Yellowstone Verizon coverage

[Andy]

Hey everyone,
I know this has been discussed many times, but what's the latest on Verizon coverage in Yellowstone? I will be leaving in about two weeks, and I'll have my all digital VX 6000 and my tri-mode Nokia 3589i with me.
I will be staying at the bridge bay campground, if someone has experience with coverage there, any help would be appreciated.
Thank you guys,
Andy

P.S. After my trip I will have a coverage report driving from Salt Lake City to Yellowstone and of Yellowstone itself.

[Fathead]

I'll be in the Park on Friday. I have the 4500, the wife has a 4400, I'll let you know Digital vs Analog, Roaming vs Extended vs Verizon Native.


Which way are you driving? Up 15 and through rexburg? If so you can see the tower VZW put up a few months ago on top of Malad Pass, it's off to the west side of the interstate right as you hit the crest of the Pass.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by Fathead

I'll be in the Park on Friday. I have the 4500, the wife has a 4400, I'll let you know Digital vs Analog, Roaming vs Extended vs Verizon Native.


Which way are you driving? Up 15 and through rexburg? If so you can see the tower VZW put up a few months ago on top of Malad Pass, it's off to the west side of the interstate right as you hit the crest of the Pass.

Hey thank you so much....
Yes, I'm driving up 15 and then through Rexburg...wasn't it you that mentioned Verizon's site on top of Malad Pass a while ago? Did you say they are the only ones really covering that stretch?
Thanks for the info/help.
Andy

[Fathead]

As far as I know they're the only ones with a tower up there. It's always been a problem for all the carriers. I've never seen Sprint or US Cell have any service, Edge and T-Mobile don't even bother to claim to have coverage there.

[Andy]

Good....
Are you from the area?

[agentHibby]

What I see is that the southern part of the part Verizon won't have a license until the qwest deal is complete. It will be PCS so it might be ok.
Anybody know how hard it is to build a tower in a national park??

[Fathead]

I live in Pocatello.

[jones]

Originally Posted by agentHibby

Anybody know how hard it is to build a tower in a national park??

They don't have to Build. They can rent space on Park Towers, they must have communications Towers for Communications in times of Emergengy like Forest Fires.

How Does this park get Electric Power? There must be an Electric Transmission Lines, that's a Natural Tower.

How do people drink, Shower or clean Equipment. They must have a Water Tower, now that's a good spot.

Not hard at all.

[Andy]

So they don't even have a license in the southern part right now??? That would explain the lack of service

[BillRadio]

Andy,
There are 7 cell sites in Yellowstone Park. Only one of them (that I know of) is Verizon's, just off rt 287 @ the Snake River Ranger Station. They also have a site at West Yellowstone, outside the park. They may have another near Mammoth as their Wyoming map shows some additional coverage across the north end.

4 sites belong to Cellular One, including the infamous spike at old Faithful. They are:
-Mammoth Hot Springs
-Mt. Washburn
-Old Faithful
-Grant Village

2 sites belong to Union Cellular:
-Old Faithful (hidden)
-West Thumb

Neither C-1 nor Union are among the AC roaming partners, but nobody who contributes here has really tried. (My plan DOES include them) Union would be analog only (They're normally TDMA & GSM) C-1 could be analog as well, but they offer CDMA to their own customers, so digital may be possible with them.

Like any company, cell carriers have to apply for a permit to offer a commercial service in a National Park, and in some areas, like Grand Canyon, that permit is exclusive. That does not appear to be the case in Yellowstone. Unfortunately, there are long stretches in the park with no infrastucture, so there are limited mounting structures and power service, and even more so, no access to T1 service or even microwave line-of-site.

We have posted a list of cell sites in National Parks and similar areas. Service is also available from just outside the parks.

I can't wait to read your detailed report! Last time I was there, it was a loooong stretch from Moran Jct to the Ranger station w/no service.

[Andy]

Thank you so much for your info, Bill...I will for sure post a detailed report of the places I visit inside Yellowstone. Fathead, have a safe trip!!!!

