[pct-l] Cell phones

[ronyon at comcast.net (Ron Smith)]

Christine,

Cell phone technology in the U.S. is hopelessly complicated. As opposed
to Europe, which has mainly GSM, we have GSM, CDMA, TDMA, and AMPS.
Where our technology does overlap (i.e., GSM), we use different
frequencies: Europe uses 900MHz and 1800MHz ranges, whereas we use
1900MHz and 850MHz. 
Another big difference between Europe and the U.S. is population
density. In Germany, cellular reception is just about everywhere,
whereas in the U.S., you will find it mainly in metro areas and on major
highways between them. Therefore, lots of white spots here, especially
along the PCT.

Now that I've presented the mess, I'll help you sort things out.
First, if your German cell phone is tri-band (i.e., supports 900MHz,
1800MHz, and 1900MHz), then it will work here, though roaming charges
may be high. (If you send me the phone model#, I can tell you if it's
tri-band). If your handset isn't tri-band, you could upgrade before you
come here. Assuming you have a tri-band handset, if you have T-Mobile in
Germany, then you can roam with Cingular and T-Mobile here. If you have
Vodafone or O2 in Germany, you can roam with AT&T, Cingular, and
T-Mobile here. If you have E-Plus in Germany, you can only roam with
T-Mobile here.

The downside of roaming with your German GSM phone is twofold. First, as
I mentioned, international roaming charges would probably be high.
Second, the GSM networks here are new and mainly located in the metro
areas and along highways, so won't provide great coverage along the PCT,
if any. The best coverage is provided by 'legacy' networks which were
originally analog (or AMPS) and many still are. To get access to these
networks, you want to have AT&T or Verizon accounts along with phones
that support these legacy networks, since AT&T and Verizon are made up
of several types of networks, whereas T-Mobile and Cingular are just GSM
(I believe this is still correct -- the network mix changes almost
daily). For phones that support both digital and analog, the phone first
tries to get a digital signal, then if failing that tries for an analog
signal.

In summary, I would suggest trying to get an AT&T or Verizon phone. Tell
the carrier that you want the best coverage possible so they will direct
you towards a dual-mode phone and plan. Be forewarned that you will have
to commit to a 1-year plan, unless you get a prepaid account. Also, you
may not be able to get a regular plan unless you have an address here.
If that fails, I would just try to make the best of roaming with your
German GSM phone.

You are welcome to email me direct if you need any more help.

Ron Smith

> From: chris G <chgeth@yahoo.de>
> Subject: [pct-l] Cell phones
> To: pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
> 
> Being from Germany I have some questions about cell
> phones in the US.
> Apparantly I need a new cell phone for the US because
> you  use triband ones that are not common in Europe.
> When I buy a new cell phone in the US what provider
> should I use for best net coverage and reception?
> Will I generally have good reception on the trail or
> are there a lot of "white spots"?
> And if an emergency happens, whom do I call? Just 911
> or is there a special number for mountain rescue?
> Thank you,
> Christine