Cell Phone Service Recommendations

[JohnR]

I would normally put this in The Scuppers, but WTH, it's my site

Seriously - the bride and i are looking for one of those shared cell plans with 2 phones. We're looking for something cheap, where the area calling plan is considered local (ie no roaming or long distance) where we usually are - somewhere between NYC/Newport/Boston/Truro - mobile to mobile minutes, GOOD SERVICE, and cheap. Any suiggestions to get? To stay away from?

As much as I'd like to have Internet access on my cell and to laptop it really is not cost advantageous to me and I don't need text message and that sort - just good cell service for short coin...

Thanks,

John

[Clammer]

John ,we,re happy with Verizon ================================================== ========my kid is super pissed with sprint, between the service & lack of range , &equipment breakdowns===========================he told them tostick there plan &everything that goes with it ==============================ASk Sheila what program we have =========I donno////////////////?????????????

[Nebe]

I'd go with cingular for a couple of reasons.. They have a family plan where an extra phone is 10 bucks more... calls from one cell phone to the other cell phone are free and you can carry over minutes you dont use. \
I have verizon now and as soon as my plan expires I'm dumping then like Drew Barrymore dumped Tom Green.

Get a picture phone so you can take a pic of your 50# from the surf then let it go

[mrmacey]

unlimited with 500 minutes each 39.99 if you talk to wife like i do two way is the best imo

[UserRemoved1]

nextsmell sucks

Cingular sucks

Verizon has the best coverage and the best plans. First minute of EVERY incoming call is free......nobody beats that bubba. Free mobile to mobile. Buy the t720 or the t730 fone. DO NOT buy the cheap crap fones you will regret it.

[beachwalker]

Verizon,

Had it since 99 and they have good service. Hear a lot of people complaining about the other carriers. But you are looking for the two phone thing.
I don't know what they have for the matching ball and chain.

you are going to hate it. all my married friends are tortured by the thing when fishing

[Crafty Angler]

John -

Yeah, I agree, Cingular sucks - we were paying fifty-some bucks a month for 2 phones which were rarely used. We're not the type to walk around or drive with a cell phone stuck to our faces , we just used it when we needed to get in touch or for emergency use and the monthly fee seemed like it just wasn't cost effective.

My brother-in-law in the Midwest told me he and his wife found the same thing with their cellular service and he went out and bought one of those pay as you go Virgin phones at Wallyworld.

I was skeptical, but picked one up to take with us when we drove out to PA to meet my wife's sister halfway on Rt. 80 and pick up our new pup just before New Years . I was actually pretty impressed with it - we drove 900 miles in a day round trip and we never lost the signal which was strong all the way even in the mountains. I've yet to lose the signal and have a call dropped.

The phone I have is a Kyocera Rave K-7, paid 59 or so bucks for it at Wallyworld and got a 25.00 phone card for it. I forget what the per minute charge is, but I've still got 22 bucks on it (they give ya $10 free to start with) - I can't recommend it too highly, it's a helluva deal. I call home almost every day too for 5 or so minutes to see what's happening at the ranch, so the usage fee is pretty modest.

No contract, no roaming charges, you only buy what you need. Ya do everything on line, and you can either buy the cards at a retail store or do it online via a CC.

I think it's pretty damn tough to beat and might work pretty well for you and the better half - it sure has for us.

[MakoMike]

John,
We've had T-mobile for several years now and are happy with it. Coverage it good, but with any company you will always find some dead areas. Its $70 a month and includes free long distance, unlimited calls between phones and enough regular minutes that we've never gone over. We never use the hous phone for long distance anymore, just the cell phones. I shut the damn thing off when I'm out fishing (sorry dear I was out of range )

[Fishpart]

We have T Mobile. 3999 a month 2 phones free weekends and nights free mobile to mobile. Had service last tiem I was a Chatham. No service in the eastern PA mountains, but service in Scranton. No service all the way up RT 89 in VT, but service once you gon into Canada......... The RT 95 strip is covered pretty well.