[Andy]

Originally Posted by BillRadio

Neither C-1 nor Union are among the AC roaming partners, but nobody who contributes here has really tried.

BillRadio, when you say nobody has really tried with the AC plan, are you referring to the billing system not counting them as roaming, even though the PRL says so?

[Fathead]

I'll be more detailed later but...


I was only in the western stretch of the park, and Esentially, you can count on having service at Old Faithful (full on analog roam) or in Mammoth (great VZW signal)

[agentHibby]

fathead I neved did check when I was there several years ago whom Verizon roamed on (reason was I had very few minutes then and so I keaped my phone off most of the time). Is it the roaming with Union Cellular or Western Wireless in the park??

[Fathead]

Old Faithful was sid 1828. i didn't have time to check who that is.

[Andy]

Fathead, thanks for the first look at coverage there...Looking forward to your more detailed report(no rush though ).
Andy

[BillRadio]

Originally Posted by Andy84094

BillRadio, when you say nobody has really tried with the AC plan, are you referring to the billing system not counting them as roaming, even though the PRL says so?

Andy, Yes, you are partially correct. Cellular One and Union Cellular's normal SID would indicate that you should be charged for roaming. However, just to the southwest in NE UT, Cellular One transmits two SID's, one that is native to their own customers, and another that is friendly to Verizon (and possibly other) roamers.

So, while the normal SID will show you'll get charged for roaming, these secondary SID's may mean otherwise. Cellular One/Western Wireless is very friendly w/Verizon, Union Cellular is not. So, it is entirely possible you might not get charged for roaming. We haven't had anyone come to this group reporting a flashing roam indicator there, or that they indeed made a call with a solid roaming indicator and if they were charged roaming.

I would run up there, but we have done Yellowstone enough times that I can't convince the family there's anything new to see. My wife is from the area (Hamilton, MT), but there's no on left to visit there. So we need other observers.

[Fathead]

A bit more detailed.


You'll get fairly good coverage up Highway 20 all the way to Henry's. They've done some work up there, that used to be atrocious. The service cuts out as you go up the mountain into Montana, but as you come down the mountain, you'll start getting the service again.

The West Yellowstone service was great, and it reached into the park 5-6 miles before it was gone. The 4400 picked up a few remnant analog signals, but nothing usable as we went in further. Didn't have another usable signal until we started heading down into mammoth, where it was a great verizon signal, -60 was as high as I saw, but I wasn't paying too much attention.

As you head towards Old Faithful, you'll start getting some analog about 3 miles or so away, the service at Old Faithful was a Solid Triangle full signal analog roam on sid 1828. It sounded really good when i made a call. We'll see on the roaming charges.


Hope that's helpful.

[agentHibby]

SID 1828 is Union Cellular. I never heard of Verizon having a roaming agreement with them to get free roam. So Fathead I am guessing 99.9% chance you will be billed for roaming on Union Cellular.

[BillRadio]

Originally Posted by agentHibby

SID 1828 is Union Cellular. I never heard of Verizon having a roaming agreement with them to get free roam.

That is unless one has either a Local or SingleRate (Regional or National) plan. I roam on Union in parts of NW CO. Union had a much better analog signal, but since Verizon went digital last year, I now avoid them.

[agentHibby]

Originally Posted by BillRadio

That is unless one has either a Local or SingleRate (Regional or National) plan. I roam on Union in parts of NW CO. Union had a much better analog signal, but since Verizon went digital last year, I now avoid them.

Union has a strong signal in there areas and Verizon in many parts Wyoming is very weak. Fathead, has been outside of the Rocky Mountains region so he is on Americas Choice plan. I am going on vaction back to Iowa next week so I will find out is anything changed while driving back.

[agentHibby]

This is bringing me to another question
Does anyone know why in almost any region with Verizon you can't roam on Local Digital as long as you are in your home area. The Midwest region that is not the case.
If you are on a local digital plan anwhere in the Midwest regions you have to be on Verizon network or there roaming partners in your home area or will be charged roaming. Anyone know why the Midwest is like that??