Cell Phone Service on the Sunset Limited

[Dovecote]

I have friends traveling on the Sunset Limited tomorrow from New Orleans to California. They were wondering how the cell phone service will be on the trip. Can anyone provide info on this?

 

[Bob Dylan]

Hate to sound like a lawyer but it depends!

Generally out on the Western Desert there aren't many people outside of cities so the cell towers are around the population centers and along the Interstates!

West Texas is especially bad in this regard Between San Antonio and El Paso! Other factors such as their Carrier (Verozion seems to do well overall and AT&T is second best! Sprint (my carrier!) Seems to have the worst rural service!

In California from LAX to Palm Springs, around Maricopa and Tuscon in AZ its good service! Also in Louisiana from NOL-LCH and Orange to Houston to San Antonio (along the IH-10 Corridor)there is pretty good service!

One more consideration is that along the Mexican Border (El Paso and Del Rio especially) the Phones seem to Roam to the Mexican Towers and you are charged International Roaming rates!(happened to me with Sprint several times!)

 

[Devil's Advocate]

In my experience the Sunset Route has very flaky cellular service. Doesn't seem to matter if it's Sprint, AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile (I've had them all at one time or another). My advice is to use text messaging for most of your communication and to plan any calls or data use for when you're stopped in a city or town. The positive side of this is that your employer can't bug you with constant calls when you're riding the Sunset Limited.

 

[the_traveler]

One more consideration is that along the Mexican Border (El Paso and Del Rio especially) the Phones seem to Roam to the Mexican Towers and you are charged International Roaming rates!(happened to me with Sprint several times!)

That's exactly what I was going to point out!

I have AT&T, and when using the cell & internet near ELP, it was picket up by a tower in Mexico - and I got charged international roaming charges! What I do now is when the train is very near the border (especially around ELP) I turn roaming off!

 

[Dovecote]

Thanks for the responses. I forwarded the information to my friends and they appreciated the information. It will be their first Amtrak trip. Hope it goes well!

 

[TinCan782]

Hate to sound like a lawyer but it depends!

Generally out on the Western Desert there aren't many people outside of cities so the cell towers are around the population centers and along the Interstates!

West Texas is especially bad in this regard Between San Antonio and El Paso! Other factors such as their Carrier (Verozion seems to do well overall and AT&T is second best! Sprint (my carrier!) Seems to have the worst rural service!

In California from LAX to Palm Springs, around Maricopa and Tuscon in AZ its good service! Also in Louisiana from NOL-LCH and Orange to Houston to San Antonio (along the IH-10 Corridor)there is pretty good service!

One more consideration is that along the Mexican Border (El Paso and Del Rio especially) the Phones seem to Roam to the Mexican Towers and you are charged International Roaming rates!(happened to me with Sprint several times!)

Pretty much describes my experience with Sprint between LA and San Antonio. Did a lot of roaming but, doesn't matter with my plan. Didn't experience any international roaming while near the border.

 

[Acela150]

Who needs a cell phone on a train trip?? Put em away turn em off and enjoy the ride!!

 

[the_traveler]

Who needs a cell phone on a train trip??

Those who want to read AU? :giggle:

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Pretty much describes my experience with Sprint between LA and San Antonio. Did a lot of roaming but, doesn't matter with my plan. Didn't experience any international roaming while near the border.

I receive warning texts that I've connected to a foreign tower located in Mexico on most of my Sunset Limited trips. I would be careful since international roaming can be obscenely expensive. Anybody remember the article about the $60,000 AT&T bill? That's not a joke. What's annoying is that after you get the warning message you don't receive another message when you're back on US towers again.

Who needs a cell phone on a train trip?? Put em away turn em off and enjoy the ride!!

Those who need to be reachable?

Texas is an "at will" state so if I just turn everything off I can say hello to the unemployment line.

 

[Acela150]

Who needs a cell phone on a train trip??

Those who want to read AU? :giggle:

I'll tell you this much Dave, the fews times I've been on a LD train I use my laptop to watch movies after the sun goes down and you can't see anything. But AU is the furthest thing from my mind when I'm on a LD train. NEC trip.. I'm connected with Wifi so I'll check in.

 

[the_traveler]

That's how a few years ago "the_traveler has left PDX" thread played out!

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I'll fire myself if I ever lose touch with myself.

 

[TinCan782]

Now that I think about it, I've got international roaming disabled unless I specifically need it. Domestic roaming not a problem.

 

[chakk]

AT&T's current cell phone coverage map at http://www.att.com/maps/partner.html shows that nearly all of the route of the SL is now covered with moderate to good service. But of course there will be localized gaps in some of the hillier terrain.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

AT&T's current cell phone coverage map at http://www.att.com/maps/partner.html shows that nearly all of the route of the SL is now covered with moderate to good service. But of course there will be localized gaps in some of the hillier terrain.

So far as I can tell those maps aren't based on real world experience. Unless you're in a city or near a major highway you're probably not going to see anything resembling good service. AT&T can't even manage moderate to good service at their own AT&T center here in San Antonio. If I were you I'd take anything that company says with a grain of salt. Fans of Amtrak should also keep in mind that AT&T is one of the largest funders of anti-rail Tea Party folks.