Ask Slashdot: Who Has the Best 3G Coverage In California and Nevada?

New submitter derchris writes "We will be on vacation in the U.S. next month for about 3 weeks. We are going to do a road trip between San Francisco, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. To not use roaming for data, and get a heart attack once back home looking at the mobile bill, I was looking at so called 'MiFi' devices, portable 3G Wi-Fi hotspots. As far as I know, more or less all of the U.S. carriers have such devices available. But as I'm not from the U.S., I have no idea what would give me the best 3G coverage in the areas we are travelling. Another question would be whether I can buy one of these devices off eBay, and use it with any SIM card. Let's hope there are users available who could give some advice on this topic."

Comments

Verizon

[commodore73]

I had AT&T in California and Verizon in both CA and NV, and Verizon was definitely better - almost no issues, where AT&T was terrible. I didn't travel extensively (mainly the bay area and Incline Village), but I would certainly avoid AT&T, and I would actually recommend Verizon,

Re:Verizon

[crazycheetah]

This. The 3 main areas mentioned have Verizon's 4G coverage as well (and I am sure that AT&T and T-Mobile also have 4G to some degree in these areas, though, as they're pretty significant areas to get covered). Traveling from Los Angeles to San Francisco and back with Verizon, I had pretty decent coverage the whole way (with a few holes). Same for Los Angeles to Las Vegas and back (a few more holes in the desert than the other, but I doubt you're going to avoid that with any carrier).

Although, specific areas (less than a square mile and less some times, even--this is especially true when you're in the more hilly/mountainous areas in the region) of those can still be different. I've found T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon to be pretty consistent throughout, but there are definite areas where one beats the others and areas where that same one loses to the others, along with some pockets that they all suck. Generally, though, if you're just traveling through and not getting stuck in a specific area for extended amounts of time, they are all pretty decent. I don't mention Sprint, because I have the least experience with them, so I can't be sure how they are in the areas, but I would be surprised to see that they suck too bad throughout, considering how important most carriers would probably consider those cities...

Re:Very Specific Question

[pushing-robot]

And if you're not aware what the major US carriers are, they're Verizon and AT&T, followed by T-Mobile and Sprint.

Verizon has better coverage in most of the country, but as you'll be sticking to big cities and major highways the others should have good coverage as well.

Also, Verizon and Sprint don't use SIM cards, while AT&T and T-Mobile use different frequency bands for 3G. Make sure you know the device you buy will work with your choice of carrier.

virginmobileusa.com

[cpu6502]

They use the Sprint network..... no idea if it's the "best" but it's affordable. $50 for unlimited internet, and it works anywhere that a cellphone works. Plus no contract so you can use it 1 month and then done.

I have tried Wifi in my hotel, and it barely works at all (slow and drops connection frequently). I don't recommend that route.

Re:Very Specific Question

[Sarten-X]

According to those maps (at least the ones from AT&T), there's great coverage inside a particular canyon in Arizona, a particular valley in West Virginia, and a particular marsh in northern Michigan, all of which I've visited and can personally verify there is no usable service. Those maps don't come from the providers' engineers. They come from the marketing department, and should be trusted as much as any other advertisement.

Re:Coverage Maps

[Quantus347]

http://www.cellularmaps.com/3g_compare.shtml

This is a useful map, it compares: AT&T, Cricket, Metro PCS, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular, and Verizon.

One thing you should know however is that most of the companies actually share their networks to one degree or another, and there are options lesser known options that offer the same actual coverage. Check out: http://www.cellularbackdoor.com/alternative_networks.shtml

From the site: Same Network, Different Carrier - These are separate, "alternative" companies that use the same wireless network, also known as Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO), wholesale networks, or cellular "re-sellers", of the major carriers. You get your phone and customer service from these companies instead of the underlying carrier. Some companies use more than one network and the type of wireless device determines whether a CDMA, GSM or WIMAX carrier is used. All features may not be available. This is where to look if you hate your carrier but love their network.

Well...

[Anonymous Coward]

I have lived in Vegas and San Francisco. I'm assuming you're going through central CA for your trip. As far as I'm concerned, Verizon (for me) had the best coverage in Vegas and SF. I've had clear reception all the way to Salinas- your mileage may vary beyond that. Those I knew that had AT&T hated it (poor reception).

T-Mobile isn't good in Vegas - I had it for a few years there and the coverage was bad.

Now, if you're driving through the middle of NV, then forget it. Your reception will drop off around Yerington and not return until you hit Indian Springs. You'll have to wait to upload the UFO pics you snap on the way.