Need plan recommend: calling Honolulu, HI from Redmond, WA

[yami]

Hi, there
My wife study at University of Hawaii at Mona (Honolulu, Aera code 808) while I stay at Redmond, WA (Aera code 425). I need call her a lot mostly at night. It seems AT&T, T-Mobile, SpringPCS and verizon all have long distance plan ($19.99+) can cover HI. Do not know which one is best. Please recommend one if you by chance know it.

Thanks in advance.
Yami

[lilprincess2]

Would the calling plan be for you or for her? If it's for her she can use any of those. I am not sure what kind of calling plans Sprint has though, but At&t and T-mobile offer free long distance calling with local plans. Verizon on a local plan does not, you have to pay $5 extra for it but if you go with a national plan then you will get it.

[ZaphodB]

Just about any cell phone carrier will offer unlimited long-distance plan. Get the one with the best night/weekend minutes... or better yet, get a family plan (with both phones in the same area code) with unlimited mobile-to-mobile calling (T-Mobile and Sprint do this, I don't know about AT&T or Verizon). Get the lowest plan that includes the free M2M calling so you're not paying a bundle, and then ship one of the phones to her.

[TProphet]

All the minutes in the world don't matter much if your phone does not work well, so be sure that whatever carrier you select has coverage you can live with.

Here's my take on the coverage here in the Bellevue/Redmond area:

Best: Verizon Wireless. These folks have the most mature network in the area, although they don't carry all areas perfectly like many Verizon salespeople claim. Where coverage is unavailable, Verizon users can roam at no additional charge on Sprint PCS and US Cellular. The Crossroads area has poor coverage that doesn't work inside many buildings (including Top Foods), and coverage is also a problem inside some Microsoft buildings (as with all other carriers). Geographically, Verizon also offers good coverage in rural parts of western Washington. Key disadvantages: Verizon phone selection is limited, phones are generally more expensive, and service plans are often substantially more expensive than other carriers.

Runner-Up: Sprint PCS (surprise!). While Sprint PCS has awful customer service and capacity problems in many parts of the country, their network in the Seattle area is top-notch. Building penetration isn't as strong as with Verizon, since an 800MHz signal carries better inside buildings. However, Sprint has strong coverage in this area, in the areas they do cover. Rural coverage is still limited, however, and only the major populated areas around Puget Sound are covered. Sprint, like Verizon, allows their users to roam on analog networks where digital coverage is not available; unlike Verizon, roaming always incurs additional charges unless you have a special rate plan. Key disadvantages: Sprint has a better phone selection, but a lot of the phones are lousy. Customer service is awful. Sprint plays sleazy games with billing, gratuitously inflating your bill with bogus surcharges and fees disguised as taxes.

Others: AT&T Wireless is suffering growing pains from their GSM deployment. Unfortunately, 1900MHz GSM coverage doesn't work well here in the Seattle area, and ATTWS isn't adding TDMA capacity either, overloading the 800MHz network. Dropped calls have become frequent, and AT&T customer service has become nearly as poor as Sprint (even implementing their own version of the much-hated "Claire"). GSM phones do NOT have analog roaming capability. If you're out of a digital service area, your phone is useless. Key advantages: While the coverage is poor within it, ATTWS offers service across a wide geographic area. Also, ATTWS offers the best-priced prepaid service plan, called Go Phone.

Other GSM carriers, T-Mobile and Cingular, are also suffering growing pains--their networks are small and overloaded, while coverage is also limited. Dropped calls and "no service" are an all-too-frequent norm for T-Mobile and Cingular customers. And, like AT&T GSM, you cannot roam if you're out of a digital service area. Key advantages: Both carriers offer flashy phones and low-cost plans, which for some users take the edge off the poor network quality. Cingular caveat: This carrier does not use the same technology throughout their network. If you travel to a Cingular coverage area that uses a different technology (TDMA, in the case of Seattle users), you may be unpleasantly surprised to discover that you were roaming, rather than in a home rate area!

Qwest, a CDMA carrier, is offering some attractive specials. However, their coverage is very limited, and with their "unlimited" calling plans, capacity is an issue at times. And, it's Qwest. This company is legendary for slimy, untrustworthy, behavior and awful customer service. Deal with them very carefully, and be sure to get everything in writing. Advantages: Cheap plans, OK coverage in metro areas, and with their recent alliance with Sprint PCS, the potential for better nationwide coverage in the future.

[Gman]

I have not experienced the disadvantages of SPCS as you have indicated at all. Customer service has been fine - a few problems but nowhere near the hyperbole I see posted all over the web. No, I don't consider myself 'lucky' to have not experienced big problems since I have been using them for so long. I have had many interactions with them over time. I have used them since they started in San Diego and if it was truely as awful for me as it seems to be for others I would have left years ago.

Their coverage is getting stronger all the time and I am very happy with the F&CA plans as well.

Just my experience.
G.

[larry]

I also concur with Gman. I haven't had billing problems or customer service problems either in 5 + years and have 3 lines on my account. Have I just been lucky? I doubt it.