Texas Cellular Reviews
General Texas Observations: For a state as large as Texas, it's difficult to declare any carrier "The Best", but if we had to choose, it would be AT&T. Through mergers, acquisitions and government generosity, they ended up with more of the best spectrum available. But they have not built out as much across west Texas. With the takeover of the Alltel network, Verizon Wireless is now tops there. Next, we like T-Mobile and Sprint almost equally, with the difference mainly being which partners each uses for roaming. Some areas have either no GSM or no CDMA available, which helps narrow your choices. There is a handful of small carriers in the state with widely varying quality, many of which offer reasonable Unlimited local plans. Check the Reviews below carefully to make sure you don't overlook one of them.

ALLTEL Virtually all of the Alltel network in this state has been purchased by Verizon Wireless. In some surrounding areas Alltel has been acquired by ATN and will continue to operate under the Alltel name. In other areas, Alltel customers will transition to AT&T. See the Alltel divestiture map. 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 changing with AT&T's acquisition of Alltel Wireless in 76 markets in the western US. They claim that their Alltel purchases will all be converted to 3G GSM by July, 2011. Parts of the Alltel network already provide GSM coverage. Other areas will be converted on a market-by-market basis. With GSM technology, 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 and increasing data capacity instead of adding cell sites in older areas. In several markets where AT&T operates at 1900 MHz only, we have been disappointed, but 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 mostly uses the AT&T network. It has overloaded their system resulting in dropped calls, interrupted data and slower service.

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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, and AT&T will now supply the unlock code for all phones, except the iPhone, after 3 to 10 months. Additions of Alltel, Unicel and Centennial network purchases 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 in the US 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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BROADPOINT
Primarily offered to people who work in the Gulf of Mexico, Broadpoint operates a cellular network with coverage over 100,000 miles of the Gulf with voice, text and data services. Being a subscriber of Broadpoint is normally a cheaper option than using the roaming options of other carriers. They offer GSM service with continuous on-water coverage along the coast and good roaming capabilities when you travel throughout the mainland US. Broadpoint is owned by Cellular One (MTPCS) which facilitates Broadpoint's US roaming. Plans are expensive and they only offer one phone model for voice communications. They offer a large number of professional data and communication services. Broadpoint operates what was formerly the Petrocom network in the Gulf.

CAPROCK CELLULAR
Centered on the town of Spur, Texas, Caprock offers digital service and good coverage. They are the local phone coop, so we expect customer service to be better than average. They show Local, Regional and National coverage maps, but only offer a "National" plan. Prices are reasonable but with those plans, 50% of your calls must be made on the Caprock network. If you exceed 50% while roaming your per minute charge is then .20 per minute. There is no extra charge for voice mail, but you must ask to have it activated. Any plan charges incur a $5 charge.

CELLULAR ONE OF EAST TEXAS
Cellular One of East Texas has plans that are little more generous than average. They offer a 3-state Regional plan as well as several levels of National and Local Unlimited plans. they have a large selection of phones and support Telular service. They have added new cell sites and local stores. They offer very reasonable international calling rates for a cellular carrier, including calls to Mexico.

CELLULAR ONE OF TEXOMA
A small GSM carrier in the Texas/Oklahoma border area, formerly Amerilink Wireless. They have a wide variety of Local and National plans and many options within those plans, including Unlimited Local minutes. Their coverage area is small but they allow roaming on other GSM networks. Their Off-Peak and Mobile to Mobile minutes are good only on their own network, voice mail is extra on most plans and there aren't many phones to choose from.

CENTENNIAL WIRELESS
Centennial in this area has been purchased by AT&T.

CLEAR WIRELESS
Clear, also known as Clearwire, is primarily a Wireless Internet Service Provider using "WiMAX" technology in the 2.5 GHz band. Clear provides a faster broadband service than those provided by cellular carriers. Clear calls its service "4G", but their actual speeds vary considerably based on the newness of their network and the development of the technology. Clear's service is also being offered by other communications companies like Comcast, Time-Warner, Google, Sprint and others, often under their own brand name. Clear is available in limited areas and you can use it for your mobile data needs as long as you are within their coverage, and that may also include your home data usage. There is no service available away from your home area, unlike broadband provided by cellular carriers who can offer service over much of the country. They don't currently support typical cellular data devices, instead, they provide home modems, Voice over IP, USB modems for mobile devices, or a WiMAX-ready laptop. Clear can offer a competitive price to most cellular services, including a "$50 For Life" promotion, which can mean long-term savings if you can accept their limitations. For now, Clear has aggressive expansion plans.

CLEARTALK
Cleartalk serves small communities in several states. If you live there, you'll be doing business with locals. They offer some of the features of an all-digital system, but no data. They have Unlimited plans starting around $30 with add-ons like Calling features and Long Distance available. Some customers have roaming service available on Sprint, but most plans are for regional service only. No National plans. Their phone selection is rather small and dated.

CRICKET
Cricket offers Unlimited wireless usage for one price, but coverage may be a little spotty. For the price, it may work well for you or your family. They have a variety of plans. With Unlimited usage, the circuits may become overloaded. All plans now feature "Nationwide" service through roaming partners, which includes Unlimited Talk & Text. Roaming partners include most of the Sprint CDMA network. Cricket is the largest "Unlimited' carrier and is adding many new markets of their own. You can use Cricket to replace a home wireline. Plans start as low as $30 ($25 in some markets) with Family plans starting at $95 for 3 lines. Cricket also offers reasonable Unlimited Broadband access which is currently limited to their own markets, and supplies a simple USB modem that plugs in to your laptop.
Pros: Talk as much as you want, no contract, most data & digital services are included, good Broadband service, Unlimited coverage now includes all US metro markets. Cons: You must pre-pay, "unlimited" broadband is limited to Cricket markets, off-network roaming is available at an extra charge, some dropped calls when circuits are busy. Their pay-as-you-go plans aren't available for more than a month at a time.
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ETEX WIRELESS
Etex is located in the east Texas area around Gilmer. They offer digital service and reasonable National and Regional plans. As part of a local telephone co-op, service is better than average. They have a good selection of phones including smart phones and air cards with reasonable messaging and broadband plans.

