Cellular Carrier Network Reports
Mountain Wireless presents a comprehensive report of wireless and cellular networks across the US. This is information gained from personal experience, user interviews, press releases, advertising material, newsgroups and wireless web sites. This list includes all US carriers that we research. To narrow your search, choose your State on our Wireless State Map. For Ratings of these carriers, Click Here.

AIRFIRE MOBILE
This small GSM carrier offers Unlimited calling from their own network, mostly through the southern half of Wisconsin. Coverage is good along major highways and fair in urban areas. They also offer a reasonable National Unlimited plan. Their phone selection is small but they welcome 'unlocked' GSM phones and will supply you with a SIM. They don't seem to support data services.

AIRPEAK
The Airpeak cellular service area is limited to the extreme southeastern corner of California with some service across the river to Yuma, AZ. They primarily function as a 2-way radio service that's also combined with iDEN cellular. Their 2-way service covers a large area across California but cellular only works around the Imperial Valley. Airpeak survives by super-serving their business clients, so you need to talk to one of the representatives and 'negotiate' a plan. Plans are pricey for such limited cellular coverage, and there is no cellular roaming .

ALASKA CELLULAR CARRIER REPORT
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 Report.

ALLTEL WIRELESS
The "old" Alltel has been split into several pieces and sold to different companies. The carrier now known as Alltel Wireless is operated by Atlantic Tele-Network (ATN), the parent company of several North American cellular systems. Alltel continues to offer creative and competitively-priced plans including National, Unlimited and prepaid plans. CDMA coverage, both on and off their own network is excellent. Customer service should continue to be good and most Alltel stores in ATN areas will remain, however, Alltel stores outside of the new Alltel service area will no longer be available. You will still be able to use your Alltel phone across the country with excellent coverage and reliable data service. Roaming is available on most cruise ships. Alltel plans are very generous but most features incur higher fees including Text Messaging. Their "My Circle" and "Free Fridays" features actually reduce the weekly number of minutes you need.

Pros: ATN will continue to use the Alltel name and has kept Alltel plans. We expect any changes to be minimal and should not cause any operational problems. You will have very good coverage, good customer service, a fairly advanced network and excellent roaming capabilities. In most cases you'll be dealing with the same Alltel people as before, including Chad. You'll be able to use your Alltel phone across most of the country and get excellent coverage and reliable data service including while roaming. Alltel offers generous and creative plans, a good selection of phones and good broadband service.

Cons: Wireless Internet roaming off the Alltel network is limited to 50%. Anything greater will result in wireless Internet service being discontinued. Some Alltel stores have been closed requiring you to either travel farther for in-store service or use online service only. The uncertainty of the transition to another company may hold some surprises, but for most customers, service should improve, some features incur extra charges.
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ALL WEST WIRELESS
All West is a small local wireline co-op east of Salt Lake City that also offers wireless service in northeast Utah and southwest Wyoming. They offer unlimited calling within their Local coverage area which includes the service areas of several other nearby wireless co-ops, but not in Salt Lake City itself. Statewide and nationwide roaming is available, but it's not Unlimited. Mobile to Mobile and Night & Weekend minutes apply in your Local area only. They have a good selection of phones including a few Smart phones. They offer Bundle discounts with their Internet, video and wireline services. They support Lifeline services.

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.
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AT&T
AT&T has a large GSM network, but in the west, have a lot less developed spectrum than in the rest of the country. That has improved with AT&T's acquisition of Alltel Wireless in 76 markets in the western US. They converted most former Alltel sites to 3G GSM. Some ex-Alltel customers noticed significant changes in coverage with the loss of CDMA roaming partners. With GSM technology, AT&T roams more readily internationally, but there are areas in the US with no GSM coverage. AT&T's takeover of other cellular networks has improved their service in some areas already, including Alaska. AT&T offers a large 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 are increasing data capacity instead of adding cell sites in older areas. They have added "4G" coverage in a handful of markets and will upgrade most of the network in the near future. 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 on the AT&T network. It has overloaded their system resulting in dropped calls, interrupted data and slower service. This situation is improving with the defection of some iPhone users.

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 very 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. Some customers who have been transferred from other networks have noticed substantial changes in coverage, mostly while roaming.
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BIG SKY MOBILE
This GSM carrier is offering cellular service in Bozeman, Montana. They have Local Unlimited plans offered at a low price and no contracts are required. They hope to expand across the state and currently suffer from having limited GSM roaming available. They offer a small number of phone models with no smart phones. Their enhanced voice mail is included with your plan.

