I'm active - at the cellular level
Written: Apr 24 '02 (Updated Apr 25 '02)
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Pros: Reliable service, extra features
Cons: It's still cellular service, therefore quirky at times
The Bottom Line: Verizon's wireless service works most of the time for me, and I seem to have less problems with it than others have with theirs. *Shrug*
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| counsel's Full Review: Verizon Mobile Phone Service in Houston |
I need to warn you from the outset: this may not be an entirely fair review. Since I sometimes have to install Internet servers at locations that may not otherwise have telephone service at the site, my job requires that I have the ability to contact people (to do remote testing of the installation) while I'm onsite. Roughly translated - that means my company pays part of my cellular bill. So - I have a few cool little add-on features that a typical cellular customer may not want or need, and I'm not paying the full price for it. So I like Verizon, at least around here.
Also, as I've mentioned before, I live in the flat part of Texas. Mostly, I don't like the flatlands, but when it comes to cellular service - and in particular, signal clarity - flat is where it's at. Because of that, though, I can't commiserate all that much with my contemporaries living in more interesting geographical locales; e.g., the west, or the mountainous parts of the country east of the Mississippi. Verizon has very good coverage of Houston and the surrounding area, based on my experience.
Wireless services are proliferating madly, ostensibly because some whizbang futurist thinks it is the way we all must go. Voice services are common, and staggering, tentative steps toward some sort of wireless online Internet service are being made, though the wireless demographic does not seem to share the futurist's enthusiasm about that part of his vision. While voice services are becoming more reliable, the 'Net applications are still rising on the stovetop. I don't have any of those newfangled applications just yet.
The services reliably supplied to me are: digital cellular service in my home area (negating the fear of analog cellular "cloning" which was so widespread not long ago), clear analog service outside my home area, Caller ID, Voice Mail, visual and audible voice mail notification, free roaming inside Texas, 600 free minutes per month, and, generally, clear and reliable connections. I can count on one hand the number of calls that have failed to go through in the last three months - and that's comparable to regular ground telco service.
Having said all that, cellular service is still cellular service (or "wireless" service, as sales people in revisionist moods say), no matter who your company may be. By that I mean that cellular simply sounds different than ground line communications. Digital compression - a necessary part of the cellular transmission process - imparts a "squelchy" (for lack of a better term) tone to voices, and analog cellular transmissions always have a bit of static and cut-outs, especially if you're driving and moving between obstacles such as freeway pillars and underpasses, tall buildings or thick forest. I'm