Works for me.

[wjm]

John,

Wife, Kids (2), and myself on T-Mobile. Can't beat the multi-user plans.....

[fishweewee]

Verizon has the most coverage for where you want to be, John, especially up on the Outer Cape.

I have T-Mobile, but my reasons for choosing this service are due to the GSM multiplexing which allows me to use it while traveling overseas. There are a lot of gaps with T-Mobile (P-Town, Nauset, etc).

[fishin]

Concumer Reports just put a review on cell plans, service etc you should get a copy and read it. they are very logical and non baisis.
By the way they rated Verizion the best service in the Boston area if anyone wanted to know. Good luck. what ever sercive you pick try to stay away from long term contracts (over a year) A free phone is always good. What is a computer guy like yourself waiting so long to get a cell phone for anyways. I thought you would have had decades ago. With that resume of yours you could have built one. Good luck in what ever carrier you decide to pick

[fishaholic18]

John, the wife and I have the Verizon share plan. The bill is $72. and change a month for the 2 of us, as long as you don't go over on the minutes. We share 400 peak mins. ,unlimited nights and weekends(nights are after 10pm I believe), and I get 2500 mobile to mobile and she gets 250 mobile to mobile to Verizon customers. It also includes free long distance.

[Mr. Sandman]

John, IMO they all kinda suck. You could have a $400 phone or a $50 phone...IMO no signal is no signal. I had sprint dumped that after a few years for cingular only because of their "family plan" and sharing min between 3 phones. This has saved me some bucks as I haven't had to pay for extra minutes. Salty is in the business and he likes verizon but a fishing guide buddy has one with a high end phone and he says the coverage is pretty much the same as the others. Nextel has this kewl walkie-talkie feature which does not add to your minutes and goes a loooong way and a lot of guys love it. But the cell coverage is no better then some of the others. I would suggest you look at thier web sites really carefully, compare coverage, features and plans and pick the best one for you. It will still suck at times but at least you will be paying less for it.
good luck

[Raider Ronnie]

If you're NOT locked into a plan, a phone call to any provider (even the one you're with now) will get you a better plan! as competion between so many providers has forced.
I had Cingular in the past, I now have Nextels $39.00 per phone 600 min. peak 6000 nite and weekend unlimited 2-way (I use all the time) bought the gps phones.
-Cingular no longer offers unlimited mobil to mobil !!! as a prior post mentioned. Ron

[Mr. Sandman]

what else can you do with a gps phone? Is it a 911 safety feature?

[Raider Ronnie]

Depending on the plan you pay for, I believe it can be used as a 911 safety feature.
I can get my coordinates from it, a safety net in case GPS on boat goes down in an emergency.
Can also be interfaced, not sure how, but pretty sure to a lap top.
I have 2 of my own and 3 for state snow plowing, when logged into program (java) the state knows where I am at all times, so I'm sure the program can be set up as a distress device.
Ron

[JohnR]

Originally posted by fishin
What is a computer guy like yourself waiting so long to get a cell phone for anyways. I thought you would have had decades ago. With that resume of yours you could have built one.

Well, I'm about to retire my umpteenth phone but whereas it was a business phone I'll need to get something of my own for the first time in a while...

Any thoughts on AT&T Wireless?

[Fishpart]

AT&T Wireless is in play right now. I saw an article in the Prov Urinal Business Section the other day indicating Cingular was trying to buy the business.

[macojoe]

Version!! free mobile to mobile, free roaming, free nights and weekends, free frist min, and large covrage area.

Good luck!!

[InterPlanetaryAngler]

Satellite phone trumps all wireless handhelds.

[JohnB]

I don't now much about the plans but I do feel strongly that verizon has the best signal coverage. My wife and her colleagues are on the road in Mass. and they all have verizon because the signal coverage is for superior. I figure they would know.

JB