FIVE STAR WIRELESS
Five Star has been acquired by West Central Wireless.

LAMAR COUNTY CELLULAR
This small GSM carrier is located in Paris, Texas. Lamar has Local, Regional and National plans. Their plans are overpriced and only include a certain number of long distance and roaming minutes. They offer a $10 "Emergency" plan and an Unlimited "Teen" plan for calls within Lamar County.

METROPCS
MetroPCS is a 'flat rate' carrier available in most major cities. 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 $35 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 roaming agreements with other small carriers which allows Unlimited service in those markets. They have some useful options like fixed-rate calling to Mexico and a Group Ring for families.
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. Other 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, Roaming is not available outside the US. 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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MID-TEX CELLULAR
Good coverage and they offer plans that allow you to choose the features you want including Unlimited Local calling and All-Texas plans. Plans start as low as $15 per month with lots of "a la carte" selections to customize your plan. They only offer Nokia and Motorola GSM phones, including a couple smart phone, to their own customers, and also support CDMA roamers. Their National plans are little expensive but you can save by adding only the number of roaming minutes you need. Their fees are pretty high like $40 for Activation and $20 for plan and account changes.

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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PEOPLE'S WIRELESS
This small carrier, based in Quitman, Texas, has reasonable plans and they include free long distance and national roaming. Most of their plans include Unlimited Local calling with different amounts of National minutes. They have "Economy" plans starting as low at $10. They offer a fairly good selection of current phones. They are part of the Peoples Telephone Cooperative, so we expect customer service to be better than average.

PINE CELLULAR
Pine serves the southeast Oklahoma and Paris, Texas areas. They have a large selection of plans including Local, Regional, 6-state, National, Unlimited, Prepaid and Lifeline. Their Local plans are reasonable but their Regional and National plans are expensive. They don;t offer many phone models, but support most digital features.

PLATEAU WIRELESS
This cellular carrier covers much of eastern New Mexico and west central Texas. They offer both analog and digital service, and a wide range of plans. They still support TDMA, analog and GSM, but their best rate plans all require a GSM phone. While their coverage seems to be good, we hear complaints. They are adding some new cell sites which should improve that situation. There are a few towns where Plateau is the only cellular service available. Their Local plans are reasonable but their Regional and National plans are fairly expensive. Some plans start as low as $20/month although not all features are included with the cheaper plans.

POCKET COMMUNICATIONS
A local PCS carrier in south Texas, Massachusetts and Connecticut. They offer Unlimited calls on their own network starting at only $25 per month, with additional digital features and free Long Distance as options. Roaming is available over most of the country although some large areas are unavailable. Some of their plans includes free Text Messaging to Mexico. Pocket has entered into a "joint agreement" with Cricket Wireless in the south Texas area which will mean either plans will look more like Cricket's, or the eventual disappearance of the Pocket brand in Texas.

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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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 wireless phones and service. They are the largest prepaid cellular 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 below $9 a month and offer all the advantages of prepaid services. They also feature monthly plans and offer promotions with bonus minutes, and plans with 365-day expiration. Their service is mostly limited to Voice and Text but does support data use of their web-capable phones. They offer the option of having the charges deducted from your credit card or charge account automatically, eliminating the need to renew on an exact expiration date. TracFone offers Free international calls to about 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.
Pros: Coverage and Local service, available virtually everywhere in the US, good price plans with no roaming or long distance charges, Local numbers in all markets, included Long Distance calling to 60 countries. Cons: They have a small selection of phones, no smart phones, coverage is determined by the phone model (CDMA or GSM) which may limit your roaming coverage, no roaming outside the US.
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US CELLULAR
US Cellular is a good company that offers good coverage, good plans and lots of features, and a good selection of CDMA phones. Unlimited incoming calls are available on most plans. In some plans, Nights & Weekends begin at 7pm, others start at 9pm. They offer a large selection of phones including Smart phones. They have fairly good roaming capabilities. They have a $20/100 minute "Piece of Mind Plan." In Chicago they use 1900 MHz frequencies which has more dead spots. They have a number of customer-friendly features like usage notifications and free battery swaps.
Pros: Their price plans are competitive, and they offer National and Regional plans, "Unlimited" calling plan available, good customer service, National plans appear to be all-inclusive and roaming has good coverage, mostly with Verizon Wireless. Cons: Mobile to Mobile minutes are extra on lower-tier plans, Unlimited Nights & Weekends have confusing start times.
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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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WEST CENTRAL WIRELESS
Based in San Angelo and the Hill Country of Texas, West Central Wireless has good coverage and offers a large selection of plans, with reasonably-priced Local, National and Senior plans, and also supports Lifeline plans. Mobile to Mobile and Off-Peak minutes are limited to their home area which has expanded. They have a good selection of phones including several smart phones and air cards.

XIT WIRELESS
They serve the extreme NW corner of Texas. They have GSM service with Local, Regional and National plans. Coverage is excellent. Since they are the local telephone co-op, we expect customer service to be above average. Prices are reasonable and start as low as $30 for a "Local" plan. They only require a 6 month contract, not 2 years. While their "National" plans are generous, coverage does not include as many roaming partners as larger carriers, however, major highways and cities are covered. Nights & Weekends and Mobile to Mobile minutes are available on their own network only.