dartmouth01 Posted May 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2016 What got me thinking about was when i was motorcycling off road recently and i had a mechanical issue and had no way to call out. I found some other ppl but their phones also did not work. ATT was the only carrier in that area, and I was pissed at myself for not being more prepared. Which got me thinking how cheaply I could have backups on all the possible towers out there. I have T mo currently, and I will get an ATT go phone sim to work with an old phone. They offer a $2/day plan for any day u use it, and i just signed up another old VZ phone to Pageplus for $10, but I plan to switch to Selectel when it runs out. This way I should have the ability to at least call and text on all networks. And with using the same google sign in, all my contacts transfer and update seamlessly between the devices, and I could use Google Voice as well if necessary. Im also shopping around for a Magellan InReach SE, but that is a bit more hardcore and will be a more deliberate of a purchase..... Just a question as I never thought about it. Why do you need a backup phone???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AquaDawg Posted May 7, 2016 Report Share Posted May 7, 2016 There is not one network that works all over North America. The backup phone should be on a different network in high hopes it will work when your primary does not. No guarantees on this. It is not just a different company but you need to make sure the second company does not use the same network as your primary. For example: ATT, Straight Talk, Net 10 and Cricket are all on the ATT network(I assume Tracfone is also as the parent of Net10 and Straight Talk). Just to clarify: Tracfone, Straight Talk and Net 10 are all owned by the same parent company, but they provide service using both ATT and Verizon. What phone you purchase determines which network you get. They will also usually try and put you on ATT, so if you want Verizon you will need to exercise a little more diligence. Their parent company also purchased PagePlus a year or two back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWharton Posted May 7, 2016 Report Share Posted May 7, 2016 It is very difficult to get a Verizon phone from the above companies. I bought mine on Black Friday several years ago, they advertised the Verizon model and I received the ATT model. I tried again and the same problem. I have been very happy on the ATT network so it all worked out for the best. Also, ATT is GSM while Verizon, at that time, was CDMA which I consider an obsolete technology. At the time of my purchase Verizon did have a better network but ATT has made great strides................I have no idea what Verizon is now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chirakawa Posted May 7, 2016 Report Share Posted May 7, 2016 Also, ATT is GSM while Verizon, at that time, was CDMA which I consider an obsolete technology. Verizon Wireless is still CDMA for voice, so about 140 million customers are using obsolete technology. Verizon is slowly making a shift toward VOLTE, which is Voice Over LTE, but the basis of their voice service is CDMA. Everybody wanna hear the truth, but everybody tell a lie. Everybody wanna go to Heaven, but nobody want to die. Albert King Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dartmouth01 Posted May 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2016 Most of the outlying areas that aren't covered by TMO or AT&T is CDMA, so having a CDMA backup phone makes sense for me. It is becoming harder to find a CDMA phone from a VZ MVNO (eg Tracfone/Page Plus), but I think Selectel is solely CDMA so if you get a phone through them, it should be VZ only (not confirmed though). Also, if you purchase a phone in an area with only VZ network as the "home" network the phone that will be sold through Tracfone/PagePlus should be CDMA. And lots of discontinued and used phones on the market that should work with the VZ MVNO network. The phone I just made work with Page Plus was a phone I bought on clearance from Best Buy a year ago. It just happened to be a CDMA Tracfone that also just happens to work with Page Plus, and Selectel. Verizon Wireless is still CDMA for voice, so about 140 million customers are using obsolete technology. Verizon is slowly making a shift toward VOLTE, which is Voice Over LTE, but the basis of their voice service is CDMA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutch_12078 Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 It is very difficult to get a Verizon phone from the above companies. I bought mine on Black Friday several years ago, they advertised the Verizon model and I received the ATT model. I tried again and the same problem. I have been very happy on the ATT network so it all worked out for the best. Also, ATT is GSM while Verizon, at that time, was CDMA which I consider