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network provider for cell phone

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Martina:
Hello!

for our bike vacations in the U.S. and Canada we are looking for a network provider for our smarthone / cellphone which offers good tariffs for calls and internet and, very important for us, which provides good reception even in the woods and wilderness.

Do you have any recommendations for us?

Thanks a lot!

Kind regards from Germany
Martina

pdlamb:
This question pops up fairly regularly, so you might want to search previous iterations.

Verizon is generally acknowledged to have the best nationwide coverage for cyclists, including small towns.  You will want to note that Verizon doesn't use GSM, so your German / European phone won't work on Verizon.  You can, however, buy a pre-paid phone fairly inexpensively once you arrive (check with the large chain discount stores).

AT&T seems to be second best, and they do use GSM.  I don't know the details of how to get "turned on" coming from outside the country, though.

Don't expect any cell provider to provide seamless coverage.  Out in the woods, or out on the plains, you can find plenty of spots that are more than 5 miles from the nearest cell tower = no coverage.  As I noted above, Verizon does have towers in most small towns, and strangely enough almost all the way across Kansas.  But if you leave the beaten track, and especially if you take small state or county roads, or even Forest Service roads, through the mountains, your phone will drop coverage.

DaveB:
As noted, Verizon has the best nationwide coverage but that doesn't mean perfect.  Keep in mind the US and Canada are huge and have great areas of open land and very low population density so no cell phone company can or will  serve everywhere.  It is not like the wall-to-wall coverage you expect in Europe. 

As further mentioned, Verizon does not use GSM so you will need a local phone or go with AT&T or T-Mobile which use GSM but provide less reliable coverage.

If you must have phone coverage at all times and in all places you will need a satellite phone which is heavy and expensive.

John Nelson:
Verizon does serve both the U.S. and Canada, but on separate plans. If you get U.S. service, you'll have to pay a surcharge to also be able to call from Canada.

If you happen to be camping close to a city, you can usually get service from your tent. But if you're somewhere more remote, probably not.

NKemp:
If you want to use the Verizon network but don't want to pay the Verizon prices look into Page Plus Cellular.  http://www.pagepluscellular.com/default.aspx  They use the Verizon network.

The prepaid plans would work great for someone that didn't need/want a 2 year contract.  My phone is through Page Plus.  I went with them when I got a smart phone but didn't want the big upcharge that they get for having a smartphone even if you don't use the data.

One note about coverage.  The US & Canada are big countries and there are spots that are sparsely populated.  As such there is not 100% coverage.  Even in areas that are not sparsely populated you may not get coverage.

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