Best coverage in southern Iowa

[w-r-g]

I spend a lot of time in Southern Iowa (Bedford) and need the best data/cell I can get. US Cellular covers that and all of rural Iowa it seems but I would like to stay with Alltel if they work out there....have not tried them yet. I know Cingular does not work at all in that area nor does Nextel. I know that all I will get is 40-60 kbps but that is ok for that part of the country. I want to use a smartphone or some sort so I can get higher speeds when I tether in larger cities that have EVDO or some faster protocol. Looking for a decent Alltel coverage map similar to Verizons or Cingulars coverage maps that show not only their coverage areas (market) but also roaming or if coverage is at all possible on the towers in that area.

Thanks

[maximus]

Alltel is the way to go in Iowa. You will have free-roam access to the old Midwest Wireless system, Cellular 29 (sw Iowa), VZW and Sprint. I've used data in Iowa on Verizon, Sprint, and the old Midwest Wireless system. I'm not sure if data roaming works on Cellular 29...I know text messaging does.
Here is a map of alltel's data abilities in Iowa. This is both native and roaming combined. link
Iowa is CDMA country. In the three summers I spent in the state I met 6 people with phones that weren't CDMA.

[w-r-g]

Yeah thats what I have learned and went ahead and went with Alltel and will be trying it out in IA next week. Thanks for the reply!

[agentHibby]

In Bedford you got 2 choices US Cellular and Cellular 29 Plus and that is it.
Have not been to Bedford in 4 months. Maybe sometime I will take a trip over there soon

In Metro Iowa it is 50/50 CDMA to GSM
In Rural Iowa it is more like 80/20 CDMA to GSM
GSM is slowly growing in Rural Iowa thanks to Iowa Wireless and Long Lines Wireless.

[w-r-g]

Well I have a place there and farm a little over there now and this Alltel is suppose to work and pick up on their towers. I know Sprint does but hopefully Alltel does too because it works so well in the parts of the country I travel.

[agentHibby]

You should have no problem with calling and texting

Data may be a problem
Cellular 20 Plus last I knew was someday going to do data, but I don't know when. US Cellular does some data, but I don't know if Alltel roams on them in Iowa RSA #1 market.

[UFO]

Originally Posted by agentHibby US Cellular does some data, but I don't know if Alltel roams on them in Iowa RSA #1 market.

The USCC SID for the Iowa RSA 1 Market is in the Alltel PRL so that's a good start. The best thing to do would probably be just to try it out and see how it goes. Personal experience always answers the question best!

[w-r-g]

Thats what I figured and will try it out next week. Obviously nothing fast is going to work but cdma data would be perfect and all I would ask for in that area!