From: malQassRimiMlation@gmail.com   
      
   On Sun, May 23, 2021 at 05:47:13PM -0000, John Levine wrote:   
      
   > According to Moderator   
   >> :   
   >> Cell phone bills too high? Here are some that start at just $10 a   
   >> month -- or $25 a month for unlimited   
      
   > That's a pretty lame list if you ask me.   
   >   
   > Tracfone offers unlimited talk+text and 1GB for $20/mo on any of   
   > AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mo.  You can bring your own phone or they will   
   > sell you anything from a really basic smartphone for $20 to an   
   > iPhone 11 for $600.  No contracts, it's all prepaid month to month.   
   >   
   > Airvoice Wireless resells AT&T, unlimited talk/text and 3GB for   
   > $20/mo, prepaid.  Or for an emergency phone, for $13 you can get 100   
   > min good for 90 days.   
      
   Here's the problem from my perspective: I was warned, by people I   
   trust, that only Verizon has a viable network in this part of North   
   Carolina. The advice was from fellow Amateur Radio operators who work   
   in the cellular industry: they have no ax to grind AFAICT.   
      
   Since my income was dependent on reliable cell service before I   
   retired, I got a Verizon account, which was reliable on the roads I   
   travelle - but I then discovered that my house is located in a black   
   hole where UHF radio frequencies go to die. In order to make my phone   
   work while I was at home, I had to buy a VoIP converter, which is a   
   micro-cellsite that connects to my (cable) Internet connection. It   
   works reliably, but I'm locked to Verizon's network so long as I'm   
   dependent on it.   
      
   Ergo, the problem: MVNO's get their connectivity from the cheapest   
   cell network provider they can find, and therefore I need to know   
   which "incumbent" network provider any MVNO I might choose is using   
   for its "physical layer," *AND* if my VoIP adapter, which is only   
   useful for Verizon's network, will allow them to connect.   
      
   I could buy a flip phone from one of the MVNO's, but I've got a flip   
   phone from Verizon that costs $30/month, and I'm leery of taking the   
   leap.   
      
   Bill   
      
   --   
   Bill Horne   
   (Remove QRM from my email address to write to me directly)   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)