BLANCA TELEPHONE WIRELESS
Based in Alamosa, Colorado, Blanca is part of the local telephone carrier, Blanca Telephone Company. They have good CDMA coverage in Costilla and Conejos Counties, however, they only offer Voice service, no Text or Data. Blanca Wireless is mostly used where there is no wireline service available, at the same price. They only offer one basic phone and it will work outside of the home area, mostly roaming on Verizon Wireless. Alternatively, you could roam on the Blanca network for free if you have a Verizon Wireless plan from 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, but Text and Data are not available. A better alternative is to program your existing phone's 2nd "NAM" to Blanca's network. They offer some "bundles" packaged with other communications services through Jade Communications.
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 many digital features, just the basics, including voice mail. They only offer one basic phone, no Smart phones and no Data or Text support. Roaming fees, while reasonable, are not predictable, they are extra, charged by the minute, and the rate varies.
Blanca Wireless Coverage map

BLUEGRASS CELLULAR
Bluegrass is located in central Kentucky and 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, part of which is 3G, and they offer generous plans. Their cheapest plans don't include Mobile to Mobile calls. Their Local Unlimited plan is overpriced but it includes an additional bucket of 600 monthly National minutes. As part of the local telephone cooperatives, they have better than average customer service.
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BLUE WIRELESS
This small CDMA system serves several cities across upstate New York and northwest and north central Pennsylvania. They offer Unlimited Talk and Text service with a small number of phone models. They do not yet support smart phones or web browsing. Plans start as low as $18 but if you want any features like Text, Long Distance calling or Voice Mail, you'll need to pay more. Each plan includes a few, very few, National roaming minutes. Unlimited roaming is available in a handful of large markets. Coverage within their own service areas seems to be fairly good.

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 generous 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 offering service to people and businesses who operate 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, including satellite communications geared to petroleum installations. Broadpoint operates what was formerly the Petrocom network in the Gulf.

CTC WIRELESS
CTC Wireless is the cellular service provided by the Cambridge Telephone Company of Cambridge, Idaho. CTC offers their own wireless service in Cambridge and surrounding small towns, but in places like Boise, where they offer wireline service, they offer wireless only as a re-seller of Verizon Wireless. CTC's own plans are expensive but include National service. They offer a small selection of new phones including Smart phones with inventory changing weekly. Customer service is very good. CTC formerly shared the name of Snake River PCS which is a totally unrelated carrier in Oregon.

CAPROCK CELLULAR
Caprock's wireless service has been sold to AT&T.

CAROLINA WEST WIRELESS
Good Local coverage in their service area of western North Carolina. They offer National plans that are priced about average, with Local and National Unlimited plans with roaming add-ons available, and a low-use plan for $20. They have a good selection of CDMA phones including Smart phones and air cards.

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 "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. Many features are extra on the lowest-priced plans. They also support broadband services and offer a long list of sophisticated CDMA phones including Smart phones. They offer Lifeline plans.

CELLULAR ONE OF EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS
This Cellular One has good GSM coverage in their Illinois service area. Their plans are overpriced but you can can get Nationwide service and Unlimited Talk, Text or Data minutes. They have Calling Circle plans with up to 20 numbers on any network. Their Unlimited Nights & Weekends start at 7pm and incoming Text Messages are free. Their Unlimited features apply nationally but your usage must be 50% or more within your Local coverage area. They have a few holes in roaming coverage in the rural west. They offer a large selection of phone models including Smart phones. They support Lifeline service but at an abnormally high rate.

CELLULAR ONE OF EAST TEXAS
Cellular One of East Texas has merged with Cellular One/MTPCS. Customers will still deal with the East Texas name for the foreseeable future.

CELLULAR ONE OF NORTHEAST ARIZONA
Cellular One has the best, or only coverage among the Native American lands along the northeast Arizona and northwest New Mexico border with additional coverage in the extreme southeastern corner of Utah. They are upgrading as well as adding new GSM 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 Calling Circle-type 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, but this may be dated info, 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 including Smart phones.

CELLULAR ONE-SAN LUIS OBISPO
Cellular One has been acquired by AT&T.

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 and a "Create Your Own" plan with no contract. 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, Call Waiting, etc., are extra on most plans and there aren't many phones to choose from. They claim 3G service but don't support Smart phones. Even though their name includes "Texoma", they do not serve Oklahoma customers.

CELLULAR SOUTH
Cellular South has changed their name to C Spire Wireless.

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

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. While incoming calls are free, Mobile to Mobile and Off-Peak minutes are extra on their cheapest plans, and Mobile to Mobile calls are limited to their own 7-county area. 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 adequate. They have Unlimited plans which are priced a little high. They offer "Lifeline" service (based on support programs) but they are expensive.

