gsm in B.C.

[CaliphoniaBoy]

I just came back from a roadtrip through B.C., Yukon, and Alaska and wanted to share some gsm experience with whoever is interested.

I posted it in the western wireless forum first... but here is the link

C.

I'm surprised to hear that you didn't get your SMS messages. I was in Vancouver and her suburbs (Coquitlam, actually) in May and received my SMS messages as promised, roaming on Fido/Microcell (the display on my handset was "Microcell"). Amazingly enough, Cingular didn't charge me for the retrieval.

I had flown to Seattle and rented a car. My experience was that coverage was good in Seattle, all the way up until you go through the hills between Everett and Bellingham - it's about a 5-mile stretch with spotty coverage. I found that in whatever that tiny town is that's right on the border at exit 275 off the 5, you may be in the U.S. but you are roaming on Microcell.

Coverage was good on BC-99 through Surrey, spotty on BC-91 through New West and picked up again as I headed on out BC-7 to Coquitlam. On the way back, I was on BC-15 (176th St) as I had been advised to use the truck crossing, and I was roaming on Microcell until well after I had got on the 5.

I found the quality to be quite good, but the cost was prohibitive.