What is the best prepaid coverage?

I'm tryin' to find the prepaid service with the best coverage. I live in a
rural area and I've heard most prepaid services don't work well in them.
Anyone out there who can help me out? I'd appreciate it.

--
Message posted via http://www.cellphonekb.com

"Darren McCary via CellPhoneKB.com" <forum@CellPhoneKB.com> wrote in message
news:07f77077d4964c5ca16d454a1be1a5c2@CellPhoneKB.com...
> I'm tryin' to find the prepaid service with the best coverage. I live in a
> rural area and I've heard most prepaid services don't work well in them.
> Anyone out there who can help me out? I'd appreciate it.
>
> --
> Message posted via http://www.cellphonekb.com


This year the answer is simple. In coming years there might be more debate
about which carrier or carriers are the best.

"Best" in descending order:
1. Verizon/Alltel (CDMA 800 & Analog 800)
2. Cingular/AT&T (TDMA 800 & Analog 800)
3. In rural areas, forget about any of the other technologies or carriers
(GSM, iDen/Nextel, Sprint, etc.)

For the most reliable rural area coverage, make darn sure any phone you end
up with has fall back to analog mode, and covers both the 800 + 1900 Mhz
bands.

Verizon, Alltel, Cingular, and AT&T all have prepaid plans.

Verizon and Alltel at one time shared each other's resources, but lately I
understand they are getting away from that practice.

However, a prepaid plan like TracFone (CDMA models) will not discriminate.
TracFone (CDMA models) will use either Alltel or Verizon towers, which ever
one is available depending on location where the call is made.

Some prepaid companies you should consider (mainly for quick and local phone
availability). These are all readily accessable in department stores and
Radio Shack, Walmart, Target, Kmart, Walgreens or stores run by the
cellphone carriers themselves-Cingular-Alltel-Verizon, etc. If you activate
one of these (that you purchased locally), and you don't like it, you can
take it back for full refund from the store where you purchased it. Not so
with the eBay "crapp shoot":

www.tracfone.com
http://www.virgin.com/mobile/
http://www.attwireless.com/cell-phon...ne/index.jhtml
http://www.attwireless.com/cell-phone-service/free2go/
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/catalog.gsp?cat=3980
http://www.simplefreedom.net/SimpleFreedom/Home.htm

I'm partial to TracFone, because they are always offering free airtime
minute promotions. Also, TracFone does not have its own network, and only
uses existing well established carriers like Verizon, Alltel, Cingular,
Suncom, AT&T, etc.

JoshIII
josh3i@hotmail.com
Activating a new or refurbed TracFone soon?
Be sure to get a referral (by email) from another
TracFone user and you'll both receive 100 FREE
minutes airtime. TracFone uses Alltel, Verizon,
Cingular, AT&T, and Suncom wireless networks, just
to name a few! I've been a TracFone user for 4 years.

"Joseph" <JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:l9kr219l3ouuk5dd8atg0aniqvau8nkbim@4ax.com...
>
> Why don't you come clean that part of the reason you like TracFone so
> much is that you get a kickback for everyone who uses you as a
> referral? ....

Brilliant! Rocket scientist perhaps?


> Other than that TracFone is a pretty poor deal as far as
> costs when compared to ther prepaid offerings.
>


Sounds like you're just jealous of prepaid users because your contract plan
is sucking the life out of you and it doesn't offer much in return (not even
roll over each month)?

I don't use my TracFones much, mainly for emergencies, text messaging,
e-mail, and mobile messengers like Yahoo IM. I have been able to keep two
TracFones activated for the past year at no cost (free), simply by receiving
and redeeming one referral per month (average).

Of course I'm open minded about what the best prepaid plans on the market
are that have decent coverage and offer best cost per month or cost per
minute.

You mean there are other prepaid plans (I've obviously overlooked) that
offer the same great coverage and incentives as good as TracFone? Do
tell!

JoshIII
upstate south carolina
josh3i@hotmail.com

"Joseph" <JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:l9kr219l3ouuk5dd8atg0aniqvau8nkbim@4ax.com...
> On Mon, 7 Mar 2005 10:17:09 -0500, "JoshIII"
> <josh3iREMOVE@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>I'm partial to TracFone, because they are always offering free airtime
>>minute promotions. Also, TracFone does not have its own network, and only
>>uses existing well established carriers like Verizon, Alltel, Cingular,
>>Suncom, AT&T, etc.
>>
>>JoshIII
>>josh3i@hotmail.com
>>Activating a new or refurbed TracFone soon?
>>Be sure to get a referral (by email) from another
>>TracFone user and you'll both receive 100 FREE
>>minutes airtime. TracFone uses Alltel, Verizon,
>>Cingular, AT&T, and Suncom wireless networks, just
>
> Why don't you come clean that part of the reason you like TracFone so
> much is that you get a kickback for everyone who uses you as a
> referral? Other than that TracFone is a pretty poor deal as far as
> costs when compared to ther prepaid offerings.
>
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>
.... TracFone has one big advantage - they handle prepaid only. From
personal experience I have learned that having a prepaid account with a
postpaid carrier like Cingular can be a royal pain-in-the-ass!! Their
customer service people are clueless when handling prepaid.

