Reading, PA

[fb]

So here's the deal.

I am wondering about coverage in Reading, PA. I have ATT/Cingular, my fiancee has Verizon. What are peoples' experiences with either of those providers out there. I am happy with ATT and have no plans to switch. The only thing I may have to do is get another phone on her family plan just for mobile to mobile (her parents will just not switch, though they go over minutes, etc.-- Ugh).

Also, she's considering living in a dorm room there for a year. The dorms have only 2 computers per floor, making net access tight. I figure the best thing is to put in a wireless router and let everyone jump off that. But short of that, I was checking out wireless broadband access.

I see the 2 companies offering it the most are VZW and Cingular. Prices are comparable. It seems that Cingular requires a voice plan in order to get the data plan. So that may be tough. I suppose she can go with VZW, since their family plan should qualify. How is broadband wireless coverage out there? I know it's kind of in the boonies.

As an aside, what would you all do about the voice plans? My ATT plan is pretty much unbeatable, but her family pays 78 dollars plus taxes for 700 minutes on a family plan. My plan is about 85 dollars for 1850 minutes with nights at 7 and, being ATT, I do not get charged for incoming text. She wants more minutes so she can talk more. If she gets a VZW individual plan, it'll be nearly 50 dollars a month and the same with Cingular. Cingular does offer the rollover and the option of early nights, which VZW will not do. However, calls to her family will be charged to both of them with the loss of mobile to mobile. Cingular will not let me add her onto our family plan. Think I should suck it up and carry 2 phones for now?

Ugh. Can you tell I am irritated?

[Fire14]

I don't know if Sprint or T-Mobile are choices for you, Sprint may have the broadband coverage in this area where T-Mobile most likely will not & now Sprint has the early N&W starting at 7PM for free on certain individual plans . I have also heard their data plans are more resonably priced compared to Verizon & Cingular.

As for the M2M, if she got the Early N&W as well as you having it, can help save her anytime mins, and she can always call her family after 7PM during the week.

[jones]

Most Universities/Colleges i know have WIFI Access,
maybe this is an Exemption.

[bobolito]

I have been to Reading and Cingular covers it well for what I've seen.

[dtownfb]

Coverage in REading should be fine for all the major carriers. It's not as "boonie" as you think.

I'll assume she is attending college in Reading since you mentioned she is living ina dorm. have her check with the college's IT department about wireless access. The majority of colleges have internet access or computer networks in dorms.

As far as the telephone situation, her parents may want to increase her minutes anyway. and she has the free nights & weekends which starts at 9:01 pm. I would utilize that since switching will cause more headaches.

Will she have a landline in her room? You can always call her on the landline after 7. Doesn't cost her anything.

[johnervin123]

I don't know to well about cingular out near reading if she's inside reading directly but if she goes out to like topton or macungie expect horrible service is all i have to say because when i went out there i called to check coverage and said the address was near a tower which was a lie. and only got little patches of service