Service in Central Illinois!

[KZFreelanceISU]

I live in Chicago, Illinois, but I attend school in centrail at Illinois State University. I was using AT&T but I kept getting messed up with roaming charges and I ended up paying a lot more for a Regional plan. I'd like to switch to a company that has central and Chicago as a local area - but I really don't know where to turn. I'm not running back into the area for a while now so I wouldn't really be able to tell how good service is at my university. Any suggestions?

[spanky]

KZFreelanceISU,

I'm starting to sound like a broken record - but I personally would pick USCC (US Cellular).

They bought out Primeco, which used to serve the Chicago market as well as Bloomington and Champaign/Urbana.

I have relatives in Bloomington- and I have made the drive down 55 way too many times (not as many as you, I bet!) The reception with USCC is excellent along 55 - in the Chicago market - and in the Bloomigton area. I can't vouch for the boonies around Bloomigton too much - but I'm not sure if that's a factor!

Plus, right now if you sign up for the Northern Illinois/ Chicago Local calling plan, you get 1/2 off your first year on a 900 anytime min. plan, plus free nights and weekends! all for $20.00 a month (it switches back to the regualr rate of $40.00 a month after one year.) Plus, plus up to $100 off a phone!

Hurry - the promo stops on the 15th! unless they extend it!

Other options to consider would be Verizon and T-mobile.

If you have any additional questions - post them!

Hope this helps!

BTW - there is a person who posts here who is a USCC user and lives somwhere around Springfield - they might be able to give you a bit more info on the rural coverage in Central Illinois.

spanky

[ljh]

Check out T-Mobile.

[Zackomatic]

Hey KZ!

I live about 13 miles Northwest of Springfield IL. and have US Cellular service. The service is wonderful in Springfield, very clear quite calls, in fact some people I talk with think I'm on a landline!

However from my home, service is awful. I live about 3 miles outside of Athens IL. in Menard Co. I often only get one bar of service or sometimes NO SERVICE. When I can make a call I am usually roaming on Verizon's analog network.

Service quality in the Bloomington area I can't really comment on, I have had service with US Cellular only since this past October, I started with Primeco, just before US Cellular absorbed them. I haven't travelled to the Bloomington area so I have no informed opinion about the service quality there.

However the promotional offer they have right now is awesome! NO other carrier even comes close. 900 anytime minutes, UNLIMITED nights and weekends, Unlimited long distance(from the home coverage area only of course) all for $20 a month for the first year of a 2 year contract!! Price does revert to $40 a month in the second year, but even at $40 nobody can match it! I took advantage because the majority of my usage is in Springfield, and $20 a month with any other carrier get's you a very, very basic package that is about useless.

Surely you know someone you went to school with in Bloomington that has US Cellular? Check with the local dealer when you get back to School and see if he'll allow a "test drive" so you can see for yourself if the network is good in your usage area. Also I didn't mention before but the home coverage area is, at least on the coverage map, huge. Covers all of northern and central Illinois most of Iowa, small portions of Missouri and a good chunck of Wisconsin and some small areas in indiana.

Good luck!

[trife]

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[PatP]

U.S. Cellular had good TDMA coverage in the Champaign/Urbana area. They've recently added CDMA coverage for most of Illinois (including both Chicago and Champaign/Urbanna). Their customer service is excellent.

I'm probably going to have to leave USCC soon, and I'm certainly going to miss them if I do.

-PatP

[ctgrande]

however the central illinois coverage does not even extend to peoria. Verizon Wireless however is extremely well in central illinois. i have never had a problem. USCC bites. In the state of washington for example vzw has an agreement with them that u are supposed to get signal between olympia nad vancouver wa on I-5 however u do not cause they refuse to own up to there end of the agreement however vzw must own up to there end in seattle that is bogus.

[EuRo]

Cingular has really good coverage in Chicago and Central IL. I would suggest asking someone with Cingular service in your area. Some companies are better in some areas then others.

I have included Cingular's coverage map for IL:
Cingular coverage map

Current rates with Roll OVER minutes:
Cingular Rates in Chicago