On Wed, 5 May 2004, Tim Schneider wrote:

> For cellular, the only 'affordable' plan for data (IMHO) is
> with TMobile.  I cannot comment on their nationwide
> coverage.. in AZ they work along the freeway corridors
> and that is about it.  I've had no problems in major metro
> areas (San Diego, Los Angeles, San Jose, Phoenix, Dallas)

I have T-Mobile, and like it, but their coverage isn't very good.  You can
count on it working in metro areas and along most freeway corridors, but
when you start to really get into rural areas it doesn't work.  It doesn't
seem to work anywhere in Nebraska, for example, and there are only a few
isolated islands of coverage in Montana and eastern Washington.  In
Michigan it works great in the whole southern part of the state, but not
when you get up north.

My advice is to carefully study the national coverage maps for various
cell phone providers and think hard about where you're likely to be.
Decide when it's acceptable to you to not have service.  If you want
service as much as possible, some companies (but not T-Mobile) still offer
dual-mode phones that work on the old analog network.  Those plans tend to
be more expensive, but they give you maximum coverage.  (Note that a
dual-mode phone and a dual-band phone are not the same thing.  A
"dual-band" phone may be a digital-only phone that also works on the
European cell phone network.)

David Brodbeck, N8SRE
'86 Volvo 240DL wagon
'82 VW Vanagon Westfalia Diesel