turn_one Posted September 2, 2004 Posted September 2, 2004 ATT, and go w/ the GSM phones. Contrary to what others have said they do offer the same freq. as the aging TDMA networks (850 MHz) and also 1900 (not as robust and more prone to the natural interference we have up here) The GSM network has been built out significantly since the release up here, there are many more GSM sites than the TDMA's. The biggest benefit is in the possible Cingular buy-out. As a AT&t Wireless customer yoou can roam, for free on Cingulars network if there is know ATT coverage in the area. Make sure you get a dual frequency phone though, by far the best phone, as far as receptions concerned, is the Nokia 6200. I've tried them all. Quote
gearho Posted September 2, 2004 Posted September 2, 2004 Verizon has the most towers in the outback (like Marblemount) and will share towers unlike T-Mobile. I just got their cheapest phone for $69 and it is a tri-band. It switches over to analog when it needs to and drains the battery really quick. Analog travels further so it's a good thing for the emergancy call. I don't call my Mom from the summit and say "guess where I am?". Quote
pindude Posted September 2, 2004 Posted September 2, 2004 Verizon has the most towers in the outback... Is true for the most part. This environmentalist used to work in the telcom industry, of all things, helping to build cell towers (helped to ensure towers were built RIGHT and investments were maximized for my bosses and company). Generally in the West and NW, for "backcountry service," Verizon is recognized as having the best analog coverage, AT&T second best. I don't personally know about analog coverage specifically for the Olympics and Cascades, but would assume Verizon. Our tower monkeys, from both west and east sides of WA, carried almost exclusively Verizon-service phones for communication from the field. Doesn't necessarily mean you're limited to Verizon or AT&T (soon to be Cingular), as companies like Sprint have their own digital towers or antennas for urban zones, and then contract for analog service with Verizon...that would be your "analog roaming" at about 30 cents/minute. Hey, there used to be a website--still around?--that showed geographically ALL the different companies coverages for both digital and analog. Most cell towers are built for multiple carriers, 3-6 is common especially for today's digital networks. Any tower-owning company, including a service provider such as Verizon, have incentive to lease space on the towers they own to competing services in order to maximize their ROI to build that tower. Each antenna array you see on a cell tower, usually separated by at least 10', represents a different service provider. Analog service, built out mostly in the 80s and early 90s, and now used mainly outside urban areas, has wider range per antenna array so requires less # of towers, and--with the $$ for the most part in digital and future technologies--will naturally have less carriers per tower. Quote
neversummer Posted September 2, 2004 Posted September 2, 2004 (edited) regarding getting ahold of old TDMA phones, I see them on EBay for $10 often, and at thrift shops on occasion. I stocked up on them by sending an email around a company I used to work for, asking for any old ATT phones people had collecting dust in a desk drawer. I got 4 or 5 within a week! Getting them is easy, I should have said getting AT&T to activate a new line of service with one is difficult. ANY cellphone within usable range of a compatible cell tower can call 911, regardless of activation or even if the phone is locked, FCC mandate. A Tri-Band Phone will operate on multiple Frequencies (MHZ). A Tri-Mode Phone will operate on multiple network types (Analog, Digital, GSM...) Edited September 2, 2004 by neversummer Quote
Ursa_Eagle Posted September 8, 2004 Posted September 8, 2004 If you're getting a verizon phone, watch out for the "all-digital" phones. Verizon has a surprising number of all-digital models, which would work fine for someone in the city. I had to trade my phone in after 2 weeks because the lack of analog scared me. Quite simply, if my partner is bleeding to death, and the only signal that gets to where I am is analog, I want to be able to make the call. I've already seen cell phones save one life. 911 worked great up high on Stuart. Greg, if you fall and are dying, should your partner *not* call 911 with a cell phone? Quote
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