On Tue, 20 Jul 2010 06:35:40 -0700, in
<4c45a626$0$22115$742ec2ed@news.sonic.net>, SMS
<scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:

>The big problem is with the prepaid services that use Sprint's native
>network exclusively. Sprint's native network is extremely limited, as
>their coverage maps show.
>
>You can see the difference between regular Sprint coverage (which
>includes roaming) and Virgin coverage (which does not) by comparing maps.
>
>"http://i31.tinypic.com/27ymjd.jpg"
>
>If you never travel to the white areas on the Virgin map (gray on the
>Sprint map) then you'd be fine on Virgin. But there are a LOT of places,
>often not all that far out into the boonies, that a Virgin phone won't
>have coverage but a Sprint phone will have coverage.
>
>I.e., drive to Yosemite National Park from San Francisco, and you'll
>lose Virgin coverage outside of Oakdale and you'll have no coverage in
>the park. On Sprint proper you'll roam onto Golden State Cellular as
>soon as you leave Oakdale, and you'll have coverage most of the way into
>the park, and good coverage in Yosemite Valley.
>
>In short, if you go with Virgin Mobile, or other prepaid providers using
>Sprint's network exclusively, you have to understand that your coverage
>will be very limited.

"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damn lies, and statistics."
-Benjamin Disraeli, as reported by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)

What actually matters to most people is coverage in non-remote areas,
which is actually good, not "very limited".

If you need good coverage in remote areas, no cell carrier is going to
provide it -- you need satallite phone (or PL.

--
John

"Never argue with an idiot. He'll drag you down to his level
and then beat you with experience." -Dr. Alan Zimmerman