Verizon "Unlimited" Internet Service - Update

[JudyJB]

Sandi, I had the same experience with Sprint about 6 years ago before I started full-timing. I was traveling out west by car and kept seeing people standing around talking on cell phones while I had no service for four whole days! I had to use hotel internet to tell my family I was not reachable by phone. So I started asking all those people what service they had, and it was Verizon. That's why I changed service when I started out RVing.

Now admittedly, I have done an awful lot of yelling on the phone at Verizon, although most of it was a couple of years ago. Things have been better recently, however.

Just don't forget that if you change to Verizon, make sure you go ONLY to corporate stores, not "Authorized Retailers." You get better and less bias towards "we will sell you something no matter what." You also have more recompense from a corporate store.

[Bethers]

No problem, but because of all of you claiming how much better Verizon was, I went to them for two years. Personally had no better service. Both have dead zones, but I have an immense dislike for Verizon after the couple years I was with them. That said, I don't recommend any other carrier than these two for travelers. Btw, Verizon cost me money... Constantly charging me for data overages back in the day. Same gig had had with AT&T and had after. Never had an overage with AT&T.

[JudyJB]

I wanted to update you all on changes with the Verizon "Unlimited Service" and my recent experiences.

If you remember, I was hesitant to change to the new unlimited plan but I had been spending about $240 per month on one phone line and two jetpacks, aka mobile hotspots. I have two because I need backups to internet access in case one died. I found out that with three lines, my new costs would be only $160 per month, which is a big savings, and also that they really did not slow your speed down when you hit the 10 gig limit per month unless you were in a built-up area. Anyway, I signed up for it and did not notice any changes in speed since last April, even when I went over the limit. (I use about 30 gig per month because of my online teaching.)

So, I recently noticed that they have changed the unlimited plan to give everyone 15 gigs per month per line of fast 4 LTE service. Yesterday was day 22 of my 30 day period, and I got a notice I was now over the limit on the jetpack I most commonly use. I was a little curious, so I did an internet search and found this link to test internet speed: https://www.google.com/search?safe=acti ... bGL3EBpA7E. (I did not know such speed tests were even available. I used the one at the top, but am checking the other speed tests to see if they match.)

Indeed, my speed had been drastically slowed down. So, I switched to my other, slightly newer, jetpack which I had not used in the past month and therefore had not reached my limit, and my speed was substantially better. I do have a fairly slow connection in this campground (only two bars of data) so I will continue to experiment with this and let you know.

[Cudedog]

I had the same experience with Sprint about 6 years ago before I started full-timing. I was traveling out west by car and kept seeing people standing around talking on cell phones while I had no service for four whole days! So I started asking all those people what service they had, and it was Verizon. That's why I changed service when I started out RVing.

Just don't forget that if you change to Verizon, make sure you go ONLY to corporate stores, not "Authorized Retailers." You get better and less bias towards "we will sell you something no matter what." You also have more recompense from a corporate store.

I have had VirginMobileUSA for several years (runs on the Sprint network). I started with them when I hit a major bump on the road to prosperity. At the time, their smart phone plan was $25/mo. Over the years, the price has gone up (now $35/mo) and the service has deteriorated. At home, there is generally one or two (or a few more!) days a week that the signal fades out altogether (not a good thing when one does not have a land line!). I do also have a $6/mo Tracphone for emergencies, so this got me through the VirginMobile outages.

After sitting around for three days at the recent Eagle Lake GTG, with absolutely ZIP cell service (the Tracphone was working through - I was careful to choose a Tracphone that runs on the Verizon network - but it is not a smartphone) and watching everyone else at the GTG doing their usual smartphone thing, I was done. Nowhere I went on my 12-day trip did I ever have a signal from VirginMobile/Sprint on my smartphone (although the Tracphone nearly always could find a signal)
.
Looked into Verizon prepaid, and found that they had a plan for $40/mo, so I am going with that.

I researched the kind of new smartphone to buy online (using the Verizon website, and various websites that review smartphones - CNET is pretty good at this), decided on the phone I wanted, and then just drove over to Target to pick it up. No messing around with the Verizon store, and their pushy salespeople!

Unfortunately, the VM smartphone is fairly new - I purchased about three months ago - it is a Samsung Galaxy J7 Perx. It was *expensive*, and I have absolutely hated it since the very first time I turned it on. Although I generally keep my smartphones until they die, I am very glad to move on from this turkey. I hope to never own a Samsung phone ever again.

The new Verizon phone is on the charger now. Although I have another week or so to go with my VM phone plan, as soon as the Verizon phone is finished charging I am going to activate it on Verizon, and cancel off of VM.

The Verizon data plan (3 gigs) is less than the data plan on VM (5 gigs), but if one isn't anywhere that they can connect in order to use the 5 gigs, what's the point? Also, VM charges an extra $15/mo if you want to create a hotspot with your phone. A hotspot is included in the Verizon price.

I'll let everyone know how it works out.

Thanks to everyone for posting all of the good info regarding Verizon on this thread.

Anne

[OregonLuvr]

As a travel nurse that traveled all over the USA I have had AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon over the years. I finally settled on Verizon as most of my nurse friends had that and had a good signal every where we went. Sprint was the absolute worst, then AT&T, and now I have had Verizon for a long time. I had no trouble getting a signal and getting on the internet when we were camping at Eagle Lake until the last day when I believe the internet had issues because none of us could get on.

I have the unlimited plan also and have not been slowed down ever but I have not been in the big cities (I avoid them LOL) I am going to eastern Oregon for 2 weeks so will be interesting to see how my signal fares.

[Bethers]

I'm unlimited with AT&T. Had horrendous problems with Verizon. But I say that if traveling often, only AT&T and Verizon are worth it. That said Linda went with one of the Wal-Mart phones... Goes off all the major networks and is cheap. If I were to change, I'd probably elect that.