Verizon or Alltell

[jsledder]

For those with either of these 2 services.....

If you only had these 2 to choose from, which do you prefer? Feel free to give a brief explanation for your preference.

I only have the choice of the 2 and I've been with Verizon for 15 years, patiently waiting for them to get better service in my area and they have informed me that they have no future plans of adding towers in this area and what we have is just that. Alltell has added 3 towers within 30 miles of here, but is being converted to AT&T within the next year or so.

Service is important to me not just in my home area but all the surrounding states as well, so I'm curious as to how the companies rate in MN, ND, IA, NE, KS, MT, CO, WY, WI.... wherever you are. So while Verizon may suck within the 15 miles of my house, maybe they shine everywhere else?? If I were to switch to Alltell would the service be as good everywhere else as it is in my home area?? Questions I ponder and cannot rely on either of their companies to answer for me.

Thanks for your input.

 

[Skidoox]

Verizion owns Alltel

Verizon Wireless has finally completed its $28.1 billion acquisition of regional wireless carrier Alltel.

Verizon announced its plan to buy Alltel in June for $5.9 billion in equity, and it assumed about $22.2 billion in Alltel's debt. The deal was struck only seven months after Alltel was bought out by TPG Capital, a unit of Goldman Sachs Group, for $27.5 billion.
The deal now makes Verizon the largest wireless carrier in the United States, with more than 83.7 million customers. AT&T, which had held that title, had 74.9 million wireless customers as of September 30.
Most of Verizon's new customers are in the Midwest and South, where Alltel operates.
In order to receive approval from regulators, Verizon Wireless agreed to sell operations in 105 markets where Alltel also operates. As a result, Alltel customers in those areas will not be part of the merger with Verizon Wireless.
Alltel customers who are part of the merger will receive letters informing them that their service will change to Verizon Wireless, the company said in an FAQ on its Web site.
Verizon and Alltel both use the cellular technology CDMA. And both companies have built 3G wireless networks using a technology called EV-DO. But it will take months before the companies can integrate their network operations and billing systems.
This means that during the transition, Verizon customers will not be able to receive service at Alltel stores, and vice versa. Alltel customers are also not yet a part of Verizon's in-calling plans. But once the integration is complete, that will change.
And at least for the time being, Alltel customers will not be offered handsets for which Verizon Wireless is the exclusive carrier, including Research In Motion's BlackBerry Storm.
And it's not yet clear when or if deals such as Alltel's My Circle, which allows for unlimited calling between people in a preselected group, will continue. For now, My Circle will be available to Alltel customers while they are on Alltel's pricing plan. Verizon is considering whether to create a similar plan for new and existing Verizon Wireless customers.

 

[jsledder]

Thanks. I'm aware of the takeover and where AT&T will work into this mess also. But for now, there are still Alltell customers out there that can chime in on how Alltell is working for them or has worked and Alltell around here will eventually become AT&T.

 

[luvtoride]

At&t sucks out here in Rapid. I have an iPhone and the service is fine, but the data network isn't the E, its the O which is sort of comparing satelite internet to dial-up in speed. Plus, if I get anywhere in the hills, my friends with either Verizon and Alltell have service, but I'm SOL.

 

[mmsports]

Cell Towers

I was a US cellular Agent for about 10 Years then Alltell for about 3 and in SE Idaho it is still better to be Alltell main because they are still forcing to use you own towers and Alltell has the better coverage. I have had old customer tell me that they just went and go Verizon service because it was going to happen sooner or later and there service is a lot worse. I wish US Cellular was still available.

 

[jsledder]

That's what I'm looking for. Thanks

On a recent trip to the Hills, my brother was able to use his Alltell blackberry pretty much the whole out on 34 while my Verizon blackberry went dead from about the junction of 14 & 34 almost all the way to Sturgis. He can sit in my house and use his phone with no problems, and before I got the "Network Extender" I could not. This Network Extended is great, as long as you don't leave the house.......

 

[yammadog]

AT&T, Tmobile and Alltell are GSM systems, Verizon, Sprint/Nextel are cdma systems. I find gsm/att to work better in outlying areas for my use both in voice and data.

 

[Greg B.]

JS.. I am a traveling sales rep in minnesota. I cover everything west of hwy 169 to the canadian boarder. I have both att and alltel. I will say that att is the worst cell phone service provider ever. it never works anywhere. It works fine in a place where their is a decent sized city. My altel will work every place the att dose not and will always have a better signal than att. the only thing that is good about att is they have a better selection of phones.

 

[jsledder]

So what do you think will happen when Alltell gets switched to AT&T?? AT&T becomes as good as Alltell or Alltell becomes as bad as AT&T?

 

[luvtoride]

JS.. I am a traveling sales rep in minnesota. I cover everything west of hwy 169 to the canadian boarder. I have both att and alltel. I will say that att is the worst cell phone service provider ever. it never works anywhere. It works fine in a place where their is a decent sized city. My altel will work every place the att dose not and will always have a better signal than att. the only thing that is good about att is they have a better selection of phones.

Over on Highway 53 from Duluth to International Falls I can't get anything BUT At&t to work. Farther west though, its terrible.

 

[M.M. 700]

I live in Iowa and have Verizon. Great signal, there are spots that I get into hills that I need to plug my cell into my Smoothtalker(which works GREAT) But that is to be expected.

I have used my cell IN the black hills, stopped for a break and call home.

 

[Stuck]

Had verizon for a while, hated their customer service, plans, all of it. Switched to alltel and love it. The area I lived in got bought out by verizon. So I got a nationwide plan from alltel and am still happy! No alltel stores anywhere near me now though!

 

[Greg B.]

Over on Highway 53 from Duluth to International Falls I can't get anything BUT At&t to work. Farther west though, its terrible.

I was in international falls yesterday and my att was shotty all the up while my altel was full signal other than one spot it had none. I headed west to baudett and both were dead. alltel worked after I got to baudett and the att had nothing. I drove out 2 headed west out of bemidji today and my att was dead and the altel had decent signal. Maybe its just my phone but I dont think so. My alltel phone is a beat to death first gen moto razr that bearly works and my att phone is a new lg phone.

 

[Snappy Sledder]

DONT GO ALLTEL!!!!!!!!!!!!! we've been screwed out of our rebate on our past 4 phones (2 razors 1 moto q and 1 palm treo)

 

[Greg B.]

So what do you think will happen when Alltell gets switched to AT&T?? AT&T becomes as good as Alltell or Alltell becomes as bad as AT&T?

I really hope ATT gets better.. it would make my life alot eaiser. If alltel gets worse ill can them. I care more about service that works and all tel has been good to me. If it was as bad as my att service i would have canceled it. Now I am not sure what my att plan is because my work pays for it. My alltel plan is a the nation wide 700 with a michigan 906 number while the att is a 612 minneapolis number. i dont know if that matters or not

 

[Ex-Member]

Definately go verizon.

Buddy worked for alltel and his personal phone was through verizon.

 

[PJ-Hunter]

At&T, Cingular, Sprint all suck up here where I live. Verizon seems to have the best service. I wish that they would customize their plans more. I don't need 1400 minutes but the next step down is 700 and that isn't enough. It might be easier to swallow if they started rollover minutes.