Mountain Wireless-Louisiana Cellular Reviews

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Louisiana Cellular Reviews
Mountain Wireless presents an opinionated review of wireless and cellular phone services in Louisiana. This is information gained from personal experience, user interviews, press releases, advertising material, newsgroups and wireless web sites.For Ratings of these carriers, Click Here.

ALLTEL Most of Alltel has been purchased by Verizon Wireless. Other smaller parts of the network will be sold to AT&T and ATN, the parent company of Commnet Wireless. There will be a transition period through 2010 during which Alltel customers will be notified if there will be any changes to their account or their service. For now, all plans will be honored, you can continue to use your Alltel phone as usual, and the changeover will be relatively painless. Some of Alltel's customers will have their account transferred to AT&T which means you will be offered a new AT&T phone and, most likely, be assigned a new AT&T plan. Another group of Alltel customers will have their account taken over by ATN, who may or may not maintain the current plans, and currently plans to call their network "Allied Wireless." Those markets to be transferred to AT&T are shown in Red on the list of all Alltel markets being divested, ATN markets are shown in Blue. We are following developments on the Mountain Wireless News Blog. While there is some uncertainty in a transition like this, previous transitions to Verizon and AT&T have gone smoothly. Those who will transition to AT&T will eventually need to switch to a new GSM phone and you could be using a different set of cell sites which may affect coverage. It is unknown what will happen to those customers being switched to ATN, but most likely, you will only experience a name change. There is no harm in signing up as a new Alltel customer today, the process will continue through 2010 and possibly into 2011. You will eventually be told which network you'll be joining, based on home location and phone number. For either outcome, you will have good coverage, potentially good customer service and utilize a fairly advanced network. Today, you can use your Alltel phone across most of the country, you get Verizon Wireless customers in your Mobile to Mobile family, and get excellent coverage and reliable data service. Alltel phones currently prefer the Verizon network when roaming. Alltel still offers some attractive plans that will be available at least through the transition. Expect some of this to change under a new owner. There are many decisions yet to be made about how individual accounts will be handled. Some companies may not be as generous in maintaining the old Alltel plans. Currently, new Alltel customers are only required to sign only a 1-year contract. Alltel also supports low-cost "Lifeline" plans. Pros: Good coverage, very good prices, a variety of plans, good customer service, good broadband services including while roaming. Cons: The uncertainty of the transition to another company is a little unsettling, but for most customers, service will improve. Get Web-Only Discounts on Alltel Phones

AT&T Review

AT&T
AT&T is what was once Cingular, which was part of SBC, which took over AT&T Wireless and took AT&T's name. They have a large GSM network, but in the west, have a lot less developed spectrum than in the rest of the country. That is about to change with AT&T's acquisition of Alltel Wireless in 74 markets being divested by Verizon Wireless. Currently in the west, they have weak coverage away from urban areas and interstate highways. They claim that their Alltel purchases will all be converted to 3G GSM within a year of closing. Parts of the Alltel network already provide GSM coverage. However, improvements realized from the Alltel acquisition may not show in better coverage until 2011. Currently with GSM, AT&T will roam more readily internationally, but there are areas in the US with no GSM coverage. AT&T's takeover of several cellular networks has improved their service in some areas already, including Alaska. AT&T offers a good selection of GSM phones including the Apple iPhone. Parts of what was the old AT&T Wireless network in the interior west is still not among the best. They still suffer from some coverage 'holes', but they are updating some of these areas. Most improvements will be made in the "new" markets. In several markets where AT&T operates at 1900 MHz only, we have been disappointed. However, not all AT&T 1900 MHz-only markets are equal. AT&T offers a variety of plans including Unlimited minutes and services, and 'calling circle' plans. They have extensive data coverage. One of their greatest assets is also their worst problem: the overwhelming success of the Apple iPhone that uses the AT&T network exclusively. It has overloaded their system resulting in dropped calls, interrupted data and slower service.