an obsolete technology. At the time of my purchase Verizon did have a better network but ATT has made great strides................I have no idea what Verizon is now. Nearly all of the Tracfone companies Android smartphones are on the Verizon network. They have just recently started offering a couple of models on AT&T. In general, if the model number ends in 'C', such as "L41C", it's a Verizon phone. "Bring your own phone" plan phones can be on either one depending on the model. Dutch 2001 GBM Landau 34' Class A F-53 Chassis, Triton V10, TST TPMS 2011 Toyota RAV4 4WD/Remco pump ReadyBrute Elite tow bar/brake system Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWharton Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 Dutch, I think you are wrong there. I have been on Net 10 and Straight Talk for 4-5 years and it has always been ATT, even when I tried to get the Verizon phone. My S&B is in a Verizon area but ATT works fine. I first did a BYOP with an Iphone 4, sim card was for ATT; then bought a phone(Android) and again ended up as ATT. Whatever the deal is with ATT Tracfone is pushing ATT as the only carrier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pieere Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 I have a Cricket plan and so far am very satisfied with the services and coverage area! Living Life One Day At A Time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutch_12078 Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 Dutch, I think you are wrong there. I have been on Net 10 and Straight Talk for 4-5 years and it has always been ATT, even when I tried to get the Verizon phone. My S&B is in a Verizon area but ATT works fine. I first did a BYOP with an Iphone 4, sim card was for ATT; then bought a phone(Android) and again ended up as ATT. Whatever the deal is with ATT Tracfone is pushing ATT as the only carrier. Tracfone will sell you phones for their preferred carrier for your area if you let them. If you select phones by what you want, not what they want, your can select your own carrier. The various Tracfone Wireless companies have MVNO contracts with AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon in the US. The phone model determines which carrier it uses. As I said, the Tracfone Android smart phones are predominantly on the Verizon network, including the 6 phones my wife and I have or had over the past few years, as were the feature phnes that preceded them. Tracfone does push AT&T in my "home" area where my mailing address ZIP code is located, but that does not mean I'm restricted to only the phones listed for that area. Using Tracfone's website "Show all phones" listings, or buying from third-party vendors, you can select any model they currently offer anywhere in the US. Also as I said, typically the models ending in a 'C' are Verizon phones. 'G' model phones are on AT&T or T-Mobile, and while I don't recall the specifics, there's also a way to tell which of the two networks those phones are on. For more detailed Tracfone information, give the Howard Forums Tracfone/NET10 group a try. Dutch 2001 GBM Landau 34' Class A F-53 Chassis, Triton V10, TST TPMS 2011 Toyota RAV4 4WD/Remco pump ReadyBrute Elite tow bar/brake system Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWharton Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 As I said before, the Black Friday add was for the Verizon model, ended in C. Twice I ordered it and got the ATT version. This was an Android phone. My next purchase, 2 years ago bought a new phone and that was an android and again had to settle for ATT. All in all that ha worked out well and I am very happy with ATT We have traveled far and wide across the US and had pretty good coverage. Only lost coverage in the usual places, deep valleys, mountains etc. Have now switched to Cricket since I want Canada, Mexico and tethering. Our other phone is Tmobile but it has poor coverage where we live in our S&B. My daughter had Tmobile and years ago would come and visit and could not get a connection. No improvement after 5-6 years in their network. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutch_12078 Posted May 9, 2016 Report Share Posted May 9, 2016 If I ordered a 'C' model phone for Verizon and didn't get one, I'd sure be complaining loudly to the seller! Substituting a different model without my permission would be unacceptable. Dutch 2001 GBM Landau 34' Class A F-53 Chassis, Triton V10, TST TPMS 2011 Toyota RAV4 4WD/Remco pump ReadyBrute Elite tow bar/brake system Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWharton Posted May 9, 2016 Report Share Posted May 9, 2016 Well is was Walmart so there is little point in complaining. They always took the phone back but I needed a phone and was not really unhappy with ATT as the network provider. There is a point where the battle is not worth it. I could have returned it a 2nd time but we were ready to roll down the road. I have randomly looked in other stores and have never seen a Verizon Straight Talk phone. We are in Verizon territory with our S&B and you still can't find a Verizon Straight Talk phone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutch_12078 Posted May 9, 2016 Report Share Posted May 9, 2016 Some Straight Talk Verizon phones: (May not include all currently available models) 1. LG 100 C2. LG 220 C3. LG 231 C4. LG 221 C5. LG 290 C6. LG 511 C7. Motorola 385 C8. Samsung 335 C9. Samsung 355 C10. Samsung 451 C11. Samsung 380 C-12. Samsung Galaxy Proclaim S720C- Android13. Huawei Ascend Y H866C- Android14. Samsung Galaxy Showcase- Android15. Unimax U670C- Android16. LG Optimus ZIP- Android17. LG L38 C- Android 18. LG L41 C- Android And then there's all the "BYOP" phones of course... Dutch 2001 GBM Landau 34' Class A F-53 Chassis, Triton V10, TST TPMS 2011 Toyota RAV4 4WD/Remco pump ReadyBrute Elite tow bar/brake system Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Gell Posted May 9, 2016 Report Share Posted May 9, 2016 I used to Google "Verizon Net10 zip codes" and enter one of them in the Net10 website when buying a phone through them. If I entered my home zip code only GSM phones would be displayed to choose from. It may be better now, but at the time Verizon gave me much better coverage. Before I manipulated the system that way, even on the phone talking to them, they would say things like Verizon phones are not available in my area on their system. Perhaps they had to pay Verizon more than AT&T, but the Verizon Net10 phones not only worked, they worked much better. I recall trying an AT&T GSM phone in Manhattan, where you would expect them to spend the money to provide good coverage. It worked fine on the North South Avenues, but often when I walked around a corner onto a cross street the call would drop. Jim 2001 Volvo 770, Detroit 60 Series, Gen 2 Autoshift Passenger assist elevator to enter cab - for when we need it, or sell it? '05 Travel Supreme Select 40 RLQSO 5th wheel 2016 smart car We started full timing on December 1st 2014 Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness - Mark Twain Not all that wander are lost - J. R. R. Tolkien Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutch_12078 Posted May 10, 2016 Report Share Posted May 10, 2016 Good thinking, Jim. That works for Tracfone and Straight Talk phones too. I usually buy from a third-party vendor like ShopCellDeals.com that doesn't care what ZIP code you're in, they ship whichever phone you order. Dutch 2001 GBM Landau 34' Class A F-53 Chassis, Triton V10, TST TPMS 2011 Toyota RAV4 4WD/Remco pump ReadyBrute Elite tow bar/brake system Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWharton Posted May 10, 2016 Report Share Posted May 10, 2016 Water under the bridge. We ended up with ATT and are happy with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
selectelinc Posted June 25, 2016 Report Share Posted June 25, 2016 just fyi.....Selectel uses vz postpaid network so same coverage as contract customers so roaming calls are included with our plans. Pageplus/Tracfone uses vz prepaid network which means when you make a call in a roaming area if you do not have additional funds on your account your call will not go through. With Selectel the call will go through. Someone asked earlier how much data do you get. It depends on the monthly plan you have. If your rv has a diagnostic port you can also turn your rv into a wifi hotspot. Happy to answer any other questions you have about the service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutch_12078 Posted June 25, 2016 Report Share Posted June 25, 2016 We currently have two Verizon data plans, a $100/month 20GB 4G/LTE hotspot plan and a $5/month unlimited data 3G hotspot prepaid plan. Next week I'll be adding a $35/month unlimited T-Mobile (via MVNO Simple Mobile) 4G/LTE hotspot prepaid plan to the mix that hopefully will let me cut down the 20GB VZW plan to a minimum level and cost just for use in those areas where there isn't enough T-Mobile signal for our MaxAmp RV booster to grab anything usable. From what we're seeing so far, those areas may be few and far between... Dutch 2001 GBM Landau 34' Class A F-53 Chassis, Triton V10, TST TPMS 2011 Toyota RAV4 4WD/Remco pump ReadyBrute Elite tow bar/brake system Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmac9 Posted June 25, 2016 Report Share Posted June 25, 2016 Thanks for all the great information guys! I am needing the same thing as the original poster...while we are very happy with AT&T and have been with them for many years now it is non-existent out here in far west Tx. (doing a gate guarding stint for a few months) Verizon seems to be the only option out here...definitely going to check out some of the options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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