Thursday, December 20, 2018

Can We Trust Those Coverage Maps?

Last spring the Rural Wireless Association (RWA) cried fowl when the FCC released their unserved 4G LTE coverage map.  The RWA claimed Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile overstated their coverage in rural areas effectively preventing rural wireless carriers from securing federal funding to expand wireless coverage in rural areas from the Mobility Fund.  Recently, the FCC agreed to review the process to make sure.

PTCI Cellular, a small rural carrier complained that driving over their service territory of the panhandle of Oklahoma shows 85% of the area with no 4G-LTE coverage from any carrier, yet the FCC map showed the entire area covered.  Eyebrows were raised in several other locations, such as the state of Kansas, who noted that their state appears to have 100% 4G-LTE coverage on the map.  Kansas regulators are often fielding complaints about areas with no coverage, let alone at 4G-LTE quality.


We don't get complaints about coverage that shows on a map that doesn't appear in the real world, but we do get complaints about areas with coverage shown but unable to make reliable calls and access usable data.  The carriers involved claim that, if anything, their maps are conservative.  We also note that just because an area shows little 4G coverage, a carrier can offer 4G download rates with various combinations of RF technology.

We're hoping this results in better maps, but more likely, we may see maps that either show less coverage or less detail, just so the FCC, the RWA and other rural associations stop complaining.  Thank goodness they are.  We agree rural areas need better coverage and the rural carriers have the most incentive to provide it.  May the best map win.

Sunday, November 11, 2018

Open Mobile Looks Closed

We could have predicted the demise of Open Mobile in Puerto Rico when they agreed to "share" their network with Sprint.  Today, Open Mobile doesn't actually say they have given up the business, but their stores are now all branded as Boost Mobile.  Since last year's hurricanes, wireless customers in Puerto Rico have suffered from spotty service and the carriers suffered from a reduction to their income stream.  Sprint can survive this but Open Mobile can't.


This may have been a decision made before the storms but the result is that the network will work better under a major player.  As usual, we hate to see another carrier bite the dust, but if you live on the island, you should be glad the way things turned out..at least for your wireless service.

Friday, November 2, 2018

When 5G Isn't Quite 5G

Verizon Wireless was the first to start with what they call "5G", but it's really only a step closer.  Verizon's 5G, called "Home", is actually a slowed-down version of their ultimate high-speed Internet service.  In order to win the 5G footrace, Verizon is offering fixed wireless equipment that does not use the universally-accepted technology (3GPP), and they do not yet offer the near 5G speed standards, near 20Gbs.  Verizon does plan to pick up the speed and eventually offer the latest technology, but will need to replace customer equipment when it becomes available.

Similarly, AT&T doesn't yet offer a true 5G experience, instead, they call their high-er speed data, "5G Evolution."  That means that they're getting faster in some areas on their way to eventually offering real 5G performance.  AT&T also claims they will have 5G mobile coverage, soon.  So, there are some name games going on here.  We're trying to figure out how to respond, both on our 5G Coverage Map page, and on our new 5G web site, Mountain5G.com.

Related: 5G for You?

Sprint will eventually offer a faster data experience but they have numerous headwinds getting to that point.  T-Mobile, who has been able to expand new coverage across the country at a surprising rate, claims they will offer a hefty 5G product that will be available in several large markets soon, also available for mobile use.

Don't overlook the other 2 hurdles that must be crossed: 5G-capable devices, and that so much new wireless infrastructure is required,  with so many obstacles to building it.  We don't doubt that each of the major carriers will get there and the race to 5G does include many methods of getting us increased broadband downloads.  Enjoy the trip to fast...slowly.


Tuesday, October 9, 2018

Cheapest Prepaids Update

This is from our Cheapest Prepaids Page:


Bargain-basement Prepaid starts as low as FREE! Here are examples of how low it can go.
  • FREEDOMPOP
    FreedomPop gives you a certain number of Talk minutes, Text and Data for FREE!  The idea is that you'll like their service enough to add some of their low-priced features after you sign up and see how much you like their service. Even after adding features, your monthly price can be super low. Get more info on FreedomPop.

