Cellular Carrier Reviews
Mountain Wireless presents an opinionated review of wireless and cellular phone services in the US. This information is gained from personal experience, user interviews, press releases, advertising material, forums, newsgroups and wireless web sites. This list includes all the wireless carriers we review. Find the specific carriers that serve your state. Also see Ratings of these carriers.

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ALASKA CELLULAR CARRIER REVIEWS
Alaska carriers are all different from those across the rest of the US (except AT&T), so we only list them on our Alaska Carrier Review Page.

ALLTEL
The old Alltel network has been divided into 3 pieces with parts going to AT&T, Verizon Wireless and ATN. The parts acquired by ATN will continue to operate under the "Alltel Wireless" name. You can check in which counties service is affected on the Alltel Divested Map. Alltel customers who have had their account taken over by ATN should see little change. Their current plans will be maintained including "My Circle". ATN will continue to offer competitively-priced plans and excellent coverage including while roaming. Customer service should continue to be good and most existing Alltel stores in ATN areas will remain. However, if you are accustomed to visiting an Alltel store outside of the "new" Alltel service area, it may no longer be available. You will still be able to use your Alltel phone all across the country with excellent coverage and reliable data service. Alltel users currently have Verizon Wireless customers as part of their "Mobile-to-Mobile" family. Alltel phones with a current PRL prefer the Verizon network when roaming. We are following developments of the acquisitions on the Mountain Wireless News Blog.

Pros: Good coverage, very good prices, a variety of plans, good customer service, good broadband services including while roaming, a good selection of phones and very good roaming coverage.
Cons: The uncertainty of the transition to another company is a little unsettling, but for most customers, service will improve. There may be fewer Alltel retail locations. Roaming is becoming a concern on the smaller Alltel network, especially with air cards.
Get Web-Only Discounts on Alltel Phones

ALL WEST WIRELESS
All West is a small local wireline co-op east of Salt Lake City that also offers wireless service. They offer unlimited calling within their Local coverage area which includes the service areas of several other wireless co-ops, but not in Salt Lake City itself. Statewide and nationwide roaming is available, but it's not Unlimited. They have a good selection of phones including a few smart phones.

APPALACHIAN WIRELESS
Appalachian has good coverage along the Kentucky - Virginia border with a good selection of CDMA phones, including Smart phones. They have Local, Statewide, National and Unlimited plans that are priced about average.

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.

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.
Get Web-Only Discounts on Wireless from AT&T.

BLANCA TELEPHONE WIRELESS
Based in Alamosa, Colorado, Blanca is part of the local telco, Blanca Telephone Company. They have good coverage in Costilla and Conejos Counties. If you had a home in their service area, using Blanca Wireless would be an excellent substitute for wireline service, at the same price. The phone would also work outside of the home area, mostly roaming on Verizon Wireless. You could sign up for their local service, but you could roam on them for free if you sign up for a Verizon plan in any other city in the area, like Alamosa or Pueblo. While their network is all digital, they still support analog and "bag" phones from other sources. You can program your existing phone's 2nd "NAM" to Blanca's network. They offer some "bundles" packaged with other communications services. Pros: Small means good, personal service, the only plan they offer is for unlimited local service for about $20 per month. The phone will work nationally. Cons: They don't offer any fancy features, just the basics. Limited phone choices. Roaming fees, while reasonable, are not predictable, they are extra, charged by the minute, and the rate depends on the roaming carrier.
Blanca Wireless Coverage map

BLUEGRASS CELLULAR
Bluegrass is operated by a combination of 5 rural Kentucky telephone co-ops. They have a large selection of CDMA phones including Smart phones. They have very good coverage across their own network and offer generous plans. Their cheapest plans do not include Mobile to Mobile calls, but their Local unlimited plan includes an additional bucket of 100 monthly National minutes. As a cooperative, they have better than average customer service. They warn customers, "Digital features many not be available in all areas."

BREAKAWAY WIRELESS
Serving the center of Utah, Breakaway is part of the local telephone cooperative, so we expect Customer Service to be a notch above average. They offer a large number of plans that offer Unlimited voice service on their own network in Sanpete County coupled with different levels of Roaming and Long Distance minutes. They have a good number of CDMA phones including data phones. They offer both contract and non-contract terms but do not allow outgoing international calls.

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.

