Cell Phone Reception on Amtrak trains

[crescent2]

Verizon seems to have the best coverage where I live, too. I guess each area has its own best provider?

 

[JayPea]

I have Verizon and it seems to work okay for me. And yes, I know this is an old thread. So there! :lol:

 

[Ryan]

veryzon and sprint suck!!! i love at&t it works worldwide.

veryzon and sprint wont work over seas, that a fact!!

Not only is it not a fact, it's absolutely false. My iPhone Verizon 4S works in Europe, Asia, and some 200+ countris around the world. That's one of the reasons I chose Verizon, better US coverage and all the international coverage I need.

Yeah, but I'll bet that your veryzon phone doesn't!

 

[Bronzeman]

I agree with Ryan---there are very few areas other carriers have service and Verizon doesn't. Of the "big four" my carrier, T-Mobile, is definitely the worst but what can you expect from a carrier whose motto ought to be "fewer bars in more places."

 

[the_traveler]

I just came off a trip this week. I have AT&T and some things didn't change much over the past 2 years.

NOTE THAT THIS THREAD IS 2 YEARS OLD!

I did not have service for much of west Texas, NM and AZ on the SL, parts of CA and thru the Cascades on the CS, thru much of MT, ND and parts of MN and WI on the EB and parts of PA, WV and MD on the CL. However, as I said earlier, I am not on 24/7. Much of the time I wanted to get on, I could.

 

[alanh]

I've had good luck with Verizon as well, though west Texas has pretty much zero service on any carrier. Pretty much the only service you get is at the stops in Sanderson and Alpine.

 

[jebr]

I just came off a trip this week. I have AT&T and some things didn't change much over the past 2 years.
NOTE THAT THIS THREAD IS 2 YEARS OLD!

I did not have service for much of west Texas, NM and AZ on the SL, parts of CA and thru the Cascades on the CS, thru much of MT, ND and parts of MN and WI on the EB and parts of PA, WV and MD on the CL. However, as I said earlier, I am not on 24/7. Much of the time I wanted to get on, I could.

Do you have a 3G capable phone? AT&T got the old Alltel network in ND and much of MT, along with parts of Minnesota. However, that's only been converted for 3G capable phones in some areas.

I just find it weird because I've never had an issue with my AT&T phone along the Minnesota part of the route, and I know they've changed quite a bit in ND over the past couple years.

 

[the_traveler]

I just came off a trip this week. I have AT&T and some things didn't change much over the past 2 years.
NOTE THAT THIS THREAD IS 2 YEARS OLD!

I did not have service for much of west Texas, NM and AZ on the SL, parts of CA and thru the Cascades on the CS, thru much of MT, ND and parts of MN and WI on the EB and parts of PA, WV and MD on the CL. However, as I said earlier, I am not on 24/7. Much of the time I wanted to get on, I could.

Do you have a 3G capable phone? AT&T got the old Alltel network in ND and much of MT, along with parts of Minnesota. However, that's only been converted for 3G capable phones in some areas.

I just find it weird because I've never had an issue with my AT&T phone along the Minnesota part of the route, and I know they've changed quite a bit in ND over the past couple years.

I do have a 3G phone, but I was mostly working off my 4G iPad, which is not backwards compatible to 3G. I wish it was! :angry:

 

[AlanB]

I do have a 3G phone, but I was mostly working off my 4G iPad, which is not backwards compatible to 3G. I wish it was! :angry:

Next time tether your iPad to the phone.

 

[HiGracie]

My MetroPCS phones have poor coverage but my 3G iPad had pretty good coverage on the CZ and CL. The areas where I didn't have coverage I didn't need it as I was concentrated on the scenery. I'd like to find a mobile provider for Internet backup on my travels. I also have Comcast Xfinity at home and they seem to provide mobile hotspots though I have never used the service.

 

[the_traveler]

Most (many) cell phone providers offer service over much of the interstate highway system. If the tracks run close to the highway, most likely you may have service. Otherwise you may not.

