Please help - coverage in Leland (Michigan)

[Sanja]

Which network covers this region?
I'm not from Michigan and I need to know before I get there how to solve this question.
Thanks a lot

p.s. sorry for my English

[strunke]

Originally Posted by Sanja

Which network covers this region?
I'm not from Michigan and I need to know before I get there how to solve this question.
Thanks a lot

p.s. sorry for my English

Go with Alltel.........

[RadioFoneGuy]

Alltel offers 800 MHZ CDMA and Cellular One offers 800 and 1900 mhz in the area.

If you are coming from overseas you will need a quad band phone.

If you are bringing a GSM phone tell your cell company to allow roaming on

country code 310 Network ID 680

[Sanja]

Well, my cell comany doesn't have partner companies in this region. My phone supports 800 and 1900 mhz so I can bye Cellular One as soon as I get there. It would be better to think about that in Traverse City because Leland is a very small town and I don't know how many shops are there..

Thanks a lot

[strunke]

Originally Posted by Sanja

Well, my cell comany doesn't have partner companies in this region. My phone supports 800 and 1900 mhz so I can bye Cellular One as soon as I get there. It would be better to think about that in Traverse City because Leland is a very small town and I don't know how many shops are there..

Thanks a lot

Yep as long as your phone is unlocked you will be fine. I was thinking you needed something like a prepaid phone since you are just coming here. But if you can get a contract (they check credit) then Dobson(CellOne) and Alltel are available. I think Verizon may have just built out a network there as well. But it is very new and wouldn't have very good coverage....

[Sanja]

So, if I understood well, I can bye a prepaid sim card (for example CellOne) if my phone is unlocked?
because I don't want to bye a phone which I won't be able to use when I get home.

[strunke]

Originally Posted by Sanja

So, if I understood well, I can bye a prepaid sim card (for example CellOne) if my phone is unlocked?
because I don't want to bye a phone which I won't be able to use when I get home.

Yes as long as your phone is unlocked, which most are in your area I believe (if you can already switch the sim to another service provider without a problem then it is unlocked). I'm not sure what cell one's rates are....cellonetech might be able to answer that, it won't be as low as Alltel's u prepaid but it will be close.

[RadioFoneGuy]

You should be able to just get a SIM card for your phone if its unlocked. Cell One has prepaid phones and Plans starting at $50 that come with minutes.
I not very up to date with the price and plans for the different cell companies as I work mainly with engineering and the towers themselves.

Another option to look at is we have a discount store up here called Dollar General that sells prepaid phones. Dollar General sell both GSM (Cell One) and CDMA. These phones are called Tracphones and you pay as you go. If you get the CDMA phone make sure it is set up to use Alltel as the primary provider, some are set up to run on Sprint and Sprint up here is very poor coverage.

There are alot of prepaid companies in the US, but they use other carriers networks. Alot of these prepaid phones are sold in big stores and some gas stations even offer them. Just make sure what ever you pick up will either work with Cell One or Alltel. Leland is very rural and in a hilly area that is very hard to cover. There are other Cell Phone carriers but Alltel and Cell One are the only that use 800, which seems to cover better out there.

Good luck, any more questions feel free to ask. You will have to go to Traverse City to pick up a phone or SIM.

[Sanja]

What if my phone works on 900, 1800 and 1900..not on 800?

[strunke]

Originally Posted by Sanja

What if my phone works on 900, 1800 and 1900..not on 800?

Well, the phone will work but your coverage will be fairly limited. 850 is kind of the "backbone" for the dobson and alltel networks in Michigan and most of the US....

[Alienware_51]

Originally Posted by Sanja

What if my phone works on 900, 1800 and 1900..not on 800?

Well...it would work sometimes, but up here in Michigan I think you are really going to need 800, because Cellular One uses that alot in the very rural areas. I would highly recommend a 800/1900 phone.