CHOICE WIRELESS
Choice serves rural customers in Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico, and the US Virgin Islands, with Local and National "Unlimited" plans at a fixed price, starting at $30 a month. They use CDMA phones, they have excellent coverage, and their Local 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. Since you pay in advance there are no credit checks or contracts, and they offer a pay-per-day plan. Some areas support 3G broadband. Choice is expanding across the US and welcomes customers who qualify for Free LifeLine service.

CINCINNATI BELL WIRELESS
Cincinnati Bell has a nice wireless company associated with the local wireline carrier. They have good coverage across their southwest Ohio/northwest Kentucky/southeast Indiana area. They have generous plans starting at $30 with national roaming on AT&T, "Calling Circle" plans and an Unlimited plan with optional Unlimited calling to other Cincinnati Bell customers, wireless or wireline, from anywhere. 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 claims their 3G wireless is "faster" than AT&T's. Cincinnati Bell has a good selection of phones that are often offered at very good prices and they are able to offer bundles with wireline, Internet and TV.

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 fast broadband service, 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 is available in limited areas and you can use it for your mobile or home data needs as long as you are within their coverage. Currently their coverage is limited to populated areas and often does not work in a moving, mobile environment. Clear's service is also being offered by other communications companies like Sprint, Comcast, Time-Warner, Google and others, usually under their own brand name. There is no 4G off-network roaming service available, however, some equipment offers 3G roaming on the existing Sprint 3G network. Clear provides service with home modems, Voice over IP, USB modems for mobile devices, or a WiMAX-ready laptop. Clear has reported financial challenges which have halted their expansion plans.

CLEARTALK
Cleartalk serves small communities in the state. If you live within their coverage, you'll be doing business with locals. They offer most of the features of an all-digital system, but no data. They have a large variety of Unlimited plans starting at $25 with add-ons for Calling features, Long Distance and Nationwide coverage available. Most roaming is provided by Sprint.. Their phone selection is fairly small.

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 also owns Alltel Wireless and Choice Wireless which combines their coverage with Commnet's. Commnet's 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 sign up with a carrier that allows roaming on Commnet. They are also known by other names, and their sites offer a 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. In most cases, you'll have no idea you're using a Commnet site, but that may change.
Commnet Coverage Maps

CORR WIRELESS
Corr has been acquired by Cellular South. For now, Corr Wireless will continue to offer GSM wireless products and services under the Corr name. Over time, Corr customers will get more advanced devices, robust plans and improved network quality. Eventually Corr customers will be integrated into the Cellular South network. They have a wide selection of phones including Smart phones. Currently, their plans are relatively generous including Unlimited and Nationwide plans. They support Lifeline customers.

C SPIRE WIRELESS
C Spire is the former Cellular South serving Mississippi, greater Memphis, and parts of Alabama and the Florida panhandle. 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 CDMA phones including the Apple iPhone, and they have good customer service. Most of their network is 3G. They also offer a unique batch of consumer-oriented benefits that help integrate your wireless devices, plans and features for both customers and non-customers.

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 sometimes become overloaded. All plans now feature "Nationwide" service through roaming partners, which includes Unlimited Talk & Text but not for wireless modems. Roaming partners include the Sprint CDMA network and the Mexico CDMA network. Cricket is still adding coverage in their own markets. You can use Cricket to replace a home wireline. Plans start in the $30's. Cricket also offers reasonable Unlimited Broadband access which is limited to their own network, and supplies a USB modem that plugs in to your laptop. Cricket has several additional features including Unlimited calls to Mexico. They also can provide an incoming number in a foreign country for free calls from that country to your Cricket phone. Cricket now offers their wireless service "nationwide" with an agreement to use the Sprint 3G network in non-Cricket markets.

Pros: Talk as much as you want, no contract, most data & digital services are included, good 3G Broadband service, Unlimited Talk and Text coverage that includes all US metro markets and several rural areas, voice roaming in Mexico is available as low as .25/minute.

Cons: You must pre-pay, broadband access is limited to the Cricket network, expect some dropped calls when circuits are busy. Their pay-as-you-go plans are only available up to one month at a time. Roaming is required in many major markets. Off-network usage is limited and excessive roaming may cause account termination. Accessing Cricket's customer service takes longer than average.
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CUSTER TELEPHONE CELLULAR
Custer Cellular in ID has merged with Syringa Wireless.

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 modest selection of GSM phones with just a few Smart phones, and they support Fixed Wireless service for your home phone.

EINSTEIN WIRELESS
Einstein is now known as Airfire Mobile.

