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Cell Phone Carriers

Rexedgar

Rexedgar

Yo-Semite!
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We presently have VERIZON. Two phones, limited use of data, and the bill is approximately $150 per month. The missus and I are senior citizens and require basic phone service with limited cellular data. We live in a rural area and the service is not the best. Are there alternatives? I'd like to keep the number and the hardware, we are both using Apple products. I feel like we are paying too much for what is needed. TIA.
 
Rexedgar said:
We presently have VERIZON. Two phones, limited use of data, and the bill is approximately $150 per month. The missus and I are senior citizens and require basic phone service with limited cellular data. We live in a rural area and the service is not the best. Are there alternatives? I'd like to keep the number and the hardware, we are both using Apple products. I feel like we are paying too much for what is needed. TIA.
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Have you discussed it with Verizon? Hubby and I have Verizon with ample minutes each month and unlimited text. We have basic phones--not smart phones--and can access the internet but it costs some extra so we don't do that. We're currently out in the sticks--those with AT&T, Sprint etc. can't get a signal but we're getting 3 and four bars. Our bill including taxes each month is about $62 for two lines.
 
Rexedgar said:
We presently have VERIZON. Two phones, limited use of data, and the bill is approximately $150 per month. The missus and I are senior citizens and require basic phone service with limited cellular data. We live in a rural area and the service is not the best. Are there alternatives? I'd like to keep the number and the hardware, we are both using Apple products. I feel like we are paying too much for what is needed. TIA.
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Here's what I do with internet, now bare in mind I do not actually like doing this but... It can and does work.

If there's any competition in your area, call Verizon customer service line for billing/service and there's alot of different ways to approach this and depending on the representative they may require more hinting.

But immediately say you'd like to terminate your service with them, hopefully they will eventually ask why, you say I've talked to (X) company and they're willing to offer me (X) and lock in the price for (X) months to switch to them, but yah know jeez, it's a big pain that'll mean an interruption in service for a few days and I haven't committed yet, yah know if you could match that I'd stick with you, they may try to offer something inbetween, but that's up to you how far you wanna push and I don't know what Verizon is like but they might not go for it.

Using this method though, I managed to get my internet plus unlimited Data at a very nice speed down to $55 a month for 12 months.
 
Rexedgar said:
We presently have VERIZON. Two phones, limited use of data, and the bill is approximately $150 per month. The missus and I are senior citizens and require basic phone service with limited cellular data. We live in a rural area and the service is not the best. Are there alternatives? I'd like to keep the number and the hardware, we are both using Apple products. I feel like we are paying too much for what is needed. TIA.
Click to expand...

Without knowing your area, I can say this about Verizon. They are the only cell phone service that covers more of the rural areas. I've wanted to switch before, because my bill is higher with Verizon, but honestly, you get what you pay for. You'll be sorry if you leave them. I tried AT&T, when they promised me the moon, and I couldn't even get enough of a signal to activate the phones. Shipped them back, grumbled and stayed with Verizon.

Follow Jet's advice. Call them and tell them that you are considering switching. If you've been with them a while, they should be willing to help you out. I've been with Verizon Wireless for 10 years, and DirecTV for 14. They'd buy me a ticket to the moon if I asked them to. They don't want to lose your business.
 
Rexedgar said:
We presently have VERIZON. Two phones, limited use of data, and the bill is approximately $150 per month. The missus and I are senior citizens and require basic phone service with limited cellular data. We live in a rural area and the service is not the best. Are there alternatives? I'd like to keep the number and the hardware, we are both using Apple products. I feel like we are paying too much for what is needed. TIA.
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Have you googled other providers that have service in your area? That is first thing to do, try Metro PCS if they have service, we switched two lines over from At&t and got two free phones for switching two lines over. Better service, cheaper plan with more data than AT&t, and did I mention two free phones.
 
Thanks for the replies I called the carrier and got about $60 reduced on the bill for what we use in the way of data and talk thanks again.
 
