Looking to possibly change carriers

[roguerower]

My current wireless plan is through Big Red. Service has been good except I have to pay out the ass for my plan. 450min, 500 texts, unlimited data, & insurance comes out to $86/mo plus taxes and shit jacks it up to $94/mo.

I was with Verizon through college because it had the best service in Blacksburg, VA which was where school was. I still get service in places where other plans dont. I tried to change my plan to the promo they were running for unlimited for $70/mo but didn't get it.

So, out of the other 3 big ones (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile), how do they all fare? Small local providers are out because I move on a annual basis for work.

 

[Anubis]

really big red is best in blacksburg? whenever we are down there for work (nearly every other week) i don't get shit for reception/3g.

 

[vshah]

tmobile would be 500 mins, unlimited text/data for 59.99 without a contract (no phone subsidies) or 79.99 with the contract/subsidies. if you're in a major city, they're awesome. if you travel on the road often between major metro areas, don't always expect to have 3g or even edge available.

edit: also check with your work if they offer any discounts. i got 18% off my tmobile bill.

 

[MrX8503]

In order from cheapest to most expensive.

Tmobile, Sprint, ATT

I would have to double check the prices, but I think thats the order.

 

[roguerower]

really big red is best in blacksburg? whenever we are down there for work (nearly every other week) i don't get shit for reception/3g.

I never had a problem. Good reception and 3g. I could get reception in most building basements and deep in the library. Way out in the middle of Claytor Lake during rowing practice. Never an issue for me.

Talking to my friends it was the same thing for most everyone. Just my $0.02

 

[s44]

T-mo is great if you can live with their network limitations.

I guess you have or are getting a high-data smartphone? How many gigs/month do you need? Do you need texts or can you just switch to Google Voice?

Btw, most schools get phone plan discounts... Surprised you didn't. What about work?

 

[roguerower]

Just checked work website and I get 13% off Sprint/Nextel plans.

What limitations for T-mo? Network availability? I've been using less than a gig/mo but I'm gonna go ahead and chalk that up to the fact that the Tour is good for work/email but the hardware and software really limit my desire to go online.

 

[vshah]

Just checked work website and I get 13% off Sprint/Nextel plans.

What limitations for T-mo? Network availability? I've been using less than a gig/mo but I'm gonna go ahead and chalk that up to the fact that the Tour is good for work/email but the hardware and software really limit my desire to go online.

tmo has the best policy of all the carriers afaik. you get 5gb a month with the unlimited plans. if you exceed that, you aren't charged any overages, you're simply throttled to edge speeds.

general consensus with tmobile is if you're in a city, coverage is fine. deep building penetration is a bit worse than than at&t. i often lose 3g in elevators etc, but i've never once lost signal completely in manhattan. 3g speeds are excellent.

I drive from nyc to dc and pittsburgh often. from NYC to dc I basically have 3g all the way. attribute this to the major metros (philly, baltimore) lining the way. driving to pittsburgh, i'm down to edge for a large part of the drive through central PA.

as always, check coverage maps. if the places you're moving to are all going to be large cities i don't think you should have any trouble with tmo.

theres always roaming for the rare occasions where i'm in a forest and need a cellphone and there's only an at&t signal. the cost savings make up for it imho.

 

[s44]

What limitations for T-mo? Network availability?

That and the fact that the higher 3G bands don't penetrate thick buildings as well.

What discount price can you get on a new-activation EVO?

 

[gsaldivar]

Before you switch, have a printout of your new carrier's offer in front of you and talk to current carrier's retentions dept. They might be willing to cut you a deal to keep you from canceling...!

 

[zerocool84]

if you're in a major city, they're awesome. if you travel on the road often between major metro areas, don't always expect to have 3g or even edge available.

Yea that's the main reason why I left T-Mobile. They have good coverage in LA area in the flatlands but once you hit any hills which we have many of or go outside the large living areas, their coverage sucks. Sprint is million times better than T-Mobile in that aspect. This is talking 3G to 3G as I don't have a "4G" phone of either yet.

 

[Naeeldar]

Yea that's the main reason why I left T-Mobile. They have good coverage in LA area in the flatlands but once you hit any hills which we have many of or go outside the large living areas, their coverage sucks. Sprint is million times better than T-Mobile in that aspect. This is talking 3G to 3G as I don't have a "4G" phone of either yet.

Exactly. Usually for I recommend for Tmobile who jsut want a cheap cell phone service and don't talk on it a lot daily for business etc.

Sprint is sort of the premier cheap cellular company. Excellent 3g network and coverage is good as well.

 

[Dulanic]

I had T-Mobile for the longest time but when I moved their coverage just wasnt cutting it. I ended up with Sprint and have little to no coverage problems.

 

[cardiac]

Virgin Mobile has 300min voice, unlimited text, and unlimited data for $25 a month and uses the Sprint network...

 

[Pliablemoose]

Virgin Mobile has 300min voice, unlimited text, and unlimited data for $25 a month and uses the Sprint network...

The Intercept is an entry level phone, you can root it, and have to tweak it quite a bit to get decent performance out of it, Virgin uses only "Sprint" towers and a tic slower radio in the Intercept as well. I used one for a month, and then signed up with Sprint instead.

IIRC you can score one (the Intercept) for $200 at Radio Shack, and use a $10 off $40 coupon here http://bit.ly/8XOCDg