"Joseph" <JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:fd8u21pc9rsmd8t1fhk1ravnl8udpkcstg@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 9 Mar 2005 03:15:45 -0500, "Dudhorse" <dudhorse@bellsouth.net>
> wrote:
>
>>
>>"Joseph" <JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>>news:l9kr219l3ouuk5dd8atg0aniqvau8nkbim@4ax.com...
>>> On Mon, 7 Mar 2005 10:17:09 -0500, "JoshIII"
>>> <josh3iREMOVE@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>>I'm partial to TracFone, because they are always offering free airtime
>>>>minute promotions. Also, TracFone does not have its own network, and
>>>>only
>>>>uses existing well established carriers like Verizon, Alltel, Cingular,
>>>>Suncom, AT&T, etc.
>>>>
>>>>JoshIII
>>>>josh3i@hotmail.com
>>>>Activating a new or refurbed TracFone soon?
>>>>Be sure to get a referral (by email) from another
>>>>TracFone user and you'll both receive 100 FREE
>>>>minutes airtime. TracFone uses Alltel, Verizon,
>>>>Cingular, AT&T, and Suncom wireless networks, just
>>>
>>> Why don't you come clean that part of the reason you like TracFone so
>>> much is that you get a kickback for everyone who uses you as a
>>> referral? Other than that TracFone is a pretty poor deal as far as
>>> costs when compared to ther prepaid offerings.
>>>
>>> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>>>
>>... TracFone has one big advantage - they handle prepaid only. From
>>personal experience I have learned that having a prepaid account with a
>>postpaid carrier like Cingular can be a royal pain-in-the-ass!! Their
>>customer service people are clueless when handling prepaid.
>
> That's *your* experience. I've had great service with prepaid from
> all the companies that I've used. cingular isn't the best knife in
> the drawer for service anyway. That's a rather poor example.
>
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>
..... Tracfones will roam onto other networks - my Cingular K I C prepaid
phone only works on the Cingular network and if it can't connect with
Cingular you are S.O.L!

"Joseph" <JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:gv7u219rjjuafap58b063defgmqq5o9ndc@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 8 Mar 2005 18:11:22 -0500, "JoshIII"
> <josh3iREMOVE@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>Sounds like you're just jealous of prepaid users because your contract
>>plan
>>is sucking the life out of you and it doesn't offer much in return (not
>>even
>>roll over each month)?
>
> You need to be careful when you ASSume. It makes an ass out of you
> and me. I use Beyond and pay much less than you could ever hope to
> with Tracfone. They will activate a phone for free and even give you
> 35 minutes FREE. Refill minutes never cost more than 15 cents per
> minute and essentially will last forever provided you make a
> chargeable call every 60 days. Lots of Tracfone is now GSM only which
> means that "emergency" use that you cherish so may not be available to
> them where other services are more likely to have some sort of signal
> from which they can get emergency service.
>

.... Tracfone also sells CDMA & TDMA phones - my Tracfone is a trimodal Moto
V120 that also does analog.
Also Tracfone is the only prepaid service that shows your airtime balance &
service expiration date on the handset - having to call to get that info. is
a pain unless you are one of those weinies that look for any excuse to use
their phone but then you should be on a monthly contract. GSM only phones
are due to the market and the networks themselves - they(not Tracfone) seem
to be making a general move to GSM technology.
Plus Tracfones are designed to roam if needed onto other networks - while
some other prepaid phones especially those offered by the carriers
themselves do not which can be more than a inconvenience in a emergency
situation.

On Mon, 07 Mar 2005 08:09:25 GMT, "Darren McCary via CellPhoneKB.com"
<forum@CellPhoneKB.com> wrote:

>I'm tryin' to find the prepaid service with the best coverage. I live in a
>rural area and I've heard most prepaid services don't work well in them.
>Anyone out there who can help me out? I'd appreciate it.

Step one is to determine which of the major services are best in your
area. Talk to your friends and neighbors. If Sprint does not have
service in your area then you certainly don't want to consider Virgin
Mobile, which sells Sprint service as a prepaid.

Try to check the area where you will be making calls. If most of your
calls will be from work and Cingular GSM doesn't work there then you
certainly don't want a GSM prepaid.