CAROLINA WEST WIRELESS
Good Local coverage. They offer National plans that are priced about average, with Local and National Unlimited plans with roaming add-ons available. They have a good selection of phones including Smart phones.

CC COMMUNICATIONS
CC serves western Nevada with additional coverage into border areas of California and Oregon. They have good coverage with plans that cover most of Nevada without roaming charges. They offer Unlimited Nevada Local plans that include a few US roaming minutes. Their National plans are expensive and they offer an Unlimited National plan. The CC Communications wireless network is owned by Commnet Wireless, however sales and support are still provided by CC Communications. You still deal with local people and you can still "bundle" your cellular service with CC's other extensive communications services. Commnet is making improvements to the CC network. Pros: Good coverage, reasonable Unlimited plans, Unlimited National plans are available. Cons: Expensive National plans, $4.95 fee for voice mail and to change plans or features, no Off-Peak or Mobile to Mobile features.
CC Communications Coverage and Cell Site Map

CELLCOM
They offer Local plans with reasonable rates with Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan as your Home area. They have several plans to choose including generous Statewide and National plans with Unlimited plans available. They also support broadband services and offer a long list of sophisticated CDMA phones. They offer Lifeline plans.

CELLULAR ONE OF EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS
Cellular One offers generous plans for their two-state home area ("Illiana"). They have Unlimited plans for both their local area and nationwide, with plans comparable to AT&T. They have a Calling Circle-type plan that allows 20 numbers on any network. Their Unlimited Nights & Weekends start at 7pm and incoming Text Messages are free. They have a few holes in their roaming coverage in the west. A GSM carrier.

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 (NORTHEAST ARIZONA)
Cellular One has the best, or only coverage among the Native American properties along the northeast Arizona and northwest New Mexico border. They have added PCS service, new sites across the 4-Corners area, an 850 MHz GSM overlay, and are adding more cell sites. They have special low-cost wireless programs. They also support fixed wireless service for homes away from wirelines. They offer Regional and National plans, and, while their plans are not expensive, they start at a relatively high price, especially their National plans. They offer an Unlimited National plan. They have several levels of My Circle-type calling features. They have a good selection of phone models including smart phones. Their prepaid plans are either too expensive or too complicated. Pros: Excellent coverage, big selection of plans including Regional and National plans, locally-owned, good customer service, life-line plans, a large number of phones available. Cons: Some areas are still analog which means users with digital phones can only access parts of the network (there are no GSM + analog phones), their National plans start at high price levels, their prepaid plans are expensive.

CELLULAR ONE OF NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA
This Cellular One serves two counties and has plans that start as cheap at $19. They have Local, "Tri-State" (PA, NY, NJ), and National plans and they are reasonably priced. All plans, except the cheapest, include all features. They have good coverage, good roaming agreements and a good selection of phones..

CELLULAR ONE-SAN LUIS OBISPO
A very good carrier with good coverage. Good customer service because you are dealing with a local company. They offer a Local Unlimited Minute plan for $40. They also offer plans that start as low as $20 a month. At these price levels, their service is very competitive. However, to compare apples to apples, they do not have a 450 minute plan like the National carriers, so if you need more than 300 minutes you'll need to subscribe to Cellular One's more expensive 600-minute plan. They don't offer very many phones. Prices for Family plans make a little more sense.

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.

CELLULAR 29 PLUS
Cellular 29 is now known as Chat Mobility.

CELLULAR SOUTH
Cellular South serves Mississippi, Alabama and parts of Tennessee and Georgia. They have a large variety of plans, including several variations of Unlimited calling. You can select regional or national coverage, and plans that include Nationwide Unlimited minutes. Some plans are very reasonable for the services they include. Users report good coverage and like the number of plans. They offer a good selection of phones and good customer service. Most of their network is 3G.

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

CHARITON VALLEY WIRELESS
Chariton serves the north central part of Missouri. They offer Local, Regional, National, Unlimited and Lifeline plans. Most plans are reasonable, but some are overpriced. Since they are a local telephone cooperative we expect customer service to be better than average. They have a good selection of handsets including Smart phones.

