America's Choice Expands in MI

When I inquired with Verizon about the whole Michigan Upper Peninsula/America's Choice thing...here is the response that I received.

Dear Jason Ludwig,

Thank you for contacting Verizon Wireless through our website.

We regret to inform you that the FCC has not granted us a license to offer wireless service in the Houghton or Marquette areas at this time. Please continue to visit our website as coverage may

become available in these areas in the future.

We appreciate your business. Thank you for using Verizon Wireless products and services.

Sincerely,

Derek
Verizon wireless
Customer Service

"We never stop working for you!"

The above response is subject to the terms of your Service Agreement and
calling plan, which apply to all lines on your account. Please read
those materials for full details. Our liability is limited. In the
event of a conflict between this response and the terms of your Service
Agreement and calling plan, the terms of your Service Agreement and
calling plan will govern. Verizon Wireless's calling plans, rate areas,
rates, agreement provisions, business practices, procedures and policies
are subject to change as specified in the Service Agreement.



Original Message Follows:
------------------------




Primary Subject: I have a question about Network/Coverage
Secondary Subject: What is the coverage area for the available
calling plans?
Message Body: Are there any plans to expand the America's Choice
calling plan to cover the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, specifically the
areas of Houghton and Marquette? It is my understanding that digital
CDMA service is available in those areas now, so it would seem logical
that the America's Choice plan would be expanded to cover those areas.
Thank you Jason Ludwig

 

What a clueless response -- VZW not having licenses of its own in the UP has nothing to do with whether they can establish Extended Network coverage or not there.

More than likely, since the UP *is* served by ALLTEL, it will become Extended Network sooner or later.

-SC

 

And Im saying sooner than later...

 

jayatmtu, for some reason they thought you were looking into service for Verizon Network in those areas and not for extened network.
Marquette and Houghton are Licensed markets for Verizon, however as you probably know they do not have any towers their. They have License for Milwaukee Major Trading area "MTA 20" block B

 

Does anyone know if Sault Ste Marie is now included in the AC plan?

 

Rich

Thanks for your response. Have you used your Verizon phone up in the UP yet to see if you are billed correctly, or are you still being charged for roaming?

I'm not to good at reading PRL's yet, but if I understand it correctly, FR indicates an 'approved' roaming area without additional charges, so it would look like all the Alltel SID 00244, digital areas work on the Verizon AC plan without roaming charges, while any areas in Analog are charged roaming. Am I reading this right? Since Marquette and Houghton are digital on 244 now there shouldn't be any roaming charges right?

Does anyone else have any input on this?

Thanks a lot!

Jason

Priority 4
00244 [D] FR AllTel Communications
064B Grand Rapids MI
078B Lansing-East Lansing MI
094B Saginaw-Bay City-Midland MI
132B Kalamazoo MI
177B Battle Creek MI
181B Muskegon MI
193B Benton Harbor MI
207B Jackson MI
472B Michigan 1 - Gogebic
473B Michigan 2 - Alger
474B Michigan 3 - Emmet
475B Michigan 4 - Cheboygan
476B Michigan 5 - Manistee
477B Michigan 6 - Roscommon
478B Michigan 7 - Newaygo
479B Michigan 8 - Allegan
480B Michigan 9 - Cass

Priority 6
00256 (A) FR AllTel Communications
177B Battle Creek MI
00260 (A) FR AllTel Communications
193B Benton Harbor MI
00216 (A) FR AllTel Communications
094B Saginaw-Bay City-Midland MI
01338 (A) FR AllTel Communications
475B Michigan 4 - Cheboygan
01332 (A) RM AllTel Communications
472B Michigan 1 - Gogebic

 

Well I decided to just Verizon about the priority of 0244 in their PRL and here's what I got back..not to helpful I'm afraid

 

Please keep us updated on the Sault Ste Marie area and the AC plan. We spend the month of August in Sault Ste Marie each year. I end up swithing to the NSR plan in order not to roam. Naturally, I would like to not have to do that.

 

I also spend sometime in the Eastern UP of Michigan (on St. Mary River near Detour,MI) please keep me informed.

 

I am also very interested in any updates along these lines. Especially coverage in the Northwest LP- Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Walloon Lake area. My family has a place on Walloon. If this becomes part of AC I will strongly consider switching to Verizon (or at least get the SPCS F&CA option, if it includes digital coverage there- the analog coverage there stinks).

 

MISprintboy, the areas that you mentioned are currently part of Americas choice. All of N.W. Lower is included.

 

Thanks CDMA that's great news! When did that happen? A friend of mine was complaining about roaming charges on Verizon up there this past Summer, but I don't know the details of her plan.

I can see what you mean now from the AC map online. Too bad there isn't more detail on where digital coverage exists up there, but hopefully that's because Alltel is rapidly expanding it. Supposedly the latest SPCS PRL favors digital roaming over analog, hopefully that is the case in that area.

 

Alltel went Digital in Petoskey last fall. I spend a lot of time between there and Cheboygan, it's Digital all the way between but Verizon does not roam on Alltel in N.E. Just the N.W. area as of right now. Verizon roams on CellularOne of N.E. Michigan in N.E. Lower, which is also CDMA digital.

 

More info on UP roaming. I went up for Thanks Giving and they tried to charge me for roaming even though it was extended net work on my phone. The PRL and billing were not in sync. They waived the roaming charges. Then I went back for christmas and used my phone again cuz it was extended network. I just recieved the bill and the minutes are not roaming and I had no roam charges. It seems all in order now.

 

barto,

I was just wondering in which part of the UP did your phone finally switch over from Roaming to Extended Network?

My parents live in the Sault so I'm glad Verizon finally included some of the UP in the America's Choice Plan. Also, I went up I-75 to Sault Ste. Marie over Christmas and my phone started to roam around Grayling. Needless to say, I was a little disappointed that my coverage didn't make it to the bridge. I-75 must lie in Michigan-4 north of Grayling.

It's great news that the UP is slowly being added, but including Michigan-2 and Michigan-4 would be ideal for me. Anyways, I just wanted to say thanks to all the board members who were persistant with Verizon about UP roaming.

If anyone knows a timetable of when Verizon will finally add Michigan-2 and 4 to their PRL, let me know. Thanks.



Let's keep this thread alive!

ts

 

Well... i'm definitely not in the Michigan area often but just wanted to welcome you to WA.


Thanks for the feedback.

 

Ok, I have a V120C still, and a VX6000. (Share Plan) Anyhow, my v120 switches to roaming at around grayling, but my VX6000 still has a signal at St. Ignas. It even has a weak signal along US2 some of the way to Escanaba, then Here I get signal all the way to marquette, Gwinn, Negaunee, Ishpeming ect. Mid UP area. My 120c now goes off and on from Digital to analog and whenever it is in analog it is roaming, but he VX6000 is all digital so it is always extended network. (atleast up there)

 

barto,

interesting. I have a vx4400 and last christmas when I went up I-75, I got solid roaming north of Grayling. Your vx6000 got extended network all the way to Marquette? Whoa. What PRL do you have? Anyways, thanks for the info. I can't wait until these supposed roaming changes take place. It will make my life so much easier.

TS

 

Well, you aren't supposed to be able to see the PRL, so Verizon is probably thinking, "This guy's on to us...run!" and they blew you off.