Tri-mode cell phone still necessary?

[rocketbunny]

For the past several years, I've been sticking with tri-mode (digital + analog) phones from Verizon with nation-wide coverage. There have been few times (even in very remote areas) when I've been without service (while friends have needed to borrow my phone to make calls).

My time to get a new phone is coming up this year in March. I love a lot of the features on some of the more sophisticated cameral/music/web phones, but they aren't available with tri-mode.

I also see that Verizon is planning to phase out all analog service in 2008. This implies that they will be upgrading everywhere to digital.

Thoughts? Have digital-only cell phones finally become adequate in remote areas? Has anyone else recently switched from tri-mode and noticed signal problems?

[basco]

Are you talking about tri-mode or tri-band?  I would go with another service. Verizon is the most expensive and with the most towers but in my experience, cingular is very close. Verizon uses old technology, CMDA that is only used in the US. Everywhere else uses GSM meaning that you can take a phone from T-mobile or Cingular and take it to Europe and most other developed areas.

[TheRedOnesAreFaster]

Go to the website of the providers you are considering and look at their coverage maps.  That will help you decide what to do.

I personally use Nextel, and coverage (even in areas that are hardly remote) can be very spotty, especially as you go west or north, where it's pretty much relegated to big cities.  But the coverage works for 99% of the time I want or need my phone.

The next trip I take out west, I plan on buying a prepaid phone that has better coverage for emergencies and such.

[mailman1175]

rocketbunny,

I can tell you that my phone uses analog pretty regularly here in the sticks of SW MO. I'd be up one of these here creeks if I didn't have analog coverage. Though people usually ask, "Where the hell are you? You sound like you're a million miles away!"  

[rocketbunny]

Are you talking about tri-mode or tri-band?  I would go with another service. Verizon is the most expensive and with the most towers but in my experience, cingular is very close. Verizon uses old technology, CMDA that is only used in the US. Everywhere else uses GSM meaning that you can take a phone from T-mobile or Cingular and take it to Europe and most other developed areas.

heh- My family shares a family plan. Insane amounts of minutes for $20/month per person. I'm not going to be leaving that deal anytime soon.

Verizon generally has a reputation for kicking everyone elses butt in the area of signal coverage. And I'm not worried about developed areas.  It's NEVER what you could call spotty.

I'm talking about keeping good signal in rural, remote areas where our favorite twisty roads go...

[rocketbunny]

rocketbunny,

I can tell you that my phone uses analog pretty regularly here in the sticks of SW MO. I'd be up one of these here creeks if I didn't have analog coverage. Though people usually ask, "Where the hell are you? You sound like you're a million miles away!"  

Yeah. That's what I was afraid of. I wonder what'll happen in those rural areas when Verizon drops analog in a year.

[Windblown]

Tri-mode in the U.S.?  Not needed.  Worldwide traveler? Perhaps.

[twist]

I haven't had analog for years now.  While it covers more remote areas than digital does, a lot of the really fun roads will still go through areas with no signal at all.  If you plan to travel through such areas a lot, get a satellite phone.  Very expensive, but as long as you can see the sky, it'll work.  I don't have one - I don't travel enough to justify it.  I do carry a CB radio with me, just in case.

[STwing]

Rocketbunny

I’ve used nothing but Tri-Mode phones with Verizon service for years and out west I wouldn't be with out it.  Here in Oregon, digital coverage can be spotty at best some times particularly the Oregon coast and coast range and central and eastern oregon.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been the only one with a working cell phone in a rural area.  One quick comment about GSM.  I worked, this past year, with a fellow who had a GSM phone and he had terrible service.  Half the time his phone would not connect with his provider.
With that said,  I recently visited several Verizon stores checking out the new phone offerings. I naturally was only interested in Tri-Mode.  Several different Verizon sales people at different times told me all “Analog” was going away Feb. of 08 per a Federal Mandate.!!!  Don’t know if this is in fact true or just some Verizon scam (they  hate Analog)  I would like to find out for sure......

[drjfjr]

Yes I think it is still necessary. In rural areas in Ky I still go to analog mode. My wife went with all digital and she has no service at times and we can still use my phone. Yes this is Verizon. I just got the LGvx5300 and it has been a great phone. Even has bluetooth that works with the Zumo. I have service when I needed it throughout the Southeast of the US while touring. I mostly tour in the remote areas.
DRJFJR

[trophycup]

Rocket bunny - Verizon has probably the best digital coverage of all carriers in the US.  There might be spots away from highways that you can't get coverage but then if analog exists it's performance is usually not the best.  I've been able to use my digital only device in remote areas where others didn't had coverage while on the bike ride across Georgia (the pedal kind).