Pros: AT&T has a large network and covers much of the nation, usage is transparent whether on- or off-network, good digital and data services, good national plans, "Rollover" for those who can use it, "Unlimited" calling plans available, a good selection of phones. Improvements in coverage have been substantial in some areas, lacking in others. Excellent international roaming capabilities. Additions of Alltel, Unicel and Centennial network purchases will give AT&T substantial rural coverage improvements.
Cons: AT&T plans aren't as generous as some, customers can only access GSM networks which are not as universally available as CDMA, customer service varies from above to below average, some markets have a large number of dropped calls caused by large data users.
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CENTENNIAL WIRELESS
Centennial has been purchased by AT&T. Many Centennial customers in Louisiana and Mississippi will be transferred to Verizon Wireless, the affected areas are listed on the Centennial Coverage page. Customers will be notified what will happen to their account. For those who are being transferred to AT&T, the transition will be relatively painless as both networks use compatible GSM phones. Those customers who will be going with Verizon Wireless will get a new phone, and probably have their plan adjusted. Expect improvements in almost all areas with the new owner.
Metro PCS Pros & Cons

METRO PCS
A 'flat rate' carrier in several cities, including New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Detroit, Miami, Tampa, Las Vegas and more. They offer unlimited-minutes wireless coverage for one price including text messaging, but their coverage area is limited. For the price, it may work well for you, or your family. Plans start at $30 per month and Family plans as low as $100 for 4 handsets. Metro PCS allows "unlocked" CDMA phones from other sources to be activated on their network. They have a reciprocal roaming agreement with some other small carriers which allows Unlimited service in those markets.
Pros: Talk as much as you want, and they have all the digital features. Roaming is available, some of it unlimited. Cons: You must pre-pay, and Unlimited coverage is limited just to specific markets. Roaming is available at extra cost, but is free in "Extended Home" markets, off-network roaming must be activated and deactivated each time you travel, they are still growing so there are still some areas with poor or no coverage. Many features are not included in the cheapest plans.
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NEXTEL
Nextel is a of part Sprint and in some offers, Sprint hides Nextel's features. The combo has allowed the two networks to start sharing cell sites to improve coverage. Nextel's spectrum is made up from a bunch of 2-way radio channels, and they suffer from marginal audio in some markets. Their coverage is more robust in certain areas than others. They cover urban areas and some interstates, but there is little roaming elsewhere in the state. They have an efficient '2-way' radio feature which is handy for businesses and families who want to contact each other as quickly as possible. Some of their plans aren't very competitive, but they do offer free incoming calls. They use 850 MHz so they have a strong signal in most areas. Sprint has announced they are not improving or expanding the Nextel network. Boost Mobile uses the Nextel network and it a good option for Unlimited Voice and Text. Rumors come up from time to time that Sprint wants to sell off the Nextel network, which may or may not include Nextel customers.
Pros: The Direct Connect is a handy 'walkie-talkie' service, robust coverage within their service area. Cons: Some markets have poor audio, they also have coverage limits and very limited roaming, most of their phones are big and lack variety, Nextel does not have fast broadband features, neither the network nor the coverage are being upgraded. Sprint has not treated Nextel customers as well as those using the Sprint network.
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PACE CELLULAR
Pace is the wireless division of the Kaplan Telephone Company of south Louisiana. They offer both Local and National Plans. The Local plans offer lots of minutes for the money but only in a small area, mostly the Vermilion Parish. Some of their National plans are reasonable, others can be expensive. They have several small, annoying fees for features like Caller ID and for calling land line phones. They offer many models of GSM phones, Smart Phones and air cards, and offer lots of data features.

SPRINT
Sprint has a national, feature-rich digital network. Their coverage is a little "fragile", but where it's good, it's very good. Sprint has a good selection of phones. Their plans include the ability to roam in many systems when away from their own coverage, as well as any National plan. They offer an inexpensive "basic" plan for only $30 per month. They also offer a few Unlimited plans with lots of features included. Sprint has added service by taking over parts of some carriers' networks, and "sharing" spectrum with others. Sprint merged with Nextel which has created some beneficial network configurations, including sharing of cell sites. Sprint phones normally prefer the network which, where available, gives Sprint customers the best data throughput. Some Sprint phones have the ability to force the phone to "Roam Only", helping you use the strongest network, however there is a limit to how much roaming you can do, generally 50%. Also, newer phones lack that feature. Sprint does not offer their own branded prepaid service but owns Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile prepaid. Pros: Sprint gives you good value for your money, but is not necessarily the cheapest. Sprint covers every urban area in the US, maintains local stores, good roaming capabilities, their digital and data features work very well, they have a good selection of phones. Sprint has good roaming agreements. Cons: You might find a weak area right where you want coverage, some of their plans are not very competitive, customer service is a notch below average.
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More Sprint Pros & Cons