Consider how much annoyance you are willing to put up with. Some
prepaids require you to dial your number twice, or a passcode or
something, if you are out of your home area. Are you OK with this?

Check coverage carefully. As pointed out in another response
Cingular's KIC coverage is not the same as Cingular's regular plans.
However, my wife has their KIC plan and it works like a charm for her.
The reason is simply, the only areas she might be without me are
covered by the plan. So the lack of coverage doesn't mean anything in
her case.

One final point. Buying a prepaid plan is at least as difficult as a
post paid plan. Maybe more so since a lot of plans are sold only over
the web or in the big box stores. Do you really expect the person at
Wal Mart to be an expert<GRIN>

Good luck.

>>Also Tracfone is the only prepaid service that shows your airtime balance &
>>service expiration date on the handset -
>
>
> Tmo To go from T-Mobile shows balance on the handset by keying #999#.


On TracFone GSM, is that feature of the SIM card or the software of the
phone (or both)?

I was wondering if you took a TracFone SIM and placed it in an unlocked
Nokia 6340i, if it would display the balance.

TH

"Tropical Haven" <user@example.net> wrote in message
news:4230AD14.2000502@example.net...
>
> On TracFone GSM, is that feature of the SIM card or the software of the
> phone (or both)?
>
> I was wondering if you took a TracFone SIM and placed it in an unlocked
> Nokia 6340i, if it would display the balance.
>
> TH



The SIM card has nothing to do with airtime display in a TracFone.

You can't use a TracFone SIM in anything but a GSM TracFone.

You can't use any other company's SIM (Cingular, T-Mobile, AT&T, etc.) in a
TracFone.

A TracFone has special programming in the phone which accounts for minutes
added and used.


I have a Nokia 5185 (Trimode CDMA) that was deactivated from Alltel. I was
wondering what prepaid plan I could use with it?

I was at the Simple Freedom website today and you have to buy a Simple
Freedom phone to use Simple Freedom Airtime cards even though Simple Freedom
is powered by the Alltel network.

Alltel's own prepaid plan requires using specific models purchased from
Alltel. Same with Verizon's FreeUp.

Apparently many of the market's prepaid plan offerings now have special
phones with special programming in the phone itself. Not just TracFone.

JoshIII
josh3i@hotmail.com
Activating a new or refurbed TracFone soon?
Be sure to get a referral (by email) from another
TracFone user and you'll both receive 100 FREE
minutes airtime. TracFone uses Alltel, Verizon,
Cingular, AT&T, and Suncom wireless networks, just
to name a few! I've been a TracFone user for 4 years.

JoshIII wrote:
> "Tropical Haven" <user@example.net> wrote in message
> news:4230AD14.2000502@example.net...
>
>>On TracFone GSM, is that feature of the SIM card or the software of the
>>phone (or both)?
>>
>>I was wondering if you took a TracFone SIM and placed it in an unlocked
>>Nokia 6340i, if it would display the balance.
>>
>>TH
>
>
>
>
> The SIM card has nothing to do with airtime display in a TracFone.
>
> You can't use a TracFone SIM in anything but a GSM TracFone.
>
> You can't use any other company's SIM (Cingular, T-Mobile, AT&T, etc.) in a
> TracFone.
>
> A TracFone has special programming in the phone which accounts for minutes
> added and used.
>
>
> I have a Nokia 5185 (Trimode CDMA) that was deactivated from Alltel. I was
> wondering what prepaid plan I could use with it?

That's not a fair comparison. CDMA and GSM are not the same, and CDMA
users are tracked by the ESN of the *phone* while GSM users are tracked
with the *SIM* that's placed in the phone.

> I was at the Simple Freedom website today and you have to buy a Simple
> Freedom phone to use Simple Freedom Airtime cards even though Simple Freedom
> is powered by the Alltel network.

Again, that's a CDMA phone that has everything "in-house", while
required subscriber information is stored on the SIM with GSM.

> Alltel's own prepaid plan requires using specific models purchased from
> Alltel. Same with Verizon's FreeUp.
>
> Apparently many of the market's prepaid plan offerings now have special
> phones with special programming in the phone itself. Not just TracFone.

But what about GSM? Isn't there a standard for the use of SIM cards in GSM?

> JoshIII
> josh3i@hotmail.com
> Activating a new or refurbed TracFone soon?
> Be sure to get a referral (by email) from another
> TracFone user and you'll both receive 100 FREE
> minutes airtime. TracFone uses Alltel, Verizon,
> Cingular, AT&T, and Suncom wireless networks, just
> to name a few! I've been a TracFone user for 4 years.
>
>