Need service for Nebraska AND Rhode Island!

[Free4Life11]

I am going to be moving to Oakland, NE at the end of the summer (about 50 miles from Omaha). I will be attending college in Providence as well, so I will need something I can use in Providence, and during the summers/holidays in Nebraska.

I was looking at T-Mobile but their coverage area seems awful. It seems like most of the major providers don't have service in Nebraska.

I did look up some research on Alltel, and they provide service in Nebraska. Also, their national freedom plan seems like it would work for me.

Also what is roaming?? As long as the call originates in their service area, I am not roaming am I?

National Freedom is your link to the nation with extensive coverage at great rates. You'll be free to keep in touch with friends, family, and associates in major metropolitan cities and surrounding areas with no roaming or long-distance charges on the ALLTEL National Freedom Network.

Does that mean if I made a call outside of their coverage area, I would not be charge roaming or what??? I never totall understood what roaming is!

Thanks,

Matt

[COtech]

Roaming begins when you leave the area your home System ID covers, technically. However, often two or three SIDs cover an area treated as one home area for billing purposes. Both Cingular and Verizon cover RI with a single SID. Cingular includes CT, MA and se NH as no-roaming Home; Verizon gives much the same area, and uses the same SID in eastern MA and se NH.

Alltel is good, with their National Freedom plan. The major partner in the National Freedom Network is Verizon, readily available in RI. If you make a call while "off" the ALLTELL National Freedom Network, you pay extra in roaming charges $.79/minute, in addition to the plan cost. Omaha is in Oakland's home area, no extra charge.

The other cellular provider is Western Wireless, calling themselves Cellular One. Use ZIPcode 68045 for Oakland, NE to see their plans and coverage. They've concentrated on areas west of the Mississippi River, so none of their plans are much good for RI. The nearby metropolis of Omaha is roaming coverage at $.59/minute on a local plan.

Cingular's nearest coverage is Kansas City's northern Missouri suburbs. ATT Wireless is in the next county south toward Omaha. T-Mobile gets no closer than Omaha.

COtech

[jayc]

No doubt Verizon would probably have the best coverage between where you travel... this makes Alltel a good option considering the roaming agreements made between the two companies.

With this being said I'd also check out Verizon...