ELEMENT MOBILE
Element took over the Alltel CDMA network in central Wisconsin, located roughly along I-39 between Wisconsin Dells and Wausau. Their transition from Alltel has not been smooth with thousands of customers claiming lost features, non-functioning phones, billing errors and more. Their plans include nationwide roaming with Unlimited Talk, Text and Web available. They offer "calling circle" plans and Smart phone support. We think their own plans are overpriced. They have a large selection of phones and their coverage may be among the best in the area and for now, their out-of-market roaming capabilities are good. The problems with the transition of customers from Alltel gives us concern. Customers who choose to escape Element should have a better experience as a returning customer. Other than coverage, we can find little to differentiate Element from the competition. How they responded to their transition problems may give us hint of how they might treat customers in the future and so far it has been disappointing.

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 moderate selection of phones including Smart phones. Because Epic plans don't normally require a contract, they don't subsidize the cost of phone resulting in some high prices for certain phone models. They offer Lifeline plans and bundled discounts. They are related to EpicTouch that offers Internet and other advanced communication services, part of the Elkhart Telephone Company. We expect customer service to be above average.

ETEX WIRELESS
Etex is located in the east Texas area around Gilmer with very good CDMA coverage. While their plans are reasonable, extra charges can add up. They offer plans with National and Regional coverage, Unlimited Voice and Text plans, and special plans for Teens and Seniors. 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 charges.

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 including a Nationwide plan and they are overpriced for the area served. Prices 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. The Five Star cellular stores continue to operate under the old name and can also handle services for West Central and Right 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 apply nationally. They have very good coverage within most of their service area which includes parts of Yosemite Park. They have a good 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 Local Coverage Map.

ILLINOIS VALLEY CELLULAR
Illinois Valley serves a small rural area south and west of Chicago with very good 3G coverage. They offer 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. They have a moderate selection of CDMA phones include Smart phones.

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 plans to upgrade the network, there are no local stores, and all information calls are answered 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. We have no reports about their coverage other than they use the superior 850 MHz channels. If it's as good as expected, this is a very good deal. They have a small selection of phones and also offer an even more economical "Senior" plan.

INLAND CELLULAR
A small company serving southeast Washington and north central Idaho. They have reasonably-priced plans but both their Local and National Unlimited plans are overpriced. Their other 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. They have a large selection of CDMA devices including Smart phones. 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: Additional Family Plan members are pricey.

I WIRELESS
This is Iowa's affiliate of T-mobile. Coverage is good in most of their service area. 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. Their Prepaid plans are not as versatile as T-Mobile's. Most iWireless native coverage is in the eastern, central and northwestern parts of the state, with Des Moines served 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
iSmart is now known as Big Sky Mobile.

LAMAR COUNTY CELLULAR
AT&T has agreed to acquire Lamar County Cellular. Nobody answers the phone at Lamar, so we will assume they have closed their doors and AT&T is already offering service in the area.

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. They also conduct business as NMobile. 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 northwestern Iowa with Local service extending across the border into Nebraska, Minnesota and South Dakota. 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.

METROPCS
MetroPCS is a 'flat rate' CDMA carrier available in 14 US metro areas. They offer unlimited minute wireless coverage for one price including Text Messaging, but their own coverage area is limited. They have roaming agreements which provide Unlimited service in most other areas of the country. For the price, it may work well for you, or your family. Plans start at $40 per month and Family plans are cheaper than average. All plans include Unlimited Web access. Metro PCS allows "unlocked" CDMA phones from other sources to be activated on their network. They have some useful options like fixed-rate calling to Mexico and a Group Ring for families. They have a good selection of phones including Smart phones. They are slowly expanding 4G coverage. Metro will accept phones from other CDMA carriers. We have never been able to talk to a MetroPCS customer service representative. They have tried to configure their auto-response features to address customer questions and problems which we have found lacking. Metro claims this is "to keep costs low", but we don't like having the option at all.
Pros: Talk as much as you want, and they have all the digital features, off-network roaming is available, most of it unlimited, they have an all-3G/4G network.
Cons: You must pre-pay, roaming is not available outside the US. With this type of non-contract carrier phone prices are higher. They are still growing so there are still some areas with poor coverage. Many features are not included in the cheapest plans, customer service rarely involves a human to speak with, and we have found the agents at many MetroPCS stores are often unable to help with our inquiries.
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MID RIVERS WIRELESS
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 offer Local and Regional plans, all Home area calls are Unlimited, and Regional plans include the Nemont Wireless territory as your Home calling area. Their calling plans are a little overpriced but they include various amounts of Roaming service. The first incoming minute is Free on all plans, but Long Distance charges may apply. They are part of the 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. They offer Lifeline plans. There are extra charges for each different feature like Caller ID, Voice Mail, and Long Distance.