CHAT MOBILITY
Offering service in extreme southwest Iowa, Chat Mobility offers generous plans with everything included like long distance, roaming, free incoming calls, nights & weekends and mobile to mobile. They have a small number of CDMA phones including Smart phones and air cards. Coverage is average. They have Unlimited plans which are priced a little high. They have cheaper local Unlimited calling plans but you need to qualify for "Lifeline" service (based on support programs) to get them, and they are more expensive that typical Lifeline programs.

CHOICE WIRELESS
Choice serves rural customers in Nevada with a Local, "Unlimited" type of cellular service for a fixed price, starting at $30 a month. They use CDMA phones and have excellent coverage, and their plans have a simplified structure that can include a certain amount of US roaming minutes. They have a small number of phone models, but invite you to bring your old phone from another CDMA carrier like Alltel or Verizon and use it on the Choice network. There are no credit checks or contracts, and they offer a pay-per-day plan. Choice will be introducing their service slowly across the state and welcome customers who qualify for Free LifeLine service.

CINCINNATI BELL WIRELESS
Cincinnati Bell has a nice wireless company associated with the local wireline carrier that has good coverage across their southwest Ohio/northwest Kentucky/southeast Indiana area. They have generous plans with national roaming on AT&T, and an Unlimited plan. AT&T has their own coverage in the area so you'll need to choose one over the other based on features and price. Cincinnati Bell offers bundle pricing, including a "price for life" offer which guarantees no price increases.

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.

COMMNET WIRELESS
Commnet has been building cell sites in locations that have been overlooked by other carriers. You can't sign up for service with them...yet. Their parent company, Atlantic Tele-Network purchased the divested Alltel assets from Verizon Wireless, nearly doubling the size of their network. Their current business relies on roaming by other wireless carriers' customers. Some carriers allow roaming on Commnet's sites while others restrict Commnet roaming. So if the closest, or only, cell site near you is owned by Commnet, you need to find out if you can sign up with a carrier that allows roaming on that Commnet site. They are also known by other names, and their sites offer a different combination of CDMA and GSM technology. Commnet has been searching out areas with little or no coverage and is credited for adding new coverage there. They say, "we can enhance the subscriber experience by providing coverage in unexpected areas, at a cost well below what would be possible for a single retail carrier." In most cases, you'll have no idea you're using a Commnet site, but that may change soon.
Commnet Coverage Maps

CORR WIRELESS
Corr has been acquired by Cellular South. For now, Corr Wireless will continue to offer wireless products and services under its existing name. Over time, Corr customers should expect the introduction of more advanced devices, robust plans and improved network quality. Currently, their plans are generous including Unlimited and Nationwide plans. They support Lifeline customers.

COX WIRELESS
This is the new wireless service being offered by Cox Communications. They are testing their service and are scheduled to make service available to the public in Hampton Roads, VA, Omaha, NE and Orange County, CA, soon. They claim they are going to offer wireless with fewer 'penalties' than the other carriers, and will "bundle" their cellular service with other Cox Communications products. Following the Cox Wireless link gets you to their sales pitch, a free movie offer, and links to share with them what you want in a wireless service. Telling them what you want may or may not affect how they operate their new service, but it will affect how it is marketed. They will be using completely new wireless spectrum which will limit the types of phones available. They are using CDMA technology to take advantage of increased roaming potential.

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.
Get Online Discounts from Cricket

CUSTER TELEPHONE CELLULAR
Custer Cellular is part of the Custer Telephone Cooperative in southeast Idaho. They have an interesting combination of plans that include Unlimited use of their own network and various levels of roaming across the state and the nation. Their plan prices are higher than average. Their own coverage is good and they have a relationship with neighboring cooperatives which may extend the "local" coverage capabilities. They offer a good selection of CDMA phones but don't seem to offer any data plans beyond Text Messaging. Many services that we expect to be included, like voice mail, are charged extra.

DTC WIRELESS
Located east of Nashville, DTC has good coverage and is operated by locals as part of the local telephone cooperative. They have average-priced plans including National, Senior, Prepaid and Unlimited plans. They have a good selection of GSM phones including Smart phones, and they support Fixed Wireless service for your home phone.

EINSTEIN WIRELESS
Einstein is now known as Airfire Mobile.

ELEMENT MOBILE
This new operator will be taking over the Alltel network in central Wisconsin, located roughly along I-39 between Wisconsin Dells and Wausau. They claim, "Element Mobile plans to offer innovative voice and data services, including localized content specifically designed for subscribers in its service area. The company is deploying a...CDMA 2000 1xEV-DO Rev. A network." They expect to start service in Fall, 2010. For now their wireless product is being marketed along with the other communications products of Solarus Mobile.