2 examples:

• The Southwest Chief from ABQ to San Bernardino roughly follow I-40 and I-15 (with a few exceptions). Much of this route has cell phone coverage.
• The Empire Builder thru much of Montana and North Dakota operate far from the interstate. Much of this route may not have cell phone coverage.

 

[Ryan]

I do have a 3G phone, but I was mostly working off my 4G iPad, which is not backwards compatible to 3G. I wish it was! :angry:

It most certainly is... It has radios for GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz), and LTE (Bands 4 and 17).

 

[the_traveler]

Mine must be defective then. In spots, I have no service on my iPad, but I do have service on my cell phone (which is 3G).

 

[montana mike]

I travel the EB several times each year and my iPhone has connectivity perhaps 75% of the time. Yes, no service going thru Glacier National Park (about 2+ hour trek) and of course the many tunnels as well both in the Park and the two long ones west of Whitefish. The other area with poor service is a stretch from after Havre to the ND line. The service is marginal with dropped calls a possibility in this area (although it isn't totally dead, since there is service in the vicinity of each stop and when a cell tower is nearby off of US 2). Once you get to ND it's mostly good reception for the majority of the rest of the trip with the usual spots along the Mississippi river where the hills get in the way for a short period of time. When I switched from my Blackberry a little over a year ago to the iPhone things improved.

 

[TimePeace]

Was on the Downeaster today with my wifi hotspot and had continuous coverage BOS-POR with Verizon, the data was 4G and faster speeds than any of the unsecured wifi connections I was in range of over the weekend, and bothered to check...

 

[the_traveler]

I do have a 3G phone, but I was mostly working off my 4G iPad, which is not backwards compatible to 3G. I wish it was! :angry:

Next time tether your iPad to the phone. :giggle:

I tried, but it keeps running away before I catch it!

 

[George Harris]

It seems unsafe in this day and age to have a train with hundreds of lives totally out of communications in the event of trouble issues of many kinds--be it medical, crime, breakdown, or whatever. If there are spots with comm. 'dark territory', they need to be addressed. The building of cell tower, radio repeater, or even old lineside RR telephone boxes should be established. If all else fails, locomotives should be provided with Iridium satellite phones, that do not depend on landbased cell towers.

The railroads have had communications along their lines from before the deys of telephone or radio. That line of poles along tracks that used to be near universal usually carried two or three things: Western Union Telegraph, Railroad company telephone, and if the line had signals, the lines for power and control of the signal system. There would be lineside telephone boxes along the way, usually at both ends of sidings, every station, and regular points along the line. Therefore, for anytime over the last century plus, if you were on a train, you could communicate with the world without traveling more than a mile or two. The railroads were also, at least many were, early users of radio. By the 1960's it was the norm for the train crews to talk to the dispatchers on the radio, not on the lineside telephone. It has been a long time since having a train met by emergency services was a problem.
(The movie "Dark Territory" was almost completely unacquainted with railroad reality.)

 

[user 1215]

I wanna know what service Lakeysha Beard has...

 

[Ryan]

Ha! Well played.

 

[SarahZ]

My boyfriend and I both have Sprint. While on the SWC between Chicago and Albuquerque, we had 3G/4G for most of the trip and at least 2-5 bars for the rest of it. I do recall one, very brief period in the Raton Pass where my phone said "No Service", but it only lasted a few minutes.

I cannot speak for Kansas, as I usually sleep between Topeka and Garden City. I do recall waking up in Dodge City on this last trip, and I remember having 3G there. I was able to check-in on Facebook before going back to sleep.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

My boyfriend and I both have Sprint. While on the SWC between Chicago and Albuquerque, we had 3G/4G for most of the trip and at least 2-5 bars for the rest of it. I do recall one, very brief period in the Raton Pass where my phone said "No Service", but it only lasted a few minutes.
I cannot speak for Kansas, as I usually sleep between Topeka and Garden City. I do recall waking up in Dodge City on this last trip, and I remember having 3G there. I was able to check-in on Facebook before going back to sleep.

Facebook! But, but, .....