MID-TEX CELLULAR
Mid-Tex has been acquired by West Central Wireless. The Mid-Tex stores continue to operate under the old name and also handle services for West Central and Right Wireless.

MOBI PCS
Mobi is Hawaii's own 'home-grown' carrier. They offer various levels of Unlimited service with prices starting at $37. Their CDMA network uses the more "fragile" PCS frequencies and coverage is limited to the more populated areas and highways on most of the main islands. Mainland US roaming is available as an add-on item. Independent surveys show a high level of customer satisfaction which we expect from a local carrier. They offer a relatively large number of phones and an all-3G network.

MOBILE NATION
Located in rural Tennessee between Nashville and Memphis, MobileNation offer a Wireless "Club" you join with the hopes that it gets you lower wireless costs.We don't think their plans are any cheaper than average and their data charges are higher. They have a moderate selection of CDMA phones. Roaming service is currently limited to the Sprint network with a promise that nationwide roaming will be available some day. They claim 3G phones but don't claim 3G service in their home area.

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. Features like Caller ID, 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 good coverage on their 850 MHz CDMA network with all the digital features available. They offer several plans including Unlimited, Local and National plans. Mobile to Mobile and Night and Weekend minutes are limited to their own network, most plans are little overpriced. Mohave does not offer normal Prepaid plans but do offer a no-contract rate at $5 more per month over their regular plans.
Pros: Very personal service, good coverage within their service area, a good number of plans, and digital features.
Cons: They have a limited selection of phone models, given the large area of unoccupied territory there are some coverage holes, but they have added some new urban sites, their Mobile-to-Mobile and Night & Weekend 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 and all include Long Distance and Nationwide Roaming. They offer Unlimited plans and bundle discounts with their other telecommunications services. Plans start as low as $10. 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
Nex-Tech aimed for CDMA coverage in every western Kansas town "with more than 300 people," and are close to that goal. They are a partnership of several local telephone co-ops so we would expect customer service to be above average. Coverage is surprisingly good for a PCS system. They may have coverage where other carriers have none. They have Local, Regional and Nationwide plans, they're priced about average with features that include roaming on the Sprint network or total Nationwide roaming. Mobile to Mobile and Off-peak coverage is limited to the Nex-Tech and Sprint networks but includes calls to Kansas Verizon Wireless customers. They have a Calling Circle plan that allows Unlimited calls to 5 to 20 numbers on any network. Nex-Tech's Prepaid plans are a good deal and include Unlimited calling all across their own network and the Sprint nationwide network. They offer a large selection of phones including Smart phones, they have several retail locations, and offer numerous promotions. While they offer local coverage along I-70 in Colorado, they are not soliciting Colorado customers.

NEMONT WIRELESS
The Nemont Telephone Cooperative provides CDMA wireless service in northeast Montana and northwest North Dakota surrounding Minot. They have good coverage across their area. They offer reasonably-priced National plans although off-peak and Mobile to Mobile features do not apply off their network. They have very inexpensive Local and Unlimited plans limited to their own coverage area. They may still have some analog sites. As part of the local telephone cooperative you can expect better than average customer service. They have a small selection of phones and do not support Smart phones. They only have 1 retail outlet in North Dakota located in Williston.

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 and quality varies by market. They cover urban areas and some interstates, but there is little roaming elsewhere in the state. They have an efficient 'walkie-talkie' 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. and will turn off the current iDEN service in 2013 and use the 800 MHz channels for Sprint CDMA service. Some Boost Mobile handsets use the Nextel network and is a good option for Unlimited Voice and Text. For as long as it lasts, Nextel offers international roaming in a handful of other countries in North and South America, including Mexico, some with Free Internet access.
Pros: The Direct Connect is a handy 'walkie-talkie' service, they have 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. Many new Nextel customers are being giving Sprint-branded phones, so you may not be using the network you think you are. The Nextel network will be converted to CDMA by 2013.
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NMOBILE
NMobile is another name for Leaco Wireless of New Mexico (hence the "NM"). There is no difference among plans, phones or the network. Some Leaco stores have the NMobile name outside, instead.

NNTC WIRELESS
NNTC is 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. Nationwide coverage is available and their primary roaming partner is Sprint. 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. They have a small but useful selection of phones.
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 offer a $6 "Youth" plan to get you kids started with wireless econimically. 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
NTelos is local CDMA carrier serving Virginia and West Virginia with extended coverage into parts of Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina and Ohio. They have good coverage along highways and within urban areas but not between those areas. They have a large selection of phones including Smart phones. They have a large number of plans, starting at a lower price point than other carriers, with generous National plans. They have Unlimited plans that are priced based on various levels of Voice, Text, Data and Web with Unlimited coverage available over most of the urban US. Voice and Text plans offer roaming coverage over most of the US, They claim "all-3G" local service.

