Country boy

Hello John Woodruff (welcome to WA!),

I see you are in Illinios - a zip code would be appreciated and possilby the service provider you currently have (or are looking at signing with).

There are a few options dependong on your provider. Sprint has Airave and T-Mobile has UMA/H@H.to name a few.

 

Hi John, I also live in the country and have no wireless coverage. However, I'm with T-Mobile and use a UMA phone, which allows me to make calls, send/receive messages, and surf the web, over the wireless router in my home, and it works great. I'm not sure if you have access to high-speed Internet (cable or DSL) in the Pleasant Plains area, but if you do, that might be one way to go.

BUT, I took a look at AT&T's coverage map and they are showing full bars for your zip code, and they are also showing full coverage with their 3G network in your county and the surrounding ones. AT&T has pretty accurate maps from what I have seen for my area, so I would imagine AT&T would be a good option for you! Check out their coverage: AT&T Coverage Viewer

 

Verizon maps are not very accurate at all. Verizon shows that my area has coverage, but it doesn't. But with AT&T it shows that I don't have coverage at my house.

Within 20 miles of your zip code there is only one Verizon store, but 8 AT&T stores.... that is usually a pretty good indicator of the service in an area. I'd be cautious about getting the MiFi. AT&T has a faster network than Verizon does anyway. But I won't trust their maps. Do you know what any of your neighbors have?

I'd check again with AT&T... they have been adding a lot of towers in the past couple of months and switching a lot of areas over to 3G (my area being one of them).

If nothing else, file a network request with AT&T (I'm not sure that Verizon does that)... and then get satellite Internet, lol

Good luck with all of this!

 

What a situation to be in! I understand your frustration and your search for an option that works! I'm not saying more rural areas deserve special treatment, but we are certainly under-served (in many ways)... Although I'm not entirely in favor of the current administration, I am pulling for their promises to fund broadband in rural areas so that we can at least catch up with the rest of the nation!

I'm lucky enough to live on the very edge of broadband penetration in my area, but it took a long time to get broadband here... and still I only have one option (aside from satellite) and that's with the local cable company. A few people I know around here have WildBlue satellite and they like it (compared to having nothing but dial-up)... but of course it is expensive! I have not heard too many good things about HughesNet.

I just checked WildBlue website, and they do offer coverage in your zip code (I'm not sure if there are any zip codes they DON'T cover in the U.S.... but whatever). Their cheapest package is $50/month (512 K download speeds) and next one is $70/month (1 Mbps download speeds), and the most expensive is $80/month (1.5 Mbps download speeds).

As far as wireless carriers are concerned... Seriously, I would have your neighbor call AT&T (dial 611 from their cellphone) and have them explain to AT&T that they don't have 3G coverage. I mean unless you literally live underground, that's a shame you can't get 3G when their maps clearly show your entire county in good cellular coverage AND 3G coverage. They will take a look at the towers your neighbor is calling from and determine if their are any issues... and likely will send out a technician.

I know it sounds like I'm trying to sell you to AT&T, but they seem to me to be the most promising. I don't think they have anything quite like the MiFi, but they do have data connect cards and USB drives (as well as netbooks). I'm not sure how the pricing compares. But unless you know someone with Verizon in your area that has good "broadband" coverage, you would most likely be wasting your money on the MiFi and the service.