T-MOBILE
T-Mobile works very well within their service area. While they have a slight disadvantage with their higher PCS frequency, they make up for it with strategically-located sites. T-Mobile doesn't serve many rural areas, but provides coverage along most interstates. They offer roaming in rural areas, and the network is still growing, although often they're just 'filling in'. They offer some handy features like "My-Favs" which includes Unlimited calling to your choice of five numbers, regardless of network, "Kid Connect" which helps you limit the amount of charges your kids can rack up, and an Unlimited "Hot Spot" plan using your home wi-fi connection. They have plans that include unlimited voice and messaging.
Pros: Generous included-minute plans, National and Regional plans, "Unlimited" calling plan available, good urban coverage, good choice of phones, good pre-paid plans, good roaming capabilities, including internationally. Good customer service. Cons: Some weak spots, limited data bandwidth, high international roaming charges.
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TRACFONE
Tracfone isn't an actual cellular carrier but is a major supplier of cellular phones and service. They are the largest prepaid wireless company and arrange for their phones to use whichever wireless carrier is available in a given geographic area. As a result, Tracfone actually has more included roaming coverage available than perhaps any other single company. They offer price points that start as low as $8.33 a month and offer all the advantages of prepaid services. They offer several promotions with bonus minutes, and offer plans with 365-day expiration. Their service is mostly limited to Voice and Text but does support data use of their web-capable phones. While their plans are Prepaid, they offer the option of having the fees deducted from your account automatically, eliminating the need to renew on an exact expiration date. TracFone offers Free international calls to 60 countries by calling a special number, and with their International Neighbors features, can provide a local number in Mexico or Canada for incoming calls from those countries at Local rates for both callers. Tracfone offers additional plan options through NET10, and Unlimited plans with STRAIGHT TALK. Pros: Coverage and Local service, available virtually everywhere in the US, good price plans, no roaming or long distance charges, Local numbers in all markets, included Long Distance calling to 60 countries. Cons: You must use their own branded phones, no smart phones, coverage is determined by the phone model (CDMA or GSM) which may limit your roaming coverage.
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VERIZON WIRELESS
Verizon is the largest cellular carrier in the US. They have taken over a large portion of the Alltel network and are now dominant in rural America. Cellular service in a few of Alltel's local markets are being sold to other companies, but no Verizon coverage will be lost. Their claim to fame is superior coverage, especially in the west. They use PCS frequencies only in a few areas, but they have constructed those networks well. In the few places where they don't have their own coverage, they have roaming agreements with other carriers, normally ones with superior coverage. Therefore, their "National" plans, which include almost all of the country, are about as close to "wall-to-wall" as you can get. Their reasonably-priced plans have no roaming or long distance charges, and they also throw in Unlimited Night and Weekend minutes as well as Unlimited calls among Verizon Wireless users both on and off their own network (there are a few exceptions). They offer fairly competitive prices, and often have promotions. They also offer plans that include Unlimited Voice and other features at various fixed price levels. Data service is excellent with various price plans. Verizon forces their phone manufacturers to offer a "standardized" user interface, limiting menu and font variations. This could mean the screen appearance may not be to your liking or the fonts may be too small. Smart and data-type phones require a per-Mb plan. They have the largest area of 3G coverage in the US.

Pros: Verizon has reasonably-priced plans, "Unlimited" calling plans available, extensive coverage, wide-ranging National plans, excellent customer service and 'customer-friendly' policies. With such a large coverage area of their own little roaming is necessary, but their roaming partners normally have superior coverage. Cons: Some Verizon plans are a little more expensive, Customer Service closes at 11pm, but technical assistance is available 24/7, there are some billing transition concerns as they take over other carriers, they don't offer as many "cute" phones, they 'cripple' some User Interface functions like larger fonts: make sure you can read their submenus before buying. Some of their data services are not available while roaming.
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