Which phone company is best for RV'ers?

[D_B Travelers]

The DW and I are going to be traveling around a good bit in the TT and we were wondering which phone network is better for RV'ers and have you have good luck with it? Currently we have Verizon and our contract is up, but Sprint and AT&T both have some very enticing deals on TV currently. Other than the phone, I will need to use the data for my work occasionally downloading 3-6 MB files, email, etc. so data speed is important also. No streaming video or high bandwidth usage is needed, just files and email.

Anyone have recommendations of one network over another? Have you had problems in one part of the country when traveling with a certain network?

[proggod]

If you want the best coverage everywhere, Verizon is the way to go. They have the best network, even though they are the most expensive. AT&T is suppose to be good as well, but don't have experience with them. Have used sprint and tmobile and their coverage is not the greatest. There are many places it just won't work.

[Allzright]

We use both Sprint and Verizon. There are places where one won't work and the other will. It costs a little more to have two separate plans, but it's worth it for us. I count it as just another cost of our chosen lifestyle.
i have talked to many folks that have AT&T and were just waiting for contract to end. Lack of decent coverage outside of decent sized towns was the biggest complaint

[StoneyG]

We've had both Verizon and AT&T and traveled from the Florida Keys to Alaska and back and about everything in between and haven't found any difference except that when we stayed on the Seminole Reservation, Big Cypress, only AT&T worked. But that was several years ago. I don't know about now. I'm sure there are places where Verizon works and AT&T doesn't, but I don't know where they are. I've always heard that Verizon has better coverage than AT&T, but haven't seen it. You can check there coverage maps for areas that you plan to frequent.

[Still Kickin]

Go with AT&T, big red (Verizon) has been the top dog way to long and is just starting to feel the pressure from the likes of AT&T. They have the second best coverage as others mentioned, and want more market share. Switch, you won't regret it. Competition is a good thing! Just sayin'

[LANShark42]

Next question: Which truck is the best TV. 3...2...1... Go!

[DKRITTER]

I am a high data user and my business depends on it, we recently switched from AT&T to Verizon and are very pleased.

We regularly had issues with AT&T when we were off the beaten path and had friend with Verizon who didn't so after 10+ years with AT&T we switched.

A lot of it depends on where you are going to be using it and the coverage the various providers offer. Look at the coverage maps.

[BamaBob]

Depends on where you are going to travel. West of the Mississippi to Cali, Verizon rules the roost in connectivity. AT&T & Sprint can't even compare. Having said that, know that in the high desert states of NM,AZ, UT, CO & WY cell service is sketchy anytime you are outside cities and away from the interstate.


In the southeast, it is a crapshoot with some areas having better AT&T and others Verizon. In my experience (we have traveled the SE - MS, AL, GA, FL, TN, KY, AK, SC extensively) and I would give the edge to Verizon.


In hi density population areas - Eastern Seaboard, West Coast it simply does not matter - everything works.


If connectivity is a critical component of your travels, you might want to look at this:
Marine WiFi and RV WiFi and 3G/4G solutions: The Wirie AP+, The Wirie pro, and The Wirie xG


It is a pricey solution (and one we will invest in when we go mostly time in a couple of years) but if you want reliable access to cell/WIFI this solution is the way to go (without having to be a gearhead/IT Tech specialist )

[D_B Travelers]

We had AT&T for many years and only 3 years ago switched to Verizon because of a promotion. Have no trouble with Verizon, but as mentioned it isn't the cheapest, and I will still be working from my "home" office so I need the internet. While I will not be a huge user, it just needs to work where we are parked or I will have to pack up and head to a spot to pick up email every hour or so. We bought our TT about a year ago and will traveling to most of the USA, hopefully, in the future so I wanted to find out from those of you that do travel what you have experienced. Thanks to all that commented and we will use this information to select our next provider. We have even thought about the DW using AT&T and me keeping Verizon to be sure we have coverage.

[Mountndream]

while I work for one of the companies being discussed, It is very dependent on where you are outside of cities. I had zero reception in Glacier but Verizon signals were strong. I have been in other places where people with other carriers have borrowed my phone because thiers had no signal.

Consult coverage maps and check with other people at campgrounds you frequent.

[ColoradoRick]

We've had Sprint and AT&T and now have Verizon. For remote areas, nothing beats them.


Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

[twiggw]

From personal experience and everything I've read you can't beat Verizon for coverage.

[psgrandpa1]

Originally Posted by D_B Travelers

The DW and I are going to be traveling around a good bit in the TT and we were wondering which phone network is better for RV'ers and have you have good luck with it? Currently we have Verizon and our contract is up, but Sprint and AT&T both have some very enticing deals on TV currently. Other than the phone, I will need to use the data for my work occasionally downloading 3-6 MB files, email, etc. so data speed is important also. No streaming video or high bandwidth usage is needed, just files and email.

