Verizon vs Sprint in NM & AZ

[dragonflyinthesky]

This is a link for Sprint. It looks like its good, any experience anyone? I have had Verizon forever and can barely afford it.
I intend to be in AZ and NM in the boonies. If I recall, several here have said Verizon is about the only thing that gets reception, correct?

https://halfprice.sprint.com/?ECID=...llow_Plan_Cutbillmatchdata_GS4_FB_400x209.jpg

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Looks like I may have forund my answer with these maps.
http://www.verizonwireless.com/wcms/consumer/4g-lte.html

 

[wagoneer]

AT&T great in town a bit spotty rural but should work at the RTR I use an iPhone with a Go Phone account 100 bucks a year. Verizon pricey but the best if you must keep in touch.

 

[Reducto]

I have a phone with Virgin, which uses the Sprint network, and a hotspot with Verizon. The phone works in most cities and occasionally in the boonies but if you plan to spend any time boondocking there really is no substitute for Verizon.

Sprint definitely did NOT work in Quartzite.

You might look into some resellers like Straight Talk to see if their plans will work with you. A few use the Verizon network.

 

[cyndi]

Verizon. It may be expensive but it's always reliable.

 

[SoulRaven]

Verizon is the best for me at $50 for five gigs a month.

In the last 4 days I have made $280 ($500+ for the month) playing online poker for 5+ hours per day and not one disconnect in the middle of BF Egypt Florida.

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

Thanks folks, I was afraid Verizon was my best bet.
Wow, not bad Mr. Loo Reed. Always nice to make money.

 

[RVTravel]

Tracfone, Straight talk, maybe Net10 and page plus all can be used with verizon and are the cheapest way to be on verizon towers as prepaid service. They just won't roam on verizon.

 

[PastTense]

No. You should not believe cellular operators' coverage maps!!!

You might consider multiple services--with one of the Verizon prepaid services as a backup to a cheaper T-Mobile or Sprint primary service.

 

[offroad]

Tracfone, Straight talk, maybe Net10 and page plus all can be used with verizon and are the cheapest way to be on verizon towers as prepaid service. They just won't roam on verizon.

Not true on page plus for roaming. I have gone everywhere and pageplus always works on verizon with no issues. Paying $50 a month for 3Gigs on LTE speed, but throttled unlimited after that.

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Verizon is the best for me at $50 for five gigs a month.

In the last 4 days I have made $280 ($500+ for the month) playing online poker for 5+ hours per day and not one disconnect in the middle of BF Egypt Florida.

How do you get $50 on verizon for 5gigs? The only way I know is to have two phones and that still is 10 gigs for $110 per month. Please explain in detail how anyone can get $50 for 5gigs so we all can take advantage. Since verizon is the best in town everywhere on average.

 

[SoulRaven]

I don't have phone service just data service.

5gb at $50 and 10gb at $80 are standard plans.

If I need to make a call I use Upptalk with unlimited texts, inbound calls and 100 free mins of outbound calls per month.

When my 100 outbound calls run out I use WePhone it's outbound only .6 cents per minute and I buy $1 worth when needed thru Google Play and the mins roll over.

I just give out my Google Voice number then forward it to the Upptalk number. When I make a WePhone call my Google numbers shows on caller ID.

 

[offroad]

Understand the outbound calls. So inbound just all rolls to a voicemail service on UppTalk?

Interesting to put yourself on data only plan. Can you get verizon to do that on your BYOP device as long as it is an original verizon device ( of course not on contract). Think you are into something with a data only solution.

 

[SoulRaven]

Inbound calls are forwarded to an actual UppTalk number with a Pocono’s PA area code. If I don’t answer voice mail is left at the Google Voice server then I am sent an e-mail instantly to my Google Email account, which automatically translates voice to text plus attaches the actual wav file.

UppTalk does include voice mail if one were to call the UppTalk number directly.

The $50/$80 deal includes a free jetpack with 2 year contract. You can move between 5 and 10 gigs at will when needed.

If you bring your own device it's the same deal w/o a contract.

 

[offroad]

Oh it's a jetpack. Was hoping it was just a SIMM or something.

 

[[email protected]]

My friend and I traveled to AZ a couple of years ago, he has AT&T and I have Verizon. We checked signals along the way and found that his worked in some areas, and mine worked in others. Once we got to AZ, we both had good reception. I don't know about NM. The bottom line is if you can pick up a tower and if the company you are using has a contract with them. I do agree that Verizon is getting expensive and I'm thinking of going to a Trac-Phone.

 

[Canine]

Bump.

I have T Mobile cause I'm strictly big city. Even driving from Phoenix to Flagstaff then Flagstaff to Albuquerque I get a lot of "no service". From Albuquerque to Colorado, over half the trip is "no service". I dropped AT&T due to price increases, Verizon was even a bit higher. No great options I'm afraid.

 

[smithche]

I have cricket which uses AT&T with autopay cost $55 a month for 20 gigabyte

 

[compassrose]

I intend to be in AZ and NM in the boonies.

Thanks for the laugh. I needed it today. Imagine, cellphone coverage in the "boonies" of NM.

One of my daughters lives in Socorro. She has StraightTalk on Sprint. It doesn't work in Roswell. I have Straighttalk on Verizon. I live right next to the tower in Roswell. Sometimes I will go for 1-3 days with no cell phone signal. There are "dead" areas in the city of Roswell. There is no signal for most of US 380 West between Roswell & I-25. For that matter there is very little coverage on US 380 East of Roswell to Tatum. Cellular sucks between Roswell to Artesia and Artesia to Carlsbad. In other words, unless you are in town (and not the small communites like Capitan, Lincoln, Carrizozo, Magdelena, Pie Town, Tinnie, etc) or on the interstate, getting cell coverage is a huge question. My suggestion is that you get a couple of basic  pay-as-you-go cellphones that work on the different towers (one for verizon, one for sprint) to get you thru. You may want to do the same with a couple pay-as-you-go mifi hotspot. GBs of data don't last long either.

 

[Theadyn]

When I hit the road traveling I'll be taking my phone with AT&T coverage. It's not costing me anything, bf added it to his business account for an extra $15 a month. Not too shabby. But will also take my dumb phone with prepaid Net10 which bounces off Verizon, just buy the prepaid to activate while on the road. Between the two, hope to keep decent coverage.

As for internet, will probably stay off it unless I'm getting wifi somewhere for net surfing and such. Have road atlas, a Garmin, and internet on phone, if I have a signal, if I need directions. Otherwise, will limit net usage on the road as best I can.

 

[offroad]

Check on that NET10. Rumor is it has no roaming. So any connection outside your home district will be not be allowed. --- yes AT&T will let you add a phone to any existing plan for $15 to use the allocated data-time plan already owned.

 

[akrvbob]

Verizon give truly outstanding data service over most of AZ. I spend very little time in NM so I can't comment.

We all like to complain about the cost of Verizon, and it is more. But ...

Those towers that blanket the country don't build themselves--they cost money!!

Verizon costs more, but you get MUCH more!

A cheap plan that doesn't work is NOT a good deal!
Bob