is 115K. You can only connect while in a digital area (same

as

Quote
the Express network) and it uses your minutes during the day but

with

Quote
nights and weekends free.....You don't need to pay extra unless

you

Quote
don't want to use your minutes. BTW it uses the same cable and > software.

Tammy

[quote author=jeffefine"

> Hello out there in cellular phone land.
>

> Just had my semiannual spat with AT&T. Seems like they want to > reneg

> on all the features for which I just signed up.
>

> For the last two and a half years, I've had the AT&T one rate,

with

Quote
1000 free nights and weekends and 500 free mobile to mobile.

After

Quote
reupping for the features one month ago with a verbal

confirmation

Quote
from their operator, we now find they aren't holdiong to their

word.

Quote

> Being a fulltimer the one rate (no long distance, no roaming)

has

Quote
worked well. My question is: What other options, phone

services,
 

Re: Phone Service for Fulltiming

Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 7501
Jim,

Verizon has two different plans with no roaming and no long distance charges. The one they push is the America's Choice plan. With this plan they have agreements with various carriers around the country to share towers. It gives fair coverage around the country. In large metro areas the map will show service (or not) but for small cities and towns the only way you know for sure if you will have service is too look at the phone when you get there. No one at Verizon has been able to tell me if service is available in "small town USA".
Apparently they have the same crummy map as is shown on in the store and website. This plan is cheaper than the other but more limited service. You get free nights and weekends. You can share minutes between your "family phones" (on the shared plan). You also have unlimited mobile to mobile minutes with your shared phones or 1000 minutes with other Verizon customers.

The other plan is the National Singlerate. It is good anywhere you can get reception. It is a little more expensive but the only place you don't get service is where no one can get service.
As far as internet service......... You don't need any special plan for the internet. You must be in a digital area (I'm not sure if it is only in their digital areas or any digitial area). You need the USB cable and software that they sell you for their internet service, Verizon Wireless Mobile Office. You don't need a ISP because the connection is included in the software. They do have internet plans, some unlimited. Without their internet plans you use the minutes that are on your voice plan. If you want more minutes you should compare the internet plans and the voice plans to see which is more cost effective for you. I have used my own ISP (AT&T $10.95/mo) to connect but it is very slow (slower than dial up on a land line) whereas I get 115k connections with the Mobile Office connection.

If you go to www. VerizonWireless.com you can look at all the plans and coverage areas. Don't let the service reps tell you that you need the internet plans to get service, they don't know. I have been told that if you call and talk to internet support they will tell you the truth about not needing the internet service but I haven't called myself. Of course they are trying to sell the service. I have used their service as I have described in travels from Florida to North Carolina to Missouri and Texas. I can give you a little more info during the next week as I go back to North Carolina. I usually connect to the internet once I get where I'm going but I can watch the phone this week as we travel to see how much we go in and out of Verizon area and also if I can connect in a digital area not Verizon's.

As far as phones........... We work from our phones while traveling and might use 200 to 300 minutes in a day. I have had very good luck with Motorola phones I bought (with Verizon and Nextel). They have very good battery life. I two model T720c's. It is a small flip phone. The reps can tell you which phones are tri mode phones that will work on their system.

As I said earlier, you just need the Mobile Office package they sell in the stores. You won't need a PC card or ISP unless you want dial up too.

I hope this helps and If I can get you any more info this week I will forward it on as well.

Good luck and have fun on your travels.

Tammy

Intrigue 10250

Quote from: Jim Hughes
I read with interest the discussion about cell phone coverages and > services. I am about to hit the road in the next few months for > some extended travels of 3-4 months at a time. We will be

traveling

Quote
in areas that have either analog or digital services and areas that > will likely have no service, like areas of the upper mid-west . I > need to get something for voice as well as internet/email > connection. Could everyone recommending the Verison services be > more specific as to name of plan, model of phone, model of

interface

Quote
cable or PC card used and the ISP used.

Jim Hughes

2000 Allure #30511

[quote author=Tammy"

> We travel extensively in our coach and work full time from our > cell

> phone. We do not have many options for service in our hometown.
We

> have service with two different carriers, Verizon and Nextel.

The

Quote
Nextel is fine if you are on the interstate and in a Nextel area.
The

> only reason we keep it is for the free incoming minutes.
>

> Our other phones are with Verizon. We currently have the > America's

> Choice plan but when we travel out of that area (which as > mentioned

> in a previous post, is difficult to determine ahead of time) we > > change the plan to the one rate plan which works anywhere there

is

Quote
any tower.
>

> Herb,

> After some checking I found out that you do not have to be on > > Verizon's "Express Network" to get fast internet service. I > connect

> via Verizon's "network" with out paying the extra and the > connection

> speed is 115K. You can only connect while in a digital area

(same