Rexedgar said:
Thanks for the replies I called the carrier and got about $60 reduced on the bill for what we use in the way of data and talk thanks again.
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That sounds more reasonable.

We have 2 lines, fully loaded for $50 per on T-Mobile (senior deal:doh)

From what I have been told - Verizon has had more reliability in more rural areas.
 
Rexedgar said:
We presently have VERIZON. Two phones, limited use of data, and the bill is approximately $150 per month. The missus and I are senior citizens and require basic phone service with limited cellular data. We live in a rural area and the service is not the best. Are there alternatives? I'd like to keep the number and the hardware, we are both using Apple products. I feel like we are paying too much for what is needed. TIA.
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Gaw cell phone service is expensive in the US..
 
Superfly said:
You don't even want to know what I pay. :lol:
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Seriously, thought cell service was expensive here in Spain.. in Denmark you can get unlimited 4G calls/texts/data for 23 dollars a month. Think in Sweden you can even get the same but for all of Europe at around 25 or 30 dollars.
 
Yea that’s how business is!


Can’t censor this Patriot
 
Superfly made good points in Post #4
https://www.debatepolitics.com/self...e-carriers-post1068430867.html#post1068430867

The truth is, service is not uniform between all the companies, and even within companies in different areas.
When we lived in Dallas-Forth Worth, Sprint was the apparent winner in metro area coverage but now that we're here in L.A. again, T-Mobile seems better, and T-Mobile stunk when we had it in Dallas.
And Sprint isn't so wonderful here in Whittier either.

If you HAVE a really good broadband internet connection set your phones to take advantage of WiFi calling when you're at home if your phones are able to do that. Your data bill will go down significantly.
 
PeteEU said:
Seriously, thought cell service was expensive here in Spain.. in Denmark you can get unlimited 4G calls/texts/data for 23 dollars a month. Think in Sweden you can even get the same but for all of Europe at around 25 or 30 dollars.
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I pay $300 a month, but I have 7 lines of service (5 phones and 2 lines for iPads) and they all have unlimited talk, text and data, with 4g service. I have no complaints. I pay a lot but I get a lot, and it's very, very rare that I don't have a signal.

I also can use either of the lines for hotspots, which is invaluable to me, because I can use the internet for my laptop while we are on the road. And it's no additional charge. When I bought my car, they tried to sign me up for onboard data in the car, but it was pricey, and unnecessary.
 
Rexedgar said:
We presently have VERIZON. Two phones, limited use of data, and the bill is approximately $150 per month. The missus and I are senior citizens and require basic phone service with limited cellular data. We live in a rural area and the service is not the best. Are there alternatives? I'd like to keep the number and the hardware, we are both using Apple products. I feel like we are paying too much for what is needed. TIA.
Click to expand...

Typically Verizon and ATT have the best rural coverage. However, that all depends on where you live. There are some areas where t-mobile and sprint have good rural coverage as well. If T-Mobile has good rural coverage where you live, then you should switch to MintSIM. MintSIM is a prepaid service that uses T-Mobile's network. You can get unlimited talk and text plus 5 gigs of LTE data for just 20 dollars per month per line with it. Plus you can port your number over to it.
https://www.mintsim.com/plans/

If you have Sprint coverage where you live, they will give you 1 year free service if you switch from Verizon. You have to bring your device, and since your iphones are Verizon iphones and thus CDMA, they will work with Sprint. You also have to sign up online for the deal. https://slickdeals.net/f/10235008-s...talk-text-data-free-w-eligible-device-sim-req
 
PeteEU said:
Seriously, thought cell service was expensive here in Spain.. in Denmark you can get unlimited 4G calls/texts/data for 23 dollars a month. Think in Sweden you can even get the same but for all of Europe at around 25 or 30 dollars.
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A lot of that is due to the high population densities there. Broadband, cell service, and utilities in the states can be more expensive because those in urban areas are subsidizing coverage for rural areas.
 