NVC
NVC offers various communications products as part of the The James Valley Telecommunications and Northern Valley Communications companies, centered on the town of Aberdeen, South Dakota. They took it upon themselves to improve cellular service in their area by building their own CDMA network. They offer wireless plans with unlimited calls in their local area and a certain number of roaming minutes for a reasonable price. They offer a surprisingly broad selection of phones, operate a fairly sophisticated cellular network, and offer bundle discounts with their other telecommunications products. They support LifeLine plans. Local folks usually mean better than average customer service.

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 small selection of CDMA phones. They are part of the Peoples Telephone Cooperative, so we expect customer service to be better than average.

PHOENIX COMMUNICATIONS
Phoenix is the cellular service for the Oklahoma Western Telephone Company, which is located in southeast Oklahoma. They offer a large selection of plans that include National roaming. Communication bundles are available. They have very few phone choices and no information on their web site.

PINE BELT WIRELESS
Pine Belt is a CDMA carrier and a part of the Pine Belt Telephone Company. they have good coverage in the west central counties of Alabama. They offer Local, Regional, National and Unlimited plans which are overpriced for the areas included. Plans start as low as $20. They have a very small selection of phones, most of them are overpriced. They offer the Motorola "bag phone" which has higher power.

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 CELLULAR
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 entire states of Oklahoma and Kansas. They have a large selection of phones, including Blackberry, but not from many manufacturers. They have a large number of generous plans, including Unlimited. 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. They are part of the local communications cooperative, so we expect better than average customer service. Don't confuse Pioneer Cellular with Pioneer Communications of Kansas which operates Westlink Wireless.
Pioneer Wireless Coverage

PLATEAU WIRELESS
Plateau 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 current rate plans all require a GSM phone. Their coverage is good with some isolated dead spots near populated areas. There are a few towns where Plateau is the only cellular service available. They offer Local, 5-state Regional, and National plans. We find their plans are a bit overpriced but with a roaming rate of only .10 per minute you can subscribe to a lower-priced Local plan and roam outside the area at a reasonable price. Plans start as low as $20/month although not all features are included with the cheaper plans. They have a reasonably large selection of phones including Smart phones. Plateau is operated with several local telephone cooperatives which normally yields better than average customer service.

POCKET WIRELESS
Pocket Wireless in Texas has been acquired by Cricket Wireless. The Pocket network in Connecticut and Massachesetts has been taken over by MetroPCS.

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. They will activate phones that did not originate from their network, but support for these "flashed" phones is iffy. We found a few reports of on-network signal problems and below-average customer service.
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RIGHT WIRELESS
Right Wireless is the prepaid service offered by West Central Wireless in west Texas and is available at any of their affiliated stores.

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 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 CDMA 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 a few coverage 'holes', some of their plans are overpriced, we can't access their web site.

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 complicated. 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 good selection of GSM phones including Smart 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.

SNAKE RIVER PCS
Snake River PCS is part of the Eagle Telephone Company of Richland, OR. Their own wireless network extends into nearby towns and along surrounding highways. Other areas are served by roaming partners which are available with "Travel Minutes". They have a small and dated selection of phones and do not support Smart phones. Their plans are priced similarly to their wireline services and start with an economical "mini-plan" with a number of a la carte add-ons including additional National Travel Minutes. Eagle Telephone is small enough to have live people answer the phone and are quite helpful. The old web site for Snake River PCS is still active but is not related. Another network used the Snake River name but is now known as CTC Wireless.

SOUTH CENTRAL COMMUNICATIONS
South Central Communications in Utah no longer offers cellular service and has turned off most of its wireless network.

SOUTHERNLINC
An iDEN carrier similar to Nextel with reasonable plans. They have good coverage across Alabama, Georgia, parts of Mississippi and the Florida panhandle. They have an efficient walkie-talkie feature. They have Unlimited plans that can be tailored to your usage based on different levels of Talk, Text and Push-To-Talk. They have a good selection of phones including Smart phones, and a large number of plans. "Nationwide" plans are available, but roaming coverage outside their home area is very limited...mostly major cities and highways. They offer services and plans favorable to businesses and families. Even though their coverage is good, they can provide "high-power" phones for really difficult situations.

