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Old 12-09-2003, 18:43
Donkey
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Next year I will be driving several thousand miles in the US, out in the sticks. I contacted the company that I will be renting the car from, and they cannot guarantee that the location that I am renting from will be offering cell phones. (Scared to death of the car breaking down in the middle of nowhere).

As I may be visiting the USA on a yearly basis for the next few years, I was wondering if there was a phone on the market that would cover all of the USA? (I know that they are on different frequencies to us, and even between states it can differ). I will be travelling through the American West and Mid West.

Alternatively, does anyone know if I can purchase an American pay as you go phone to take on holiday each year (the only other problem I could forsee is the fact that with some of these pay as you go services you have to make at least 1 call every six months).

If anyone out there has any answers, I would be most grateful.
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Old 12-09-2003, 18:46
moomini
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Hmm, with coverage on a normal network, the American CDMA system may not cover all the places you are going. How about an Iridium or Satellite phone? They may not have Pay as you Go and may be quite expensive but reception is pretty much guaranteed. www.iridium.com

hope this helps
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Old 13-09-2003, 13:39
Donkey
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They are expensive. I've now tried all alternatives.

For instance, I have contacted a company called adamsphones, and they rent phones out for £1 a day. Seemed too good to be true. The snag is that they want £400 deposit for a Nokia 6300 which I know is not worth anymore than £200 even on pay as you go.

I then had another brainwave: go through Amazon.com and get a prepaid American phone (the cheapest I could find). Found one for $59.99, but will they ship outside the US? Will they hell!!!

Looks like it is either spend £200-£300 on my own triband phone just for a 2 week holiday, or rely on the sketchy information that Avis has given me. Quote "Your location may or may not offer cars with Onstar preference". For those of you who do not know what I am talking about, Onstar is a system developed by General Motors which enables the user to communicate with a central service to get directions and ask for assistance etc.

The great irony of it all is that I would be quite happy to rely on the emergency phones on the interstates and main roads, but because most people now have mobiles in the States (sorry, cellular phones), the public phones are getting fewer and fewer.

Okay, that is the end of my rant. If anyone else has any relevent information for me, I would be most grateful.
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Old 15-09-2003, 09:06
David (2)
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I think the UK is cutting back its number of Pay phones as well for the same reason.
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Old 17-09-2003, 18:16
DarkStar782
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Some of the US works on GSM 1900. Some now works on the newly approved GSM 850. a triband phone does not cover this new one. Some also work on a completely different system, CDMA. It is possible to get a Dual mode phone that will switch between CDMA, GSM850 and GSM1900, but you wont find one over here, and even then, the US has a much lower population density than the UK so alot of the rural areas are not covered, full stop.
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Old 17-09-2003, 19:49
*Joe*
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Coverage is hell in the USA. My aunt is working out in Maine. But before she went, she searched for coverage maps of cellular providers in the US. And not a single provider operated out there. AT&T works near the state boarder, but nothing inside. She resorted to getting an iridium satellite phone. Only something like 23% of america is within cellular coverage.
You could always look at getting a 2 way pager? They seem to be quite popular out there, what iwth the low cellular telephone coverage.
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Old 18-09-2003, 01:57
iphones
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Not True People, I live in the USA and Verizon is by far the best all around coverage in the usa. They Cover 90% of the usa.
You can find at www.verizonwireless.com

If you need a temporary solution you can get verizon prepaid at freeup.com It does Digital/Analog/PCS on a CDMA network.


Just my 2 cents.
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Old 18-09-2003, 17:55
Donkey
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Originally posted by iphones
Not True People, I live in the USA and Verizon is by far the best all around coverage in the usa. They Cover 90% of the usa.
You can find at www.verizonwireless.com

If you need a temporary solution you can get verizon prepaid at freeup.com It does Digital/Analog/PCS on a CDMA network.


Just my 2 cents.
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Thanks very much for your useful comments. Will I have any difficulty getting hold of a phone from the States? In the UK, even on a pre-pay basis, you still need to register your name and address (unless I make one up of course ).

Mind you, after the initial shock with the prices I am warming to the thought of an Iridium phone.

Just a pity Avis cannot be more forthcoming on whether my hire car (Cadillac sedan de ville) comes with Onstar, as the coverage for this is perfect, the system radiating 3 watts of energy, about 5 times as much as a standard cell phone.

The ultimate ideal solution would be to wait and see if Onstar is fitted, and if not, purchase a phone on my first day. I will be arriving in Phoenix. Would it be easy to find a store and acquire a pre-paid phone in person?
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Old 18-09-2003, 18:51
iphones
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It's rather inexpensive, you can get a prepaid cell phone on verizon for uner 100.00, also onstar actually uses the Verizon Cdma system for it's service. Iridium for the usa is totally expesive way to go. Were not in the Jungle now.

Also you just need your name and date of birth to purchase the preapaid cell phone. You only need the other stuff if you plan on opening a post paid accunt with a contract.

Again I still think verizon is the best way to go to save your self hundreds of dollars or Euro's.

You can probbly order it on the internet from FreeUp.com and have it shipped to you and read to use for when you arive.

Just my thoughts

www.iphones.ws
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Old 19-09-2003, 16:56
Donkey
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Originally posted by iphones
It's rather inexpensive, you can get a prepaid cell phone on verizon for uner 100.00, also onstar actually uses the Verizon Cdma system for it's service. Iridium for the usa is totally expesive way to go. Were not in the Jungle now.

Also you just need your name and date of birth to purchase the preapaid cell phone. You only need the other stuff if you plan on opening a post paid accunt with a contract.

Again I still think verizon is the best way to go to save your self hundreds of dollars or Euro's.

You can probbly order it on the internet from FreeUp.com and have it shipped to you and read to use for when you arive.

Just my thoughts

www.iphones.ws

I've checked with them. They don't ship to the UK.

I would need to visit a Verizon shop or a Radio Shack and buy the phone and have it activated there and then which shouldn't be too much hassle.

Would it be more expensive in the store, do you think?

Also, what do you think would be the minimum credit I could get away with?

I also note what you say about Verizon using the same system as Onstar, but as I have already stated, I think Onstar uses a much more powerful transmitter/receiver in the car than a mobile phone, so my only concern would be up in Injun reservation country near Canyon de Chelly and Monument Valley and along the Arizona/Utah border.

You have been most helpful.
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Old 19-09-2003, 18:14
iphones
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Yes that would probbly be cheaper to buy it at the store. They might give you instant rebates and i think it comes with about 30.00 worth of air time.

Onstar Leases Airtime from verizon that runs the Onstar Network. Reason is that Verizon does CDMA digiital/analog/pcs. So your almost completely covered.

www.iphones.ws
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Old 20-09-2003, 07:34
Donkey
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Originally posted by iphones
Yes that would probbly be cheaper to buy it at the store. They might give you instant rebates and i think it comes with about 30.00 worth of air time.

Onstar Leases Airtime from verizon that runs the Onstar Network. Reason is that Verizon does CDMA digiital/analog/pcs. So your almost completely covered.

www.iphones.ws
Thanks for all your advice. Really looking forward to next years holiday. Will be the fifth time back to the States in 7 years. Just never felt the need to look into cell phones before, although saying that, the technology and the deals are constantly changing, so what was true 2 years ago........
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