Cell phones in the mountains?

[riverfever]

Kind of a dumb question here. I'm in Saint Louis now but my wife and I are relocating to SW corner area in a few more months. we both have service through Sprint and it sucks. Driving to CO, we lose service right after KC and pick it up again in Denver or Springs, but then lose it again 30 minutes later. Can't get service in Salida, Buena, Gunnison. Don't think I even tried in Durango b/c I was a little disgruntled. I know I'd have to have satelite phone up in the mountains but that's not what I'm asking. You all that are living in smaller towns or travel through them regularly...what service/phones should we look at getting after the move? Can you also give me an idea on rates you pay (sorry to be rude for asking about $). TIA.

-Chris

 

[jrsxj98]

Verizon seems to be the choice in the rural areas.....hell I had full service ontop of Imogene last year.

 

[Yucca-Man]

Verizon seems pretty good but their new "plan" has some issues. They say there's no roaming...but what they've done is blocked any cells that aren't in their plan. Most places you would have been roaming last month now show as "No Service" under the new plan. That's something to consider but it seems to be the way most providers are going these days.

The type of phone is also going to make a big difference; I have an LG VX4600, and while driving around South Park last weekend I noticed I had 'no service' near Jefferson. My fiancee just got a plan with me and has the Nokia 6510i and showed between 3/4 to full signal.

 

[hjeepxj]

Cingular isnt bad from what ive seen.

 

[old_man]

The best I have found is to have a dual mode phone. Analog is a lot better in the mountains.

 

[MMIXJ]

i just have a cheapo virgin pay as you go phone service that uses the sprint network though and i'd say the coverage up in the hills is poor. even driving up hwy 285 i'm hard pressed to get any signal at all...

 

[WB9YZU]

I have US Cellular. The few times I checked (for the fun of it) I had service throughout the front range and central areas.

 

[HossHoffer]

I've roamed all of Colorado with Sprint and have had service in almost all the larger and smaller cities including most of the I-70 corridor. We were in Durango two years ago and Montrose last year and had service in both. I've had service all along the front range south of Pueblo and north past Cheyenne. Don't know what to tell you other than there is information on-line on what cities have coverage. Where are you moving in the SW. Wish I could move there with you. My favorite area in the whole world is the colorado plateau.

 

[willyb]

Verizon seems to have the most wide spread coverage on the front range... I even had service up on Spring Creek/Idaho Springs.... go figure.... Just be sure to get a tri-mode phone - A full digital will be just as bad as what you have now...

*FYI - TMobil is full digital IIRC...

Will.

 

[YETI]

At&t and verizon have the best coverage out here. But with being said you do loose signal a lot. Personally I think you'd be better off with a CB. Cell phones suck in the MTNS.