  • UNREAL MOBILE
    Unreal Mobile offers plans starting at $10 that include Unlimited Talk & Text and 1Gb of Data. They also offer a 2 week trial period and Data drops to 2G at the end of your allotment. Both CDMA and GSM phones are supported.  Lean more about Unreal Mobile.

  • T-MOBILE PREPAID
    T-Mobile's lowest-priced Prepaid is only $3 a month and there's no penalty for going over your allotment, they just charge you at the same, per-use rate. It's easy to keep the account going without much action from you with Auto-Refill.

  • TELLO
    Tello plans start at $5/month.  Get 100 Min. Talk/ 250 Texts/ 200 Mb Data for just $9/month. Add or subtract features as needed for more savings. Get More Information About Tello.

  • TWIGBY
    In the same price range, Twigby offers 300 Min. Talk/ Unlimited International Texts/ 200 Mb High Speed Data + Unlimited 2G Data for just $9/month.  Get More Details about Twigby.

Friday, September 28, 2018

What Does 5G Mean for You?

Here it comes! 5G wireless holds the promise of big and fast data, but what does it mean to the average Joe wireless user?  There are so many potential uses of this newest hot technology we'll need to prioritize.  To us, the most immediate promise is the availability of a real competitor to the established cable and DSL Internet providers.  Most cellular carriers will initially be offering 5G as a Fixed Wireless product, meant to be used in the home or office.  Get your box and you're online at super speeds.

The advocates of 5G claim it will revolutionize everything from cars to toothbrushes.  In order for that to happen, the carriers will need to add 5G to each and every cell site in the nation, and a bunch of new sites as well.  So, for the dream of the Internet of Things to be realized, there will be quite a bit of work to be done.  The short term dream is for us to enjoy the capabilities of that device we carry in our pocket to work faster and better, but that's pretty narrow thinking.  5G can be much more than that.


Verizon Wireless is already accepting signups for 5G if you live in Los Angeles, Sacramento, Houston and Indianapolis.  I'm now looking at the deposit I made for fiber to come to my neighborhood as maybe a bit premature.  The race is on and right now it looks like wireless will win.  We have established 2 web sites that help you navigate Interstate Highway 5G.  One is the 5G Wireless Coverage page on our Cellular Maps site, and a whole new web site that will help you decide when and how to sign up for 5G Wireless, Mountain 5G.

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Net Neutrality or Kiss Your House Goodbye?

Verizon Wireless gets a thumbs down during the northern California wildfires. They denied a request to un-throttle firefighters' phones.  These firefighters had subscribed to an "Unlimited" plan. 

Verizon's Response: "Regardless of the plan emergency responders choose, we have a practice to remove data speed restrictions when contacted in emergency situations. We have done that many times, including for emergency personnel responding to these tragic fires. In this situation, we should have lifted the speed restriction when our customer reached out to us. This was a customer support mistake."

"Verizon Wireless' throttling of a fire department that uses its data services has been submitted as evidence in a lawsuit that seeks to reinstate federal net neutrality rules."

Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Breakaway Wireless Breaks Away in Utah

Breakaway Wireless, the aptly-named cellular service of the Manti Communications Company in Utah, has indeed broken away.  This ultra-small carrier leaves a small hole in the middle of the state and their few customers have few choices...all bad.


As wireless advocates, we hope they will continue to use their network for other uses such as wireless Internet service (they haven't told us what they're doing with the network).  Before their breakaway, Breakaway shared the facilities of the Rural Independent Network Alliance (RINA) which now puts that cooperative association in jeopardy as they approach the critical number of subscribers to keep their other associated networks operating.  This may also affect a small number of Sprint roamers...but it's a very small number.

Monday, August 20, 2018

NMobile in New Mexico Calls it Quits

NMobile, the renamed cellular arm of the LEACO Rural Telephone Cooperative of Hobbs, New Mexico has thrown the big switch.  Their cellular service has been discontinued and their customers were left to fend for themselves as of June 30, 2018.  Sadly, the old LEACO network was one of the best around but serving a very small population that probably preferred to go with the 'big boys.'


LEACO advertises that their Internet service offers "LTE Wireless Internet", which we guess is the new use of their old cellular network, but we can't find anyone there who can either confirm or deny it.

