Easy questions, any answers?

Hey,

With all the info out there it is hard to sift through it all by yourself. Thought your experience could help me.

I live outside of any large cities, so I roam a lot.
If I get a national plan that covers my roaming charges--does that mean the service will be any better?
I don't make calls very often, so cost is not that important to me.
I basically want my cell phone to be as good as my land line. I want to be able to make and receive calls anywhere I travel, (in the US). With the possible exeption of mountain tops and from inside of large buildings!! I'm not asking for miracles--just reliable service.

Any help? Good/Bad companies, service plans?
Mostly for travel in Mn and Wi.
Thanks in advance

[KevinJames]

Q: If I get a national plan that covers my roaming charges--does that mean the service will be any better?
A: No.

Statement: I basically want my cell phone to be as good as my land line. I want to be able to make and receive calls anywhere I travel, (in the US). With the possible exeption of mountain tops and from inside of large buildings!! I'm not asking for miracles--just reliable service.
Response: Wireless won't be as good as a landline for several years to come. As a user for 7 years now, I will tell you it has improved dramatically with digital service. But to expect to "make and receive calls anywhere" is unrealistic. There are dead spots even in flat terrain. AT&T and Verizon are the two wireless firms with the most general roaming capabilities. Some posters feel Nextel is becoming a good choice for consumers.

[Jack]

I agree with kevin wireless is getting better. IF you were to choose a provider I would go with what kevin said (at&T or Verizon) stay away from Sprint they are ok in the cities but not outside of it.

Jack

[Jack]

I agree with kevin wireless is getting better. IF you were to choose a provider I would go with what kevin said (at&T or Verizon) stay away from Sprint they are ok in the cities but not outside of it.

Jack

Hi!
What answers did you recieve? I want a cell phone but want the lowest price as I only need it for emergencies....Love and Prayers, Diane

[KevinJames]

Diane,

To dial 911, you can use ANY (operational & power-charged) phone. It does not need to be on any carrier's network.

However, if you are extending "emergencies" to mean: "Hi honey, I'm running late." Then you will need a prepare or contract phone.

The answers the original poster received are in this thread.

You didn't mention where you are (geographically) so it is not possible to recommend carriers. However, from the overwhelming posts that have been made here, you will not want to take this matter lightly, expecting someone to provide an instant solution for you. Read http://whitehare.topcities.com/WirelessPhones.htm

I work for a wireless dealer on the MN-WI border. Suggest AT&T, Verizon, or CellularOne. These carriers can be picky that you live in their home coverage area, but all offer no roam, no long distance programs. As an old timer in the business, I would be happy to help with questions on specific coverage in MN and WI as I know were most of the towers are located.

I can be contacted at null

[CDMA]

Yes, Verizon and AT@T are great carriers. Cingular also has great roaming agreements. The new name Cingular is just a name that a resulted of merging all SBC owned carriers together. In Detroit, Cingular was Ameritech before the name change, and they have always been my first choice for a phone to use while roaming across the country. The service and roaming agreements have been around a long time before AT@T ever existed. In Michigan your AT@T or Verizon features(caller id, voice mail indicator) stop working as soon as you start roaming, with Cingular they do not, they even work while roaming on anolog. This is a major advantage, at least in this area. As far as being able to place and receive calls while roaming, all three are great. I am not refering to the Cingular GSM markets in California.