As STwing mentions you may come across areas where analog is the only choice based on build out in some of the old properties or ones they have recently purchased but not converted as the number of users has to justify the addtion of the digital overlay.  Some of these analog markets may go digital over time.  Some of the rural carriers are going digital and you might roam onto them in case you nee to make a call.

When you were able to make calls and your friends weren't was the digital service icon on your phone off (confirming it was in analog) and were they with another carrier?

As far as features go most phones have web browsers however the PDA type devices do have the ability to receive pop3 emails and use explorer other other browser for a more PC type experience.  Cameras are still not up to par with just a camera device however some phones have 3mega pixels which are a vast improvement so keep your digital cam for those great travel shots.  Oh and even though digital has been rolled out in many rural areas it may only be voice since a lot of digital services are only available in major markets.

There is still some debate over the 2008 date and the carriers no longer required to provide analog coverage.

What analog does give you the ability to do is roam onto some of the more rural/small carriers when needed and maybe keep your old phone with a charger just in case you need to make a 911 call since it should still dial 911 that is if service did exist in the area be it analog or digital.

In regards to GSM vs. CDMA both of them are the latest technologies they just use different standards are are already being upgraded again for higher data rates.  CDMA is not an old technology and is used in Canada Korea, China, South America and Australia.  For international use Verizon launched a combined GSM/CDMA device that could be used in many markets.

[forester]

They are absolutely necessary.  Cellular one is my carrier and I pay the extra $20/month to NOT go with their "new" shitty digtial network.  I looked at verizon, too and same answer there.  My nic is what I do for a living and picked the carrier specifically due to having the most coverage in the wild places I work.

The bottom line is a good deal of the places I have worked have NOT had ANY cell coverage, but I still have an old Nokia very basic phone with ring tones many of you city people haven't heard for years!   My phone is okay, but newer phones have better reception.

The cell phone companies are dicking us on rural service with this new GSM thing.  They could care less because most of their customers are in the highest population centers, so now us rural folks are paying more to maintain our service.  Bastards!

Anyway, the answer to your question is a big fat YES!  If you want decent coverage out in the sticks, stay with the tri-modes.  Doing so won't reduce your coverage in civilization, but converting to the digital networks, you might as well kiss your ability for service in between cities goodbye - and dropped calls will increase too!

Digital networks SUCK!  

For the past several years, I've been sticking with tri-mode (digital + analog) phones from Verizon with nation-wide coverage. There have been few times (even in very remote areas) when I've been without service (while friends have needed to borrow my phone to make calls).

My time to get a new phone is coming up this year in March. I love a lot of the features on some of the more sophisticated cameral/music/web phones, but they aren't available with tri-mode.

I also see that Verizon is planning to phase out all analog service in 2008. This implies that they will be upgrading everywhere to digital.

Thoughts? Have digital-only cell phones finally become adequate in remote areas? Has anyone else recently switched from tri-mode and noticed signal problems?

[forester]

Tri-mode in the U.S.?  Not needed.  Worldwide traveler? Perhaps.

Spoken like A: A cell phone representative. B. Someone who sticks to populated areas.

You don't know what the hell you're talking about.  Check the coverage maps.  Why do the cell phone reps always suggest that the GSM networks are getting better all the time?  Answer: Because right now THEY SUCK FOR RURAL COVERAGE!!!  As far as I can tell, they suck for most coverage compared to tri modes.

[RBEmerson]

Sigh... this is another place where the cell phone biz sticks it to the consumer.  Yes, there are places where analog phones are the best bet but... kinda hard to use analog mode if the cells with analog gear are being torn down.  I ran into this issue two years ago in Rock Hall, MD (Chesapeake Bay's Eastern Shore).  My otherwise handy dandy cell phone couldn't make a call because it wasn't a GSM-capable phone - sorry, no cell available, period, don't even ask.  Given that the reason for calling was I was on my boat and there was smoke coming out of the engine compartment (turned out to be a shorted, failing alternator - no fire, happily), I was ...ah... a tad cross with Cingular about the matter.  But, hey, to be blunt, they got you by the short and curlies on this.  

Bottom line: if you have analog and it works for you, there you are.  But expect it to stop working and plan accordingly.  

[ST1300Rider]

If you plan on any travel in the wilds of Canada, analog is a must.