Thursday, August 16, 2018

The Enemy Fighting 5G

You think 5G is just around the corner?  It is in some places, but there are some areas that will see 5G long after we see it in China.  The problem is the same brick wall wireless providers have faced for years...local government.  A typical case is in Austin, Texas where multiple city departments know that installing the small cell sites desired for 5G coverage requires far more permits, licenses and steps of bureaucracy there than they do in any other city in Texas, or almost any where else.


We're not getting on Austin's case, but we know this is a big obstacle in a number of cites, counties and similar fiefdoms of this country, and you might be living in one.  Just a heads up, you may need to check in with your town to make sure your chances of seeing 5G coverage aren't held back by some well-meaning friends and neighbors who still think telecommunications lives and dies by the dial tone.

Ask your community development director or building department how the small cell/5G process is moving along in your neighborhood.  The city where I live owns their own fiber backbone and they would be thrilled to hook it up to some small cells and make our burg a connected community.  Or so we think.  We won't know until we check.

Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Stop the Robocalls with Wireless!

You might know I replaced my land line phone at home with a wireless home phone.  The box sits out of sight and feeds phones all over the house.  The family hasn't really noticed the difference...but neither have the robocallers.  The idea was to keep the existing home phone number and keep the phones that ring when someone calls the "Home" number.


Of course, most of us now call a person instead of a home, so the home phone has become pretty much just a backup.  With so few legitimate calls coming in on the home phone, we thought it may be time to turn off the ringer and just let the calls go to voice mail.  With the local phone company charging over $50 per month for a line we no longer answer, we are thrilled that the wireless replacement is just $15 per month.  Yes, we could just buy a bargain cell phone and use its voice mail, but my family has a tendency to lose a phone they don't use on a regular basis.  Replacing the home phone with the wireless box gave us what we want: the household backup phone (have you ever thought about what if the babysitter's phone battery went dead?) and a reliable voice mail system.

While we're not stopping the robocalls, few of them leave a message, and the occasional real caller who actually wants to contact us, can still keep in touch.  For a short time we considered the even cheaper broadband-based (VoIP) phone replacement, but our wireless box has work flawlessly for years, compared to our Internet connection that goes out for various lengths of time almost once a month.

BTW, those of you who moved in to your current home and never installed a "home phone", we can't help you.

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

More Routes to Cheaper Wireless

We updated our "Cheaper Wireless" page to include a few new ideas.  Check to see if you're eligible as a military family, first responders or reaching a certain age.  We also note that many of the current "Family" plans, which could include a large number of people in your "family", can be even more generous.

Also, if your carrier doesn't offer free international calls, consider a carrier that offers a way to make those calls for Free, like TracFone, or carriers that provide Free international texting, like Twigby.

Monday, June 25, 2018

2G Now Tastes Better

A few days ago we reported how at times we are using 2G data and still enjoying most of the features we want.  Since then, our low-cost example of Unlimited 2G at Twigby has improved even more.  Today, Twigby now offers 300 minutes Talk, Unlimited Texts and 200 Mb of high-speed data at their still ridiculously low price of $9 per month (yes, plus tax, if any).  Not many of us choose the cheapest plan, but many of us do like the option of a cheaper plan.  We can choose it when we realize how much of what we want can be done at 2G speeds. Joy!

(BTW, we didn't get paid for this post but we do have an affiliate relationship with Twigby...and everybody else.)

Friday, June 15, 2018

The Joy of 2G

I was reviewing plans from one of our advertisers, Twigby, and was struck by how much they were offering.  For the rock-bottom promotional rate of $9 they provide 100 Talk minutes and 150 Mb of  high-speed Data.  Not a big deal, right?  What is a big deal is what shows at the top of each plan: "Plans Include Unlimited 2G Data for Free!". Before you recoil in horror at a 2G download, let me share my experience traveling in Europe. I made the mistake of bringing my most expendable phone, some base model LG phone, which, unfortunately, did not have access to the high-speed spectrum used by my randomly-chosen carrier in Italy.  Yes, I was stuck in 2G hell...but I didn't know it.