SouthernDemocrat said:
A lot of that is due to the high population densities there. Broadband, cell service, and utilities in the states can be more expensive because those in urban areas are subsidizing coverage for rural areas.
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Nope.. it is due to competition and laws.
 
Rexedgar said:
We presently have VERIZON. Two phones, limited use of data, and the bill is approximately $150 per month. The missus and I are senior citizens and require basic phone service with limited cellular data. We live in a rural area and the service is not the best. Are there alternatives? I'd like to keep the number and the hardware, we are both using Apple products. I feel like we are paying too much for what is needed. TIA.
Click to expand...

I have metro PCS.For me and 3 other people a 100 dollars a month altogether. Each phone technically has unlimited data,but if someone goes over 32 gigs in a month then their phone will be throttled during peak hours. The phones are decent budget smart phones and are free. I have a ZTE Z982.I use it to play emulated old school console games from NES to PlayStation one. My only complaint about the phone is that it doesn't have OTG support so game controllers have to be bluetooth. I have the same phone number I had from Cricket Phone service. I think you can use your apple phones but I think the service might be different on it.My sister ended getting rid of her iphone.

https://www.metropcs.com/content/metro/en/desktop/metro/offers/bring-your-own-phone.html
 
Superfly said:
I pay $300 a month, but I have 7 lines of service (5 phones and 2 lines for iPads) and they all have unlimited talk, text and data, with 4g service. I have no complaints. I pay a lot but I get a lot, and it's very, very rare that I don't have a signal.

I also can use either of the lines for hotspots, which is invaluable to me, because I can use the internet for my laptop while we are on the road. And it's no additional charge. When I bought my car, they tried to sign me up for onboard data in the car, but it was pricey, and unnecessary.
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At that price, you are paying for your equipment up front, right?
 
PeteEU said:
Nope.. it is due to competition and laws.
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That obviously helps, but the main difference is that in Europe the population density is 112 per square kilometer. This is compared with the population density in North America of 19 per square kilometer. Thus cell infrastructure in Europe can cover more people with a lot less capital investments by the carriers.
 
SMTA said:
At that price, you are paying for your equipment up front, right?
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Yeah this is just monthly fees and usage. Like I said - I truly have no complaints. For what I pay for, I get a lot. My husband, my mother, my two daughters and myself all have unlimited talk, text and data, plus we have unlimited data on two iPads.
 
Superfly said:
Yeah this is just monthly fees and usage. Like I said - I truly have no complaints. For what I pay for, I get a lot. My husband, my mother, my two daughters and myself all have unlimited talk, text and data, plus we have unlimited data on two iPads.
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Same here. We just changed to unlimited usage a couple of months ago.
The difference in price was less than having to buy one gig.
 
PeteEU said:
Seriously, thought cell service was expensive here in Spain.. in Denmark you can get unlimited 4G calls/texts/data for 23 dollars a month. Think in Sweden you can even get the same but for all of Europe at around 25 or 30 dollars.
Click to expand...

I hadn't been back to Europe in awhile and I was pleasantly surprised to find some serious bang for buck in certain areas, in Berlin, some of the best kebabs I've ever damned had ran me 3.50 EUR, a ****ty one in Canada would cost me like 6 or 7 EUR.

Even having a look around ASDA when I was in the UK, even GBP to CAD alot of stuff was seriously cheap but it goes back to real competition, the amount of cell phone carriers, airlines, grocery store chains really does make things competitive, there's far fewer carriers, internet providers, grocery store chains out here and it really, really shows in the pricing.

In Japan value for money is off the charts, I think maybe compared to anywhere, especially if you're eating out.
 
SMTA said:
Same here. We just changed to unlimited usage a couple of months ago.
The difference in price was less than having to buy one gig.
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My mom loves it. She lives out in the sticks, in a very rural area, and never had internet. What they offered was way, way more than her fixed income could afford. Plus she was paying like nearly $70 a month for cell phone service with like 1 gig of data. I put her on my plan with unlimited data, and now she can use her phone as a hotspot and get decent internet speed at no cost at all.
 
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