EPIC PCS:
Epic PCS serves the SW corner of Kansas and part of the Oklahoma panhandle. They are a GSM carrier using PCS frequencies so you should expect coverage along the main roads but not some of the areas between them. They offer several reasonably-priced Unlimited plans and very competitive National plans. They have a good selection of phones including smart phones, and a very simple "senior" phone with an amplified earpiece, but no special senior plans. They are related to EpicTouch that offers internet and other advanced communication services and is related to the local wireline, the Independent Telephone Company. We expect customer service to be above average.

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.

FARMERS MUTUAL TELEPHONE COMPANY
Wireless from FMTC serves small towns on the Idaho/Oregon border including Fruitland, ID. Their Local plans include a few rural areas in WY, CO and UT, including a Local Unlimited plan. They only offer a few plans, but they are reasonable and include most features and start as low as $20/month. They have a good selection of phones including smart phones.
FMTC "Extended" Local Coverage Map

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

GOLDEN STATE CELLULAR
Golden State's service area is within the counties in and around Yosemite National Park. Their plans are all "National" plans and are priced about average. They sometimes offer reasonably-priced promotional plans. At last report, their Unlimited plans were still priced well above the national carriers. Their Mobile to Mobile calls now apply nationally. They have very good coverage within most of their service area which includes Yosemite Park. They have a moderate selection of phone models including several Smart phones. They offer high-speed broadband, and fixed wireless service for locations out of reach of land lines.
Golden State's Coverage Map.

ILLINOIS VALLEY CELLULAR
Illinois Valley serves a small area outside of Chicago with reasonable plans, including Unlimited and National plans, but charge extra for voice mail and Text. They have different levels of Unlimited service as cheap at $18 per month. If you qualify for their Lifeline plans it can be even cheaper.

INDIGO WIRELESS (Nebraska)
Indigo covers parts of the panhandle of the state. They only have a few Nebraska customers and are not adding any new accounts. Their Nebraska network uses TDMA and analog technology which is no longer supported by any current phones or roaming networks. There are no public plans to upgrade the network, there are no local stores, and all calls are handled by their Pennsylvania office which handles a completely separate Indigo network.
Indigo Wireless 'Coverage' Map

INDIGO WIRELESS (Pennsylvania)
Serving 5 counties in northern Pennsylvania, Indigo has very reasonable plans. For $40 you can get Unlimited calls to and from anywhere in the U.S. No reports on coverage, but if it's adequate, this is a very good deal. They have a small selection of phones and an even more economical "Senior" plan.

INLAND CELLULAR
A small company serving southeast Washington and north central Idaho. They have reasonable plans including both Local and National Unlimited plans. Their plans include off-peak calling and free incoming minutes, but Mobile to Mobile minutes are on-network only. They offer packages with data included and a Calling Circle add-on to 5 numbers on any network. Pros: They have good coverage, their plans include several price levels with regional and National coverage. They offer a good number of phones including smart phones and air cards. Cons: Additonal Family Plan members are pricey.

I WIRELESS
This is Iowa's affiliate of T-mobile. Plans are similar to T-Mobile's and promotions include lots of minutes. They also have a Calling Circle-type plan that includes 5 numbers on any network. They have a reasonable National Unlimited plan. Most native coverage is in the eastern half of the state with some expansion into the northwestern part of the state, and Des Moines is served mostly by T-Mobile. iWireless also serves parts of extreme northwestern Illinois and southwestern Wisconsin, which would work for people who find themselves often crossing the Mississippi River.

iSMART MOBILE
This GSM carrier is offering cellular service in Bozeman, Montana. They have Local Unlimited plans and National roaming available and offer several phone models, no contracts required. They hope to expand across the state and currently suffer from having limited GSM roaming available in Montana.

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.

LEACO WIRELESS
This carrier covers southeast New Mexico. They offer Local and Regional plans including Unlimited Local plans. National plans are a little expensive. They have plans as low as $16 and "Lifeline" service starting at $5 per month. Our information is a bit dated and their web site does not provide many details beyond price plans. Leaco is a local phone cooperative so we expect customer service to be above average. They offer a large number of phones including smart phones. PROS: Good coverage outside of town, several phones from which to choose. CONS: Some over-capacity problems in town, voice mail is extra.