I hopped on the train and began following my trip on Google Maps.  The train's Wi-Fi was hopelessly slow so I switched to Cellular Data and was able to easily follow the map and keep tabs of my email at a much faster download rate.  Distracted by the passing scenery of Tuscany, I did not notice the 2G symbol on my screen until some time later in the trip.  Yes, I did not notice that my data was coming in at a maximum rate of 128kb, and until then, it didn't matter.

                                   Related: Unlimited Data: The Alternatives

This leads me to believe that cheapskates like me can get a bargain-basement data plan with a few hundred bits of data and still find our phones quite usable.  What doesn't work well? Streaming video and poorly-constructed web sites, something I rarely use.  To make these cheap deals even sweeter, carriers like Twigby also offer, "Unlimited Global Texting...FREE." This is actually a lot of Unlimited for only $9.

Keep in mind this is artificially-created 2G, not the old 2G that carriers like AT&T have stopped providing on their network.  It's also called "throttling" and I now see it as as my way to get the lowest-price wireless.

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Sprint Phones Now Roam on T-Mobile

Oh yes, this statement needs quite a bit of qualification, but with the approaching T-Mobile/Sprint merger, the 2 carriers already have a roaming agreement.  First, there's the CDMA vs. GSM thing, but 20 million Sprint phones are already compatible with both networks, including data.  That includes recent iPhones and Samsung Galaxy models. Other Sprint customers would have to upgrade their phones to take advantage of the new roaming coverage, however, if the merger is approved, most Sprint customers will need a new phone, anyway.


This agreement does not require approval from any government entity, so it's already in place and there could be millions of Sprint users already receiving the benefits of the new coverage.  The question rises of what happens if the merger does not happen.  T-Mobile may renegotiate the deal, or they may not.

A similar deal happened between T-Mobile and AT&T, and even after that hookup failed, T-Mobile was the beneficiary of a whole new batch of wireless spectrum.  New roaming is always a good thing.

Friday, May 18, 2018

Phoenix Communications May Not Rise Again

Phoenix Communications was the cellular operation of the Oklahoma Western Telephone Company which has been taken over by Hilliary Communications.  Hilliary claims they will be upgrading the network and are no longer accepting new customers.  It looks like they are still using the network for their wireless home phone customers but the future of cellular service is in question.


Hilliary completely cancelled the web site that displayed Phoenix products giving us the impression that this Phoenix shall not rise again.  FCC records show that Hilliary has applied for the FCC Connect America Fund Phase II Auction.  If they win funds for cellular operation under that program, we expect the network to be upgraded and will offer wireless service once again.  If not, we expect they'll offer the network and licenses for sale to a neighboring or national carrier. Our Mountain Wireless Network Reports has normally rated Phoenix with a "1", the lowest possible, so it won't take much to improve their service.

Monday, April 30, 2018

10 Reasons to Oppose a T-Mobile/Sprint Merger

There's is much you can read about the new Sprint and T-Mobile tie-up.  Here at the Noise, we'll just list what we expect will happen:

1. There Will Be No Low-Cost Alternative:
Today Sprint offers some astounding deals, and T-Mobile has done so in the past.  There will be much less need to compete at such low price points.

2. There Will Be No More Unlimited Plans:
In Canada, where there are only 3 national networks, unlimited data plans are not offered.  They tried to eliminate them here.  With 3 networks, they should succeed in shutting those plans down.

3. Many Customers Will Need a New Phone:
The surviving network most likely will be GSM.  If so, your Sprint phone (as well as Virgin Mobile, Boost Mobile and few dozen others) will be a paper weight.

4. Alternative Prepaid Carriers Could Feel the Pain:
With so few networks to choose from, MVNO's (the cellular re-sellers) like TracFone, Straight Talk, and ultra-low cost carriers like FreedomPop and Twigby will probably raise prices.

5. Some Carriers May Disappear:
In addition to the alternative carriers mentioned above, there may be no need to offer alternatives by the Top 3 carriers themselves.  Will they really need MetroPCS, Cricket, or Virgin Mobile to keep customers?

6. Stores May Close:
Who needs a store when everything can be purchased online?  What about the separate wireless stores in Walmart, Costco and Best Buy?  Do you remember Barnes and Noble?

7. The Combination Could Take Years to Complete:
A certain level of uncertainty could be a real pain in the neck.  Why buy a phone now knowing you'll need a new one?  What if the deal falls through?  How long will it take to change the cell site near you?