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 on other systems. 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 and others. If you are considering Sprint 4G service, keep in mind they use a completely separate network for 4G coverage supplied in partnership with Clear Wireless. Therefore, having good local Sprint Voice/Text or 3G data coverage is no guarantee of adequate 4G coverage.
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 in most areas of the country.
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, 4G coverage uses a different frequency band and network than other Sprint coverage, Unlimited plans do not include unlimited usage while roaming, except for "Simply Everything" plans.
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SPROCKET WIRELESS
Sprocket is a small GSM carrier serving the east central part of Oklahoma just south of Tulsa. They offer National, Regional and Prepaid plans which are average-priced, including several flavors of Unlimited plans (which may be limited to their local area). You can choose a number of extra features at an extra fee. They have an adequate number of phone models including air cards. Coverage is adequate. They offer "Lifeline" plans.

STANDING ROCK TELECOM
Standing Rock provides CDMA cellular and fixed wireless voice, fax, data transmission and high-speed Internet services throughout the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation on the border of North and South Dakota. Standing Rock is Tribally-owned and offers the best, and often only, cellular service in the area. They have competitively-prices plans that including US roaming and Unlimited minutes. They offer discount bundles with their other telecommunications services.

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, a "Calling Circle" to any US number 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 CDMA carrier is operated by a combination of local PCS carriers and co-op telephone companies in southeast Idaho and western Wyoming. They offer plans starting as low as $20 and have plans with National coverage. They offer reasonably-priced Unlimited plans for both Local and National service. Coverage is good through their home area but somewhat limited away from major roads and towns. They are very local so customer service is above average. They support mobile data and LifeLine accounts. We don't have much information about their phones, their online presence is used more to support their local stores. The company is named after the Idaho state flower.

THUMB CELLULAR
Thumb has good coverage, and plans that range from reasonable to overpriced. Unlimited data plans are quite reasonable. They offer Local, National and Unlimited plans. Their Local Unlimited plans have various levels of roaming minutes available as an add-on. Mobile to Mobile minutes apply only in the local Thumb service area. They have a small but nice selection of CDMA phones, including smart phones.

T-MOBILE
T-Mobile works very well within their own GSM 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 major rural highways. They do offer coverage from roaming partners in rural areas, and the network is still growing, although often they're just 'filling in' already-served areas. They offer some handy features including several family-friendly services with a number of ways to control device usage. They offer a number of plans that allow you to choose between subsidized handsets and non-contract pricing. Many of their phones allow "Hot Spot" access which keeps usage costs down. They have plans that include unlimited voice and messaging, they offer nearly nationwide service with both their own network and extensive roaming agreements. T-Mobile charges extraordinarily high roaming rates outside of the US and much higher than average Long Distance charges to foreign phone numbers. Expect improving roaming capabilities with the recently failed deal with AT&T.

Pros: Generous included-minute plans, National and Unlimited plans, good urban coverage, good roaming capabilities including internationally. They offer both 3G and 4G coverage, competitive data pricing and 'hot spot' access. They have very good customer service and a very good selection of phone models. They have an excellent Prepaid plan that includes a good amount of North American roaming.

Cons: Some weak spots, limited data bandwidth in some areas, very high international roaming charges. Higher speed services require the use of higher frequency cellular bands which may restrict coverage and data roaming capabilities. There has been some reduction of voice and text roaming capabilities as some old roaming agreements expire, but we expect this to improve shortly.
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TRACFONE
Tracfone isn't an actual cellular carrier but is a major supplier of wireless phones and offers service in most areas of the state. 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. Their price points 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 some of their phones. They offer the option of having the charges deducted from your credit card or checking 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 access number, and with their International Neighbors features, they 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, including Unlimited plans, through NET10.
Pros: Coverage and Local service is 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, coverage is determined by the phone model (CDMA or GSM) which may limit your roaming coverage or phone selection, you can only use one of their phones, no roaming outside the US.
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UNICEL
Most of Unicel has been purchased by Verizon Wireless who then sold or traded some areas to AT&T.

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 priced 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. They offer WIMAX broadband service that is available at 4G speeds.

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 use GSM technology and also offer 'fixed' wireless service than can connected to home phone wiring. They offer reasonable Voice plans starting at $30, however, adding Text or Internet to those plans makes them more expensive than average. Unlimited plans are available as well as a Calling Circle plan allowing free calls to up to 10 numbers on any network, Their Prepaid plans are paid by the month, not by the minute, making them an expensive option for non-contract plans. Bundles are available. They have more roaming agreements covering a bigger footprint than larger wireless carriers, with international roaming agreements with providers in many foreign countries. They offer a large selection of phone models including Smart phones.
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.
Cons: While their western Wyoming 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 added new sites in these areas, some plans are overpriced.