LONG LINES WIRELESS
A small GSM carrier in western Iowa with service extending west across the border into Nebraska. Plans are reasonable including Nationwide and Unlimited plans. They have a good selection of phones and are a great local company. Coverage is good along most highways and in towns, with some holes in between,

LYRIX WIRELESS
Lyrix is now known as Chat Mobility.

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 RIVERS CELLULAR
Mid Rivers covers the east central part of Montana. They only offer a few phones, most of which are pricey, but do include some smart phones. They are part of a local telephone co-op, so they are pretty friendly and easy to deal with, and they offer bundle discounts for various services including wireless, landline, internet and cable TV. Their calling plans are a little overpriced, but they offer some roaming minutes, presumably National. They offer Lifeline plans. There are extra charges for each different feature like Caller ID, Voice Mail, and Long Distance.

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.

MOBI PCS
Hawaii's own 'home-grown' carrier. They offer various levels of Unlimited service with prices starting at $37. They use the more "fragile" PCS frequencies and coverage is limited to the more populated areas on most of the main islands. Mainland roaming is available as an add-on item. High speed access is only available on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island. They offer a relatively large number of phones.

MOBILZ
This GSM operator is the wireless arm of the Cross Telephone Company of eastern Oklahoma. They have Local and National plans which are priced about average. Nights & Weekends and Mobile to Mobile are charged extra.

MOHAVE WIRELESS
Covering northwest Arizona, Mohave (also known as Citizen's Mohave) is small but real people answer the phone on the first or second ring. They have upgraded to CDMA digital at all of their sites, so most digital features are available. Mohave is 40% owned by Verizon. Mohave's Prepaid plans are surprisingly expensive. Pros: Very personal service, they offer reasonable Local and National plans, a local "unlimited" plan, and digital features. Cons: They don't offer very many phone models, there are some coverage holes, but they have added a few new urban sites, their Mobile-to-Mobile minutes are limited to Mohave County.
Mohave Wireless Coverage Map.

MOSAIC MOBILE
Mosaic is part of Mosaic Telecom, formerly the Chibardun Telephone Cooperative, a communications provider in rural northwest Wisconsin. They have a well-developed all-3G GSM network. Their plans are reasonable but charges for extra features could add up. Their cellular network is new and there are some growing pains, but as a cooperative should have good customer service.

NEP WIRELESS
The North-Eastern Pennsylvania Telephone Company operates a small GSM cellular network in the extreme northeast corner of the state. Plans are quite reasonable including Unlimited Local plans and they offer a good selection of phone models. They have good data plans for both Smart phones and laptop air cards.

NEX-TECH WIRELESS
Based in Hays, Kansas, Nex-Tech is aiming for CDMA coverage in every western Kansas town "with more than 300 people." They are a partnership of several local telephone co-ops so we would expect customer service to be above average. Coverage is surprising robust for a PCS system. They may have coverage where other carriers have none. Their plans are about average with plans that include roaming on the Sprint network or total Nationwide roaming. Mobile to Mobile and Off-peak coverage is limited to the NextTech and Sprint networks. Also, Alltel numbers in KS are also included as Mobile to Mobile for now. They have a Calling Circle plan that allows Unlimited calls to 5 to 20 numbers on any network and offer several promotions. They have several retail locations. While they offer local coverage along I-70 in Colorado, they are not soliciting Colorado customers.

NEMONT CELLULAR
The Nemont Telephone Cooperative has acquired Sagebrush Cellular in the northeast Montana area. They have good coverage across their area, and have National, Local and Unlimited plans. Most plans are reasonably priced. They have added new CDMA digital sites, and may still have some analog sites. As part of the local telephone cooperative you should expect better than average customer service. They have a modest selection of phones.

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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NNTC WIRELESS
A small PCS carrier, part of the Nucla-Naturita Telephone Company in western Colorado. "Home" coverage is available on a few other rural systems in CO, UT, OR, ID and WY. Roaming coverage provides service elsewhere, their primary roaming partners are Sprint and Alltel. They have Local, Unlimited, National and Business plans. Most features like Voice Mail, Long Distance and Caller ID, are extra. Their plans are overpriced. Their web site comes and goes.
Click Here for NNTC's Extended Local Coverage Map.