8. Coverage Changes:
In the past, duplicate cell sites were switched off.  Those sites could be the ones you used and you may be forced to change networks, and maybe phones, to get coverage back.

9. The Big Get Bigger:
Many of us enjoy doing business with a smaller, and often scrappier, company.  There won't be any.

10. The Small Go Away:  
There are over 60 small carriers in the US and they will face fewer but larger competitors.  There's also a good chance their roaming charges will increase and kill what small profit they have today.

It's just a list...

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

The Mountain Wireless Move

For over 17 years we have supported both MountainWireless.COM and MountainWireless.NET as 2 separate but complimentary sites.  Recently, we decided we didn't need to duplicate our efforts.  Since the objective of our MountainWireless sites was reviews of cellular networks, settling on .NET made sense.  However, we had no idea how many inward links were directed to the .COM site and changing that has been a seemingly unending task.


It would be great if we could send a note to everyone who wanted to use that site or to all the search engines, to use the new, .NET address, but it doesn't work that way.  We just hope that if we mention it in a few places like here at the Noise, a few people will notice that the same info on all the US cellular carriers is now found at a new address, which is actually our old address.

Sadly, the Internet doesn't take kindly to these kind of changes.  We hope the site that has announced the closing of so many US wireless carriers over the years doesn't need to close itself down, too.

Monday, April 16, 2018

Pace Cellular Becomes Kaptel Wireless & Disappears

Last year we reported on one of the best-kept wireless secrets about cellular carries that shut down their own network and start offering one of the Top 4 network products as their own.  While we prefer wireless companies that keep their own network going, this is a better choice than just turning out the lights and going away.  These carriers who re-sell products of the larger networks often provide a more local and  personal customer service than the major networks can from a far-away call center.  This often means the wireless user get a better network but still does business with a local company.


Most recently we discovered that Pace Cellular of Louisiana changed their name to Kaptel Wireless, similar to their parent telecom, Kaplan Telephone Company.  We lost Pace as an independent network operator before the name change but Pace was a marginal carrier and now Kaplan customers will have access to a much better wireless product, with a local face.  Pace has not reported what has become of their own wireless spectrum but I'm sure it's buried in the FCC records if someone wants to look.

Friday, April 13, 2018

Unlimited Data for a Buck!

We've been giving credit to Sprint for coming up with some wild promotions which are actually a good deal on a good performing network.  Another wild plan from the same corporate headquarters is Virgin Mobile's $1 for 6 months Unlimited promotion.  You can buy one of their iPhones...because that's all they sell...or you can bring your own compatible phone and get the same plan.  At the end of the 6 months you switch to their $50 Unlimited plan...it's the only plan the have...which is a good enough deal for a single line.


While Virgin needs to do something to get noticed after sleeping for the last few years, this is a nice wake up call, especially if you think you really need an Unlimited plan.  I found out certain members of my family were looking for a way to resurrect their old iPhone and this just may be the ticket.  We also gotta tell you we get a commission on Virgin Mobile purchases made from this page, however, we did not get paid for this article.  Got it?

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Oh No, Sprint & T-Mobile Talk Again!

The T-Mobile and Sprint zombie that was hoped to be dead is once again alive!  You've probably heard this already and Mike Dano at Fierce Wireless offers a good explanation of why this is happening, and why now.  We agree that Sprint needs to be rescued, just not by T-Mobile.  The spectre of only 3 major carriers in the US is horrifying.  Yes, the new demands of spectrum and rising competition make the wireless world more complicated, but no matter how much we are told, "Bigger is Better," we still have no reason to believe it.


Just look at our neighbor to the north.  Canadian wireless users has cried for years about high prices. Their national government tried to expand the spectrum available, only to have what few new carriers appeared, be gobbled up by their Big 3.  Don't drink the Kool-Aid!  Make some noise.  The few visitors to this and similar sites may be the only ones who know the devil lurking just behind the "Bigger is Better" smoke screen.  All we need is a white knight with deep pockets, or an overwhelming amount of common sense at the federal government level.  We've been surprised before.  Is the man behind the curtain about to speak?

Friday, March 16, 2018

Voice Mail Back Doors Closing?