Anyone have recommendations of one network over another? Have you had problems in one part of the country when traveling with a certain network?

Verizon by far. Just take s look at coverage maps.

[EdnKat]

Originally Posted by LANShark42

Next question: Which truck is the best TV. 3...2...1... Go!

Buy the one big enough with power to spare. Then, the one with the most appealing cup holders, and, the color you like.

[D_B Travelers]

Originally Posted by LANShark42

Next question: Which truck is the best TV. 3...2...1... Go!

Thank you for the help with phone carriers.

[rsdata]

I have AT&T now... this past winter and in previous winters in FL, inland along the Gulf Coast in FL state parks and then near Apalachicola area (St George Island), AT&T was mostly just not there. Verizon phones in neighboring campsites were still on the air while I had zero bars... or just spotty coverage usually in the evening using an iphone 4S and this past year an iphone 5S. Never a problem near a city or on the highways, but get out a little, even less then 10 miles, then coverage drops dramatically.

I want to change to Verizon, but they tell me they cannot port my number I have had for 15+ years to their service... so I am thinking of getting a Wilson 3G/4G booster for the TT for about $600 and staying with AT&T. I have 4 GiG plan and without streaming anything, only emails and Word games only go over 6 GIG two months of the year on average.

[Edmund]

Had Verizon for a long time and switched to ATT several years ago. We have been in some areas where ATT is great and Verizon sucks and vice-versa. It seems to be a wash. The "roll-over" minutes with ATT have worked out great.

[widogmom]

If you want to go more than twenty miles off the interstate, Verizon would be my first choice. They're far from perfect, but the coverage is unsurpassed and since hubby is a cyclist that's our first priority. IDK how they stack up for internet, since we have "dumb" phones.

[dj3spots]

We have Verizon. We traveled east coast to west. Northern border to southmost. It hasn't let us down yet. We carry our mifi with us and it uses Vetizon. I will say that there are some places that no matter what carrier you have you will lose service. We can't get service in WV at my nephews place.


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[f5moab]

I have lived in the west for 8 years now, and traveled pretty extensively and have had Verizon and AT&T and noticed not much difference in the past few years between the two. Sure there are places that Verizon works better, and then there are places (like in the Sawtooth range) where AT&T works best.

When I first moved to Moab, Verizon was the only one to consider, five years later, AT&T was just as strong and in fact, they were the first to bring LTE into the Moab area. I also traveled quite a bit to the outskirts of Ouray (off-road purposes) and had friends with AT&T who could surf the net on their smart phone and I could not make a call with my Verizon smart phone.

One time in the back country of Capital Reef, it was reversed; we who had Verizon could surf, those with AT&T had smoke signals.

Just a few weeks ago, I basically traveled from Reno back to ID and talked to a few people the entire way. I will say it was using my Onstar on my 2015 Silverado, but I was warned by many that AT&T would not work in the middle of NV; well, it is true that AT&T hasn't as many antennas as needed, but they use 3rd party vendors and the service and signal was just as good. No extra charge for using a 3rd party, and really would never know you were using another carrier if you didn't look at their maps.

All I can say is it worked great for me. (Admittedly, onstar is a lot more powerful and has a larger antenna, sitting high outside the truck.) And a good friend lives in Winnemucka NV and he has AT&T and always answer when I call!

I believe it is a crap shoot between the two; just knowing in some areas one will work, one won't. That is something I would not have said five years ago.

Best thing to do is compare their coverage maps. And make sure to check 3G as well as 4G coverages. I have found that in some areas one of the carriers will offer 3G where the other carrier offers nothing. And 3G is better than 0G. Also, consider that both companies (probably the others too) are not totally accurate.

When I first moved to Moab, Verizon showed coverage on I-70 between Grand Junction and Green River...well Verizon dropped out about 10 miles inside the UT border and did not pick up service until Thompson; now, since Verizon added a new tower at Danish Flats, you pretty much have service the entire way on I-70.

However I'll also say from experience; Verizons map showing coverage in the San Rafael swell area (north/south of I-70 west of Green River UT) is BS. I have camped there enough to know I had no coverage on my smart phone or via Onstar on my 2013 Silverado. Can't speak for AT&T but I'll try that out in a few weeks.

I will say if Verizon had not continued to up their rates I probably would have remained with them; but when my contract was up; AT&T was the cheapest for me, and on top of that, the phone was 100 bucks less. And I have not been sorry for the change