NORTHWEST MISSOURI CELLULAR
Northwest Missouri Cellular has an extensive network in their home area and offers reasonably-priced Local and National plans. They have 2 inexpensive versions of Unlimited-minutes plans based on the number of counties you can call from. They offer Fixed Wireless and Lifeline plans. They have several phones to choose including air cards and a "bag" phone.

NTELOS WIRELESS
A local carrier serving Virginia and West Virginia with good coverage and a large selection of phones including Smart phones. They have a large number of plans with generous National plans and Unlimited plans that include unlimited voice and various levels of roaming minutes.

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.

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 BELT WIRELESS
Pine Belt has good coverage in the west central counties of Alabama. They offer Local, Regional, National and Unlimited plans which are all overpriced for the areas included. They have a very small selection of phones, however they offer the Motorola "bag phone" which has higher power. They are part of the Pine Belt Telephone Company, but we haven't heard of any bundled discounts by adding their other services.

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.

PIONEER WIRELESS
Pioneer has good coverage, especially in northwest Oklahoma, with some service across the border into southern Kansas, and their entire network is 3G. Their Local plans include the states of Oklahoma and Kansas. They have a large selection of phones, including Blackberry, but not from many manufacturers. They have a large selection of plans, including Unlimited, and they are fairly generous. Plans over $48 allow your minutes to carry over to the next month. Their Local plans are a bit expensive but are good if you don't leave the 2-state area. Prices on their National plans are about average. Nights & Weekends and Mobile to Mobile are available, but at an extra charge with lower-priced plans, and are not unlimited. Pioneer is an "affiliate" of Sprint so crossing into and out of Sprint areas is relatively seamless. They are part of the local communications cooperative, so we expect better than average customer service.
Pioneer Wireless Coverage

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.

PTCI CELLULAR
The wireless services of the Panhandle Telephone Cooperative have good coverage in the Oklahoma panhandle. Their plans are overpriced, and outside of their 4-state primary service area roaming is somewhat limited. Their Unlimited Mobile to Mobile and Nights and Weekends minutes are limited to their own Oklahoma network. They offer a good selection of phone models. As part of the local telecommunications cooperative they have better than average customer service, and bundled discounts.

REVOL WIRELESS
Revol offers Unlimited minutes with several features. Plans start at $30 with additional features available at higher price levels, which can get expensive. They provide their own CDMA coverage across several cities around the Great Lakes region and include coverage in most other metro areas as "Home" coverage through roaming agreements, which is all Unlimited. Their own coverage is sometimes spotty away from main roads and urban areas but they are still expanding. They have an average selection of phones, but no Smart phones. They will activate phones that did not originate from their network.
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SILVER STAR WIRELESS
This is a small system set up by the local wireline telephone company south of the Jackson Hole, WY area. This is a mountainous and sparsely-populated area. They have a good selection of CDMA phones. They offer a wide range of plans that include their own coverage area and several other Intermountain areas, a multi-state region that includes the mountain states, California, and an eighth state of your choosing, or a National plan. They have a reasonable selection of phones including several Blackberry models. They have some attractive promotions. Pros: They may have the best coverage in their small area where other providers have dead spots, they offer most of the latest digital features, they have a large selection of plans, they should have good customer service, 'bundling' should be available. Cons: Their service area is tiny and at PCS frequencies they may have quite a few 'holes', some of their plans are overpriced.

SIMMETRY WIRELESS
Simmetry is a GSM carrier located along the extreme western edge of Illinois, with additional coverage extended across the river into the Missouri suburbs of Hannibal, IL. They have a large selection of plans, they call them "simple", but we find them rather complex. They offer a plan as low as $13, but voice mail and other features are extra. There are 6 levels of plans each with different variations based on the number of features or minutes included. Complexity isn't a bad thing. You can build the exact plan you need, including Local, Unlimited, National, Prepaid and Data plans. If you need a lot of Nationwide minutes they are very overpriced. They have a small selection of GSM phones. They claim they are improving coverage within their service area to offer a superior signal. Simmetry offers international calling and GSM roaming on most cruise ships and in almost a dozen foreign countries including Mexico. They are part of the Adams telephone Co-op of Golden, IL, which normally means customer service should be better than average. They have several local retail outlets.