Last year I got a phone call from a party who wanted all of the possible "Back Door" voice mail numbers, as if we were not showing all of them on our Back Door Voice Mail number list.  He mentioned a "bulk" use of these numbers.  I gave him nothing.  I realized he wanted to spam every number that was available through these Back Door numbers, and could easily do so with just the information on our web pages.  I found the method for this to happen and realized how it will go down. And go down it did.

Recently I was alerted that many of the remaining voice mail access numbers no longer offer the option, "To leave a message for another subscriber, enter their number." Fortunately, the function still works on some of the numbers regardless of the lack of the prompt. How long before the spammers cause the entire Back Door to close?


Many of these numbers were used for callers to contact a mobile customer who was roaming outside their home area...what an ancient concept. As a result, the wireless companies have been slowly retiring these numbers, with a few disappearing every few months. Then we would receive the wrath from those customers wanting to know why their number was published on our site.

This explains how spam messages appear in your voice mail box without hearing the phone ring. It's another technical function now used for evil instead of for good. We will keep the numbers posted until they have been reassigned.

Thursday, March 1, 2018

Northwest Missouri Cellular Name Change

Northwest Missouri Cellular...whew, not a very snappy name, eh?  Well, 2 good things have happened.  They have shortened the name to NorthwestCell, bringing to mind green forests and rainy days.  But it's not Seattle, it's Missouri.

The other good news is that when a company goes to the trouble and expense of a name change, it means they are willing to invest in other parts of their operation as well.  NorthwestCell appears to have finally upgraded their entire network to 4G - LTE.  Otherwise, not much else seemed to have changed. They still maintain a large selection of plans that still seem to be a bit overpriced.  Fortunately, their coverage is excellent.


Bravado Wireless of rural Oklahoma changed their name last year and with the change came quite a few improvements in their plan structure.   Customers get excited at something new but if they eventually find the same old tired product, they may feel cheated.  And cheated customers rarely return.   We're hoping that NorthwestCell at least applies a nice new coat of paint to their stores...if they still have any.

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Focus on America's Small Carriers

A few years ago there were well over a hundred wireless carriers in the US.  Today that number is closer to 70.  Most of those networks are now in survival mode and we're here to make sure their story gets told.  Most of us are familiar with the Top 4 cellular companies.  Our objective at Mountain Wireless is to help the other 66 networks rise up in our collective conscience.  Very few of them involve a sacrifice in products or services.  Some have better prices than the major carriers and some have much better customer service.  They just need to get noticed.


Before you jump from one of the Top 4 to another, consult our Local Reviews page and see if one of these smaller-but-better carriers serves your neighborhood.  We host a narrative of what's available based on location, including how they compare with the major wireless companies.

We would also like to send a heads-up to those smaller carriers that it's time to consider a hook-up with a neighboring carrier instead of selling out to one of the majors.  Yes, they're the ones who have the cash to at least help the exiting owner catch up on his bills on the way out the door, but we'd rather see some holding of hands, a little singing of Kumbaya and maybe yield a new top 10 carrier.  It wouldn't take much.

Thursday, January 18, 2018

And Then Sprint Dropped to FREE

We've given much exposure to Sprint's plans lately and how users with their old cheap promotions need to convert to something else to continue saving.  Zowee, then Sprint resurrects their "1 Year FREE" promotion.


FREE isn't good enough for some people, but it's good enough for us.  This time we will talk about Sprint's FREE plans.

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

ClearTalk Sells Last Piece to Boost

ClearTalk, a scrappy CDMA network that started in small town USA, has been selling off bits and pieces of their network to Sprint over several years.  The last part of ClearTalk, located in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas has finally been taken over by Sprint and will be integrated with their Boost Mobile product. By the end of February, Cleartalk will disappear and their stores will become Boost Mobile stores.  In the past, that has also meant some stores will close.


Cleartalk's local networks were so small the local store pretty much bragged about how you'll get "nationwide" coverage, which means they expected you to be roaming a significant amount of time on Sprint's network.  ClearTalk phones should work in the future as Boost phones.  We can't find anyone who knows whether or not the ClearTalk network will be integrated into Sprint's network, but we expect them to only keep operating if there isn't a Sprint site in the area.