[bluedogok]

Verizon (1) and Cingular (2) do have the broadest coverage away from the population centers or interstates, Sprint/Nextel and T-Mobile seem to be good for city dwellers but horrible every place else. For Verizon and Cingular right now there is a mix of digital technologies (GSM, CDMA, TDMA all at different frequencies) and some of the rural areas have the other than GSM technologies out there. Most analog anymore is by rural carriers or phone co-ops, so even if Verizon drops all analog you may still be able to get analog service from these carries (with associated roaming fees depending upon your plan). Most of Texas will still have some sort of coverage baring far west Texas and some spots in the panhandle.

I do know there are places where even my old GAIT phone (GSM/TDMA/CDMA/Analog) would not work. I also found many places in rural Northern California where there was no service at almost 3 years ago, I know because we were doing cell site surveys out there. I keep an old analog phone in my topcase just in case I need to call 911 since they will dial that and my GSM phone will not work, I just have to remember to charge the battery before I leave.

[basco]

heh- My family shares a family plan. Insane amounts of minutes for $20/month per person. I'm not going to be leaving that deal anytime soon.

Verizon generally has a reputation for kicking everyone elses butt in the area of signal coverage. And I'm not worried about developed areas.  It's NEVER what you could call spotty.

I'm talking about keeping good signal in rural, remote areas where our favorite twisty roads go...

Why don't you ask the same question over at Howardforums?

[RBEmerson]

FWIW, I used to be a die-hard Verizon customer until we moved, and found the house in a hole in Verizon coverage (marginal or no service within about a 0.1 to 0.2 mile radius from the house).  After finding out, with certainty, (long story short) that the problem wouldn't be fixed in less than 18 months, I moved to my wife's business account with Cingular.  Bad idea.  I repent me of my choice.  But I'm locked in for the next two years, at which time I will drop Cingular like a hot rock.  Service is OK, customer relations are... "abysmal" is, I think, being kind.  

[trophycup]

As you can see there are various opinions on this.  I would recommend looking at the phone you have now while traveling and see how often the digital icon goes out when you think you would like to place a call.  90% of the time you'll probably be able to make a call in a digital service area.  After that it comes down to what would give you that comfort level of being able to place a call in the other 10% if there is analog available.

You may also want to do a PRL (preferred roaming list) update every so often to make sure you have the best service available since some are optimized for new changes to service/coverage.  A PRL update is done over the air.

[bluedogok]

The amazing thing is how much service varies from market to market. I started out with SW Bell Mobile Systems (now Cingular) in Oklahoma City and the service was great, it has always been marginal to bad here in Austin. My parents and my sister have T-Mobile (started off with Voicestream) in OKC, used to be if they got 4 miles outside of OKC on I-44 heading towards Lawton they lost service entirely where as I had service the entire way to Lawton. I don't think there is one "best" service out there, it all depends on what market that you live in as to who is "best".

[ki-speed]

I've had Verizon Wireless for several years here in the Dallas / Ft. Worth area.  Over the last 3 years and 40,000 miles of moto trips (Texas to California and in between) I have been impressed with their service.  I have a Tri-mode LG phone (have had great luck with LG phones).  When we are out in the middle of nowhere, I'm usually the only one that has service on our rides (the guys with me have Cingular, Alltel, and Sprint).  I'm staying with Verizon and with a Tri-mode phone for as long as possible.

Mark

[bsd43]

I had multiple cellphones, at least one for business and one for personal (right now I have a Blackberry, a Treo, and a Razr). Last year, I dropped Verizon after being a loyal customer of many, many years. Why?

1) They cripple their phones. You want the vibe-then-ring feature? Sorry! Verizon somehow disabled that feature via software. Laptop connect via bluetooth? Sorry! Must buy their PCMCIA-based card. All these features exist in the phone, but they were disabled on purpose. If you want them back, you can hack them, but what a PITA!
2) They force you to use their $$$ data services. Want a ring tone? Download it via the GetItNow(tm) network for $2.99! Want the picture you took with the camera phone? $0.25 per picture over their SMS network. Again, features that exist on the phones, but Verizon thought they could get a few more bucks out of me.
3) Want to change anything on the rate plan? 1 year extension on the contract.

I eventually ate the $200 early termination fee and went to Cingular on my personal phone, too. Their network has gotten a LOT better in the past 2 years, since the ATTWS/Cingular merger. And, it's awesome having real Bluetooth dial-up and file transfer support natively.

I loved CDMA in terms of its network capacity and technology, but always hated Verizon's (and Sprint's) execution. Blech.

As far as analog mode, I still carry my old v60p as a backup phone on my bike. You can use old phones to call 911, even if they're not activated.