SMART PCS
Smart PCS closed their doors in December, 2009. No other information is available.

SNAKE RIVER PCS
Snake River PCS is composed of 2 completely different networks. In Oregon, the network is supported by the Eagle Telephone Company of Richland, OR. In Idaho, the network is part of the Cambridge Telephone Company (CTC). Eagle Telephone customers get access to Eagle's Snake River Oregon network, but will be roaming anywhere else, even on the Snake River/CTC network of Idaho. Fortunately, some roaming minutes are included in most of Eagle's plans. In Idaho, you will be using the Idaho Snake River sites of CTC, which includes a completely different set of "Snake River" sites in Oregon than those that belong to Eagle. And as if that wasn't confusing enough, CTC offers wireless service in areas around Boise where they have land lines, but only as a re-seller of Verizon Wireless. Plans are very different between Eagle and CTC, with CTC's being quite expensive. Both offer several types of cellular phones. Both companies' agents are friendly and answer the phone in person right away, but the confusion makes this a difficult choice. We are told they may rename the CTC network to "CTC Wireless", which will hopefully end the confusion.

SOUTH CENTRAL COMMUNICATIONS
South Central has a small PCS wireless network designed to cover Southwest Utah along the I-15 corridor and surrounding towns. Their plans include more minutes than average, and their "Regional" plans include a certain number of roaming minutes, first incoming minute free and 6-second billing, but we don't know what their "region" is unless it's their own network. They have a local "Unlimited" plan, with no features included. There are 4 levels of voice mail. Pros: As a local telephone cooperative, we would imagine customer service is above average, they have reasonably-priced plan starting at $30 and offer "Telular" service, Regional and National plans. Cons: Long distance charges may apply while roaming, you need to re-program your phone to avoid accidental roaming, phone selection is good but limited.
Click Here for SCC's Extended Local Coverage Map

SOUTHERNLINC
An iDEN carrier similar to Nextel with reasonable plans. They have adequate coverage across Alabama, Georgia and parts of Florida and Mississippi. They have a walkie-talkie feature. They have Unlimited plans but they're expensive. They have a good selection of phones and a large number of plans. A "Nationwide" plan is available, but coverage outside Alabama and Georgia is very limited...mostly major cities and highways.

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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SPROCKET WIRELESS
Sprocket is a small carrier serving the east central part of Oklahoma just south of Tulsa. They offer 4 flavors of Unlimited minutes plans which do not include Long Distance, but you can choose which features you want included. Basic plans start at $30 and coverage is adequate. They offer "Lifeline" plans.

STRATA NETWORKS
The wireless division of the Uintah Basin Telephone Association, now known as Strata Networks, covers northeastern Utah around Vernal and surrounding areas of Wyoming and Colorado. They offer additional Local coverage in an "Extended" area. Their own cellular system has good coverage and offers free Long Distance. They have many plans including a $20 "Security" plan, National plans with no roaming charges, and Local and National "Unlimited" plans. Some plans are very generous with some helpful add-ons. They offer a good selection of phones including smart phones and air cards. They have a promotion to pay your Early Termination Fee if you leave your current wireless provider while still under contract.
Strata Network's Wireless Coverage Map
Strata Network's Extended Local Wireless Coverage Map.

SYRINGA WIRELESS
This small carrier is a combination of local PCS carriers and co-op telephone companies in SE Idaho and western WY. They offer Local, Regional and National plans, but they are a bit overpriced when any extra-minute features are added. They have a $20 plan as well as Unlimited plans. Coverage is good through their home area. They are very local so customer service is above average. The company is named after the Idaho state flower.

THUMB CELLULAR
Thumb has good coverage and plans that start as cheap as $20. They offer Local, Michigan Statewide, and National plans, but they don't offer many minutes for the money compared to larger carriers. They have a Local Unlimited plan with various levels of roaming minutes available as an add-on. Mobile to Mobile minutes apply only in the local Thumb service area.

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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UBET WIRELESS
UBET Wireless and the UBTA-UBET Telephone Cooperative have changed their name to Strata Networks.

