Cell phone service providers - Montana Owners Club

stiles watson · 02-19-2007, 03:57 PM

As has been posted, we will be returning to the States around March 1. I have an HP iPAC with a Hong Kong SIM card. I find that some or most USA providers use proprietary devices with built in SIMs and will not supply me a SIM to use with my HP iPac.

Since I have been out of the loop for 18 months, I would appreciate some current feedback on providers. I am not inclined to use Sprint, based on former experience, but would consider others.

What I am looking for is having the highest degree of coverage (fewest dead spots) across the country. In the past, that has been Verizon. Perhaps another company has overtaken them in range of service. Verizon will not provide a SIM for my HP iPac.

Montana Sky · 02-19-2007, 05:26 PM

Stiles,
I run Cingular for my cell provider. I have been corner to corner and just about everywhere in between in this great country of ours over the past 2.5 years. I have found Cingular to be very good. There are a few dead spots (as with any carrier), but overall I am very happy with their service and coverage. I was originally with AT&T Wireless, they became Cingular, now they are going back to AT&T Wireless.

Driftwoodgal · 02-20-2007, 01:44 AM

We have Cingular as well. Hubby hasn't found any areas where it doesn't work when traveling doing insurance adjusting. We had Verizon before and had problems. We haven't used our cells in the Northern states so I can't say they are good all over the US.

Montana Sky,

Kind of crazy that we had to change from ATT Wireless to Cingular and now back to ATT Wireless.

Colleen

jrgwdenner · 02-20-2007, 02:32 AM

Stiles, as I have reported in the past, we have had great success with Verizon. It even works in Texas and even out in the desert near Quartzite. Bill and Helen Moll have had both Cingular and Verizon and gave up their Cingular card because it didn't work as well as the Verizon one. I'm sure you could email her for a personal opinion.

Safe travels as you return to the USA!

padredw · 02-20-2007, 03:21 AM

Stiles, we have used Alltel for many years. We have a "nationwide" plan and never have charges for roaming or long distance, just the basic monthly fee. One reason we like Alltel is that we have an excellent signal out here in the country (East Texas). We have almost never found a 'dead spot' in our travels. Full disclosure: we do NOT use any mobile service for internet connection; we depend on WIFI--which means we sometimes are disappointed. Our cell phone is just that: a phone. We have the Motorola Razr. Don't know about changing out the SIM card.

Welcome back to Texas. We were through Marquez with our Montana on the way back from the Valley. Naturally, we thought of you.

richfaa · 02-20-2007, 03:53 AM

What follks report about their coverage is informative and a factor in choosing a carrier...however we all travel and live in different places and use our service in different ways. We researched the different carriers in term of technology and markets they service. One carrier may be a outstanding local or regional carrier but will not do well on a national bassis. We have cingular cell service because cingular is a excellent carrier in our local and regional area (Northern Ohio) and a fair carrier nation wide (in our experience) We use the Verizon air card and KR-1 Router for our long timer travel needs because right now Verizon is state of the art and active in the most markets and we must have wi fi service every where we go. That could change in the very near future and if it does we will change again.

rickety · 02-20-2007, 09:57 AM

Good info Rich. Who makes the KR-1 and is it wireless. We use Verizon, because, as you stated it give very good coverage. We haven't had any problem with it at all.

richfaa · 02-20-2007, 11:30 AM

http://3gstore.com/ Check this out it was formerly Booster-antenna.com several of us have purchsed from them...They have good prices and excellent tech support KR-1 is Kyocera WIRELESS router I also use the Kyocera KPC 650 aircard.. A very good setup..Check it out.

ols1932 · 02-20-2007, 01:45 PM

Stiles, you know you'll get various responses. We are solidly sold on Verizon. We had Cingular before it was Cingular and could not get the coverage we desired. We switched to Verizon five years ago and have never been sorry. We travel east to west and north to south and have never been shut out. But we haven't been to Big Bend area in Texas (they tell me no one has coverage there).

Orv

exav8tr · 02-20-2007, 02:09 PM

richfaa, Do you use one of the external antennas that 3gstore sells? Do you feel you don't need one?
If so where did you mount it?

Inquiring minds want to know!!!!!

Thanks

Phil

stiles watson · 02-20-2007, 02:31 PM

Thank you all for the information. The whole field of cell phone availability is significantly behind in the USA. In Hong Kong my cell works in tunnels and in subways. About the only place it doesn't work is in elevators. It seems that everyone here has a cell phone. The technology was developed in the USA, but Asia is way ahead in implementation.

I will have pocket book shock on returning too. In Hong Kong we have 2 phone numbers and phones and all the minutes we need and our price is around HK$113 which equates to less than US$15 per month. When I call the US to do business or contact family, my long distance bill has never been more than about US$10 per month.

I haven't forgotten how to use a fork and am ready to turn in my chopsticks.

richfaa · 02-20-2007, 04:37 PM

richfaa, Do you use one of the external antennas that 3gstore sells? Do you feel you don't need one?
If so where did you mount it?

Inquiring minds want to know!!!!!

Thanks

Phil

We do have the KPC 650 Omni Directional Antenna from them. We hang in off the top of the ladder when needed. We do not need it here as we have 5 bars without it. It does come in handy if you need to get up and over obstructions to pick up a clear signal.

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