No GSM coverage on Ocracoke

[george_r_1961]

I dont understand why there is no GSM coverage on Ocracoke. GSM coverage is weak on the north end of the island(where there is NOTHING) and non existant in the village on the south end of the island.

My TMO phone will make a nice paperweight on my next trip down there

[Jay2TheRescue]

The GSM coverage on Ocracoke is provided by a tower almost on the tip of Hatteras island. If you pay attention you can see it from the ferry. It is a short tower, probably because a tall tower would get beaten up by the sea and weather in that location. It is unfortunate. If a tall tower could be placed there a larger portion of Ocracoke could be covered. If I remember correctly zoning issues prevent any new tower construction on the island. Unless you have a Motorola phone with an external antenna GSM is useless on Ocracoke.

-Jay

[Eric47]

isnt the point of getting outdoors and relaxing to disconnect from phones and things? i know it is for me at least...

[Jay2TheRescue]

Originally Posted by Eric47

isnt the point of getting outdoors and relaxing to disconnect from phones and things? i know it is for me at least...

Not me. I suffer from disconnect anxiety, and found it a pain that I couldn't use phones on the island... Well, I could, but I was the only one using an external antenna. Everyone else I was trying to call was on the island as well, but did not have external antennas. I remember my brother in law & I drove to the village of Ocracoke to go to the store. We tried to call my sister who was at the beach with the kids, but her phone didn't work. On a side note the shopkeeper was very honest. I had dropped a $20 bill on the floor by the counter, and the shopkeeper ran out to the parking lot and flagged us down to return it.

-Jay

[jerry 12]

Originally Posted by George_r_1961

I don't understand why there is no GSM coverage on Ocracoke. GSM coverage is weak on the north end of the island(where there is NOTHING) and non existent in the village on the south end of the island.

My TMO phone will make a nice paperweight on my next trip down there

the outer banks and all of eastern north Carolina east of Greenville is terrible for gsm coverage.when bell south built the gsm system here in Greenville ,NC they covered the town fair and then didn't build out the system for several years. i had the first number that was giving out to a bell south customer in Greenville it was 919- 412- 0000 i liked what the phone a nokia 2190 and system would do but the coverage just wasn't their. back in those days i had 360 all so and their coverage was a lot better so i finally just had the gsm service cut off. gsm does have nicer phones but i need service where i can use my phone just about any where and that would be uscc and cdma in the eastern part of north Carolina. i just wanted to add the the at&t gsm system here is all 1900 .

[Jay2TheRescue]

Originally Posted by jerry 12

the outer banks and all of eastern north Carolina east of Greenville is terrible for gsm coverage.when bell south built the gsm system here in Greenville ,NC they covered the town fair and then didn't build out the system for several years. i had the first number that was giving out to a bell south customer in Greenville it was 919- 412- 0000 i liked what the phone a nokia 2190 and system would do but the coverage just wasn't their. back in those days i had 360 all so and their coverage was a lot better so i finally just had the gsm service cut off. gsm does have nicer phones but i need service where i can use my phone just about any where and that would be uscc and cdma in the eastern part of north Carolina. i just wanted to add the the at&t gsm system here is all 1900 .

I had fantastic GSM coverage on the outer banks with my Cingular V551. Even my iPAQ worked in most areas on the islands. The northern islands are covered very well, and I did notice some native TMO coverage on the islands as well. I was shocked to see that. I had great coverage with a standard phone. Once the Ocracoke ferry gets about halfway to the island you are out of service for a few minutes, but then you have service again at the docks. Without an external antenna service fades out about 1/2 mile from the dock. My Motorola V551 with an external antenna worked on Ocracoke, but the farther south you went, the worse it got.

You may be interested in my coverage report I did a few years back... http://forums.wirelessadvisor.com/so...-carolina.html (Coverage report: Outer Banks, NC)

-Jay

[jerry 12]

Originally Posted by Jay2TheRescue

I had fantastic GSM coverage on the outer banks with my Cingular V551. Even my iPAQ worked in most areas on the islands. The northern islands are covered very well, and I did notice some native TMO coverage on the islands as well. I was shocked to see that. I had great coverage with a standard phone. Once the Ocracoke ferry gets about halfway to the island you are out of service for a few minutes, but then you have service again at the docks. Without an external antenna service fades out about 1/2 mile from the dock. My Motorola V551 with an external antenna worked on Ocracoke, but the farther south you went, the worse it got.

You may be interested in my coverage report I did a few years back... http://forums.wirelessadvisor.com/so...-carolina.html (Coverage report: Outer Banks, NC)

-Jay

i made a Boo Boo when i said the outer banks i was thinking about ocracoke sorry about that part but the coverage from Greenville until you get to the out banks is not good.

[AndThenScottSays...]

Originally Posted by jerry 12

i made a Boo Boo when i said the outer banks i was thinking about ocracoke sorry about that part but the coverage from Greenville until you get to the out banks is not good.

It is depending which road you take. AT&T has coverage on 64 now and has for awhile.

[Jay2TheRescue]

Originally Posted by AndThenScottSays...

It is depending which road you take. AT&T has coverage on 64 now and has for awhile.

When I took that trip to the outer banks, I left via 64. I had my V551 teathered to a laptop, and I was taking pics of towers with my digital camera, and uploading them to the gallery as we drove. I think only once or twice on 64 did my data connection drop. If you look in the gallery I have several pics of towers on 64.

-Jay