UNICEL
Most of Unicel has been purchased by Verizon Wireless who then sold or traded some areas to AT&T. Some markets have yet to be taken over by AT&T but the final transaction will take place by the end of 2010. Customers being switched to AT&T should be able to continue to use their existing handset and will get improved national coverage. Get details about the initial transaction to find out what areas are affected. Unicel areas not yet transferred to AT&T, mostly in Kansas and Minnesota, will continue to be operated as before with several competitive Local and National plans. Pros: Good coverage, Local and National plans available, reasonable plan prices. Cons: Off-Peak minutes are capped at 500 to 1,000 minutes and Mobile to Mobile is included only with Family plans, there is some uncertainty as to what AT&T will do concerning Unicel plans when they eventually take over the remaining Unicel network.
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UNITED WIRELESS
This small CDMA carrier is the wireless part of the United Telephone Company in southeast Kansas. United offers a number of phone models including Smart phones and internet routers. Their plans are slightly better than average and they appear to offer only National plans and no Unlimited. As part of the Sprint Rural Alliance, their phones roam easily on to the Sprint national network.

UNION WIRELESS
Serving Wyoming and adjacent areas of Northwest Colorado and northeast Utah, Union has very good coverage in most areas. In some they are the only game in town. They are adding new cell sites at a rapid rate. They use GSM technology and are one of the few companies offering "Telular" service, a wireless service connected to home wiring. They offer reasonable plans starting at $30 with Unlimited Text and Internet as reasonably-priced add-ons. Unlimited plans are available as well as a Calling Circle plan allowing free calls to up to 10 numbers on any network. Bundles are available. They have more roaming agreements covering a bigger footprint than any one of the large wireless carriers, with international roaming agreements with providers in many foreign countries.
Pros: It is a small company with generally good coverage and better than average customer service, they are the only carrier available in some areas of Wyoming, they offer most digital features in their monthly plans, many of which are quite generous. Cons: While their western WY and northwestern Colorado coverage is very good, coverage in the eastern half of Wyoming is limited to in-town and along interstate highways, although they are adding new sites in these areas.
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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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VIA WIRELESS
Via Wireless is part of the Wilkes Telephone Company of northern Georgia. It looks like they reluctantly offer wireless service, and it is over priced. You need to fill out a form and an agent will contact you.

VIAERO WIRELESS
Viaero is a GSM carrier that uses 800 MHz Cellular channels in eastern Colorado, and 1900 MHz PCS channels in Nebraska and Kansas. Colorado coverage is excellent, the other parts of the network are very good along most roads and in towns, but slightly weaker in some spots in between. You can request to have them build a tower near you if you can come up with enough neighbors' signatures. They offer very reasonable on-network "Unlimited" plans, including one intended for fixed location (home) use. They have discounts for people on various support programs. They're a good substitute for a wireline in most areas. They have a large number of reasonable plans including several Unlimited and 'calling-circle' plans. They now offer to pay the Early Termination Fee if you leave another carrier before your contract with them is completed. Their phones work in most areas of Mexico and Canada and they offer discount International Long Distance add-ons. Viaero does not lock their GSM phones, so they can be used with other carriers by switching the SIM making it possible to use your Viaero phone in some foreign countries. Pros: They offer lots of price points in their plans, including Local and National plans, good to excellent coverage, good customer service, many local stores. Cons: The network outside Colorado is a little more "fragile", but it beats the competition, and you can ask them to add a tower! Most promotional features are limited to their own network.

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.

WESTLINK
Westlink serves most of central and western Kansas. They are a GSM carrier using PCS frequencies and coverage is very good in populated areas and along highways. They offer a few nice phones including smart phones, and their plans are very reasonable. They offer Local, National and Unlimited plans and support Lifeline service. Some plans are expensive to add family members. As part of the local wireline co-operative their customer service is above average. Roaming coverage is impressive and they have local stores.

WUE WIRELESS
WUE Inc. owns the "B" channel license for cellular service in and around Lincoln County, Nevada. All service there is operated by Verizon Wireless. You can get all the features and plans of Verizon, but if you want a local phone number, you'll have to drive over to the Pioche, NV WUE office and sign up. They don't have a web site, but you can call them at (775)962-5161. All sites but one offer CDMA digital service, and they plan to maintain analog service for the foreseeable future, including the analog-only site near Area 51. Make sure your phone is "tri-mode" (digital & analog) if you plan travel in this area.
WUE Inc. Coverage Map

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.