Monday, January 15, 2018

Sprint's Really Good Deal-If You're Family

Last we noted that Sprint's Half-Off plans were expiring and that some alternatives were a bit cheaper than Sprint's current plans.  There's always a Sprint fan out there to remind us that Sprint does offer some outstanding prices...if you qualify.  How to qualify?  Go have kids.  Or better, get a group of friends and family together and go in for a Sprint "family" plan.  If you get 2 lines of service, the price comes out to $100, and they'll throw in the 3rd, 4th and 5th line for FREE!

Why doesn't Sprint advertise the fact that this is a $20 per line plan?  I'll tell you why.  This sets the precedent that customers will then expect more $20 per month plans, and no carrier wants to go down that path.  Even though that's where we're heading, anyway, no carrier wants to be accused of what our elders call "pissing in the whiskey."


Fortunately, most carriers are pretty loose about defining "family", so round up your homeys, they don't even need to be in the same state, and start singing, "We are family..."  No need to plan Thanksgiving dinner together...just call.

Friday, January 12, 2018

Thousands Get Booted for Roaming Too Much

We were updating our database of  cellular carriers in Montana and got an earful of complaints about wireless customers who were notified that their service with Verizon Wireless was being terminated.  The latest batch of cutoffs involved 8,500 customers with 19,000 lines of service across 13 states (Alaska, Idaho, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wisconsin).  Other areas of the country were affected in the summer of 2017.  It was the Montana customers who pointed it out to us.

The problem is not a new one.  These people signed up with Verizon Wireless with the assumption that their plan would work anywhere in the US.  When these customers used their phone mostly outside of the Verizon network, they started racking up huge roaming charges that Verizon did not want to cover, which they are perfectly within their right to do.  Each of these users received a 30-day notice and they thought their wireless world was about to end.  Part of the problem was Verizon's new, "Unlimited" plans which generated a whole lotta Data roaming.

Fortunately, since these people had already been able to use their cellular phones, somebody was offering coverage in their area and all they needed to do was switch carriers.  Easy for us...and easy for Verizon to say.  In some cases, these customers went back to a landline.  Others had the luck to explain their problem to a neighbor or store who provided the name of the local carrier who actually provided their wireless service.


Of course it's never that simple.  Mid-Rivers Wireless in eastern Montana got so many requests for new service they ran out of phones and had to turn customers away. A few others, like Nemont Wireless welcomed new customers with open arms.  A very small number of users found relief at the local Walmart store or online with Straight Talk or similar service with barely a hiccup in service.  What incensed so many customers was how much they invested in a new phone from Verizon which they feared would become an expensive paper weight.  With most of the alternative carriers' "Bring Your Own Phone" plans, even that need not be a problem.  However, most, but not all of these "Alternatives", do not offer an unlimited Data option.

We don't want to single out Verizon, they're not the only one doing this, but they could have been a little less heavy-handed, and it would have been a bit less traumatic if so many customers weren't terminated at the same time.  It's our job to let everyone know there's usually a wireless solution to every wireless problem.

Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Did Your Sprint Half-Off Plan Just Expire?

2 years ago Sprint took chainsaw in hand and cut their competitor's prices in half.  If you took up Sprint's offer, these plans are now expiring and it's time to review your options.  Sprint claims their current plans are competitive but you need to check.  It's possible the plan you get transferred to may not be the best.  Take time to check among Sprint's plans.

If you like your Sprint phone but just want to maintain a rock-bottom price on your plan, you can switch carriers while still using the Sprint network (including some off-network roaming). The 2 carriers we are familiar with that use the Sprint network are Tello and Twigby.  Both offer cheaper plans on the Sprint network with the ability to upgrade your phone now, or later.


Twigby is having their own half-off safe for your first 2 months which gives you a chance to taste their service before eating the whole enchilada.  Tello is offering a double your data promotion that gives you 10 Gb of data as part of their 'build your own' plans. Unfortunately, neither of these 2 carriers are currently offering an Unlimited data plan which got you to where you are today.  By now you'll know how much data you need and that may give you a chance to save some money.

Of course we need to tell you we have a marketing relationship with all these carriers (as we do with  most carriers), but we were not paid for this post.