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. They offer a large selection of phones including Smart phones. They have very good roaming capabilities. While their plans aren't overpriced, their price points are rather high but the extra cost gives you Unlimited Text and Data. Most of their network uses the superior 800 MHz frequency band, but in Chicago they use 1900 MHz frequencies which has more dead spots. Most of their network provides 3G coverage. They have a number of customer-friendly features like no requirements to renew contracts, free replacement phones, usage notifications and free battery swaps and accessories. Overall, they sit at the top of the Mountain Wireless Network Ratings.

Pros: Their price plans include lots of features and benefits "Unlimited" calling plans available, roaming has good coverage, including for 3G coverage and data roaming. They have very good customer service and do indeed seem to give an 'edge' to the consumer when there are problems.
Cons: Plans aren't cheap but you might be able to configure your plan to economize based on your usage.

VERIZON WIRELESS
Verizon has the largest network, geographically, in the US. They have taken over a large portion of the old Alltel network and are now dominant in rural America. Their claim to fame is superior coverage on their CDMA network, especially in the west. They use PCS frequencies 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 and now offer faster 4G service in many major cities and major airports in additional markets.

Pros: Verizon has reasonably-priced plans, "Unlimited" calling plans available, extensive coverage, wide-ranging National plans, excellent customer service and some 'customer-friendly' policies. With such a large coverage area of their own, little roaming is necessary, and their roaming partners normally have superior coverage. They offer a large variety of phones including the Apple iPhone

Cons: Some Verizon plans are a little more expensive, Customer Service closes at 11pm, but technical assistance is available 24/7. They 'cripple' some User Interface functions like larger fonts: make sure you can read their submenus before buying. They require more expensive Data plans for any data-capable phone. Some of their data services are not available while roaming. CDMA phones roam in a limited number of foreign countries but Verizon can provide a hybrid loaner phone that will work both in the US and most foreign countries.
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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 a mix of 800 and 1900 MHz channels in rural Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas and border areas of eastern Wyoming. Coverage in most areas is excellent with some holes in some remote areas. Since Viaero specializes in rural areas, they are usually the top carrier in those areas, where other carriers serve only minimally. This company is run by tekkies so coverage and operations are top-notch, often better than the local land lines. They are rapidly widening their coverage footprint, sometimes into surprising locations like the San Luis Valley and eastern Wyoming. You can even 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 several for fixed location (home) use for both voice and Internet access. They're a good substitute for a wireline in most areas. They have a large number of reasonable plans with National coverage including 'calling-circle' plans. They offer to pay the Early Termination Fee if you leave another carrier before your contract with them is completed. Their phones will roam in Mexico and Canada and they offer discount International Long Distance add-ons. Viaero does not lock their GSM phones, making it possible to use your Viaero phone with a local SIM in foreign countries. They have discounts for people on various support programs.
Pros: They offer reasonably-priced plans with convenient price points, including Local, National and Unlimited plans. Very good to excellent coverage, good customer service, local stores, good nationwide roaming, good data service.
Cons: The network can be weak in extreme rural areas, but still beats the competition in most places, and you can ask them to add a tower! Most Unlimited and some 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. West Central also operates under the Five Star Wireless and Mid-Tex Wireless brands and continues to operate the old stores under those names. Those stores can handle any of West Central's products. They also operate a Local, Unlimited prepaid wireless service under the name of Right Wireless which covers the 21-county West Central area with plans starting at around $25, also available at any of the West Central stores.

WESTLINK
Westlink serves southwest Kansas and the Oklahoma panhandle. 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. Roaming coverage is impressive and they have local stores. As part of the local wireline co-operative their customer service is above average. Westlink is operated by Pioneer Communications which is not the same as Pioneer Cellular of Oklahoma.

WUE WIRELESS
WUE Inc. owns the "B" channel license for cellular service in and around Lincoln County in central 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 may need 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) 962-5131. However, since Verizon handles all technical and customer service work, the WUE office cannot handle many customer inquiries. All WUE cell sites but one offer CDMA digital service, and they plan to maintain analog service for the foreseeable future, including an analog-only site near Area 51. You may need a "tri-mode" phone (digital & analog) to get service in that area. Wireless services are more reliable than landlines in that 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. Their plans are generous start as low as $30 for a "Local" plan that include some roaming minutes. While their "National" plans are generous, coverage does not include as many roaming partners as larger carriers, however, major highways and cities are covered. There is a 25% limit of roaming calls placed outside their home area. Nights & Weekends and Mobile to Mobile minutes are available on their own network only. They don't have much of a selection of phone models. Since they are part of the local telephone co-op, we expect customer service to be above average.