This is for Southern New Mexico....
Written: Dec 22 '00 (Updated Dec 25 '00)
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Pros: wide coverage areas
Cons: analog cellular outside of major cities. fewer minutes than competetors
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| jjbrickley's Full Review: Alltel Mobile Phone Service in Charlotte |
I was noticing the reviews on cellular service and thought it was about time I dropped my two cents in. First of all, regardless of where you live, ALWAYS check out what is available. Remember to ask questions about how well this travels, if you do so and always ask about additional fees.
Now in my case, there is not much choice, there are several wireless companies and the cellulars merged into AllTell. So why not wireless? Great minutes, great sound, etc. I've even talked on a friend's, and I admit it is probably a bit clearer.... But, I travel through the middle of nowhere in New Mexico. We're not talking Interstate travel, we're not even talking state highways. I am talking about the middle of nowhere and New Mexico has a great deal of it. Dead zones are as prevalent here as rattlesnakes and coyotes.
I checked regions and coverage, and for the roads I take, cellular plans had the best coverage. Alltell offered a regional coverage for me for what I thought was a decent price and decent minutes. Certainly nothing to brag about, 200 minutes does not even shine a light on Verizon's 2600 minutes I was hearing earlier tonight. Same free long distance, but there is one BIG difference that mattered more to me. Living in southern New Mexico, if you stay on the Interstates, you can choose Verizon or Voicestream and a few others. But head northwest, away from the major roads into the mountains, across the deserts and you are out of luck.... My friend with Verizon can't bring his Verizon phone to work because it won't reach over the hill where we work. It is the same with Voicestream and others, and that is only 26 miles out of town. Just because the mountains are that direction is no reason to ignore it.... ;)
I am not saying Alltell is for everyone, but for me I have the best of both worlds now. In town, where the signal is strongest, I have digital service, crisp and clear (though with the well-known and notorious digital echo). Outside of town, I have coverage through 90% of all the middle of nowhere places, which for me is a necessity. Most of the coverage is analog and my battery drains fast in non-digital areas (about 7.5 hours even though it will last 96 in digital areas).
I have had excellent use of my phone, others at work have had to borrow it because their's don't work when we are out in the field (i.e. middle of no where). I have coverage through most of the Tularosa Basin, only right near the mountains are there difficulties and even in those places it sometimes works, whereas no one else's phone does.
With my new plan, I have paging capability, a must if you know you will "leave" your primary coverage area to an area that is prone to dropouts. I have had them, though much less than I did on my last Alltel plan (back when they were Cellular One). Perhaps when two years passes and other plans can make the dried desert landscape accessible to their customers, I'll look into them again. This is twice now I have looked at alternatives, and my second contract with Alltell.
I will continue looking at others each time my contract comes up, not because I dislike Alltell, on the contrary, they have always been friendly. They have even offering demo units for my work for a day to demonstrate what we can do with wireless technology (no I am not giving hints, sorry). And my offices do not even have a contract with them, only myself. Oh sure, like any company they see $$ at any possible new contract, but they have never mistreated me for any disappointments. But I do always believe in looking at choices, I am no expert in cellular and wireless technologies, but I know what I need. Alltell knows when my contract comes up they will compete like anyone else and they don't mind, they still cover more of the state than any other competitor. As long as that holds, they have my business.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 29.95/month
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Epinions.com ID:
jjbrickley
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Location: New Mexico
Reviews written: 36
Trusted by: 5 members
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