Alltel Roaming in the Midwest

[berto]

Does anyone know who Alltel Roams on in Burlington, IA and Rochester, MN??

[PatP]

I haven't been in either one with an AllTell user since last fall, but in October 2002 both Burlington, IA and Rochester, MN were served by Verizon for AllTell users.

-PatP

[Buickman]

Rochester isn't covered by Verizon! You would probably roam on Sprint there unless your PRL is fairly new, then you could possibly roam on Midwest wireless's new CDMA system. I dont know where Burlington IA is, but if it is in northern IA than it also could be covered by Midwest.

[PatP]

Isn't Rochester, MN still covered by SMW dba Verizon Minnesota??? I haven't been up there in months, but I hadn't heard about any changes.

FYI, Burlington, IA is on the lower edge of the "bump" on the eastern side of Iowa. Roughly due west of Indianapolis, IN at the Iowa border.

-PatP

[Hopper]

Originally posted by: PatP Isn't Rochester, MN still covered by SMW dba Verizon Minnesota??? I haven't been up there in months, but I hadn't heard about any changes. FYI, Burlington, IA is on the lower edge of the "bump" on the eastern side of Iowa. Roughly due west of Indianapolis, IN at the Iowa border.

Excepting the Duluth area, the Arrowhead, and a narrow strip in Minnesota approaching Grand Forks, ND, the only spot that Verizon has coverage is around the Minneapolis Metro area. Coverage meaning native coverage. Much of the state is provided as free-roaming, extended network, coverage for Verizon. Primary carriers include, Sprint PCS and Western Wireless d/b/a Cellular One.

On March 7, or so, Verizon ran a large ad in a Friday Minneapolis Star Tribune issue talking about an expansion of coverage in the Rochester area. Previously, the only coverage for Verizon was offered as extended network using Sprint PCS. But now the entire southern 1/3 of the state has coverage using, as we travel from west to east, these carriers: Western Wireless, Midwest Wireless, and Sprint PCS.

Midwest Wireless has licenses in the south-central and southeast portions of the state. They had begun as a TDMA carrier, but are expanding to provide CDMA service. I suspect there were two reasons for this: much of the area the MW covers is very rural, lacking any means for highspeed internet. They, with CDMA, can provide 1xRTT or even EV-DO to their customers, and gain roaming revenues from Verizon Wireless.

As to the geographic extent of their CDMA network, I don't know. In northwestern IA, they still sell TDMA phones and service. But I see that MW has been advertising for CDMA RF engineers to work out of their Mankato offices, suggesting that CDMA overlay will occur first in MN, and then spread to the remainder of their network.

[Buickman]

I know Midwest has CDMA along I35 from the south edge of the metro area to at least Owatona. On the other hand I can also vouch for the fact that it is still analog only east of the metro out I94 into WI all the way out to Eau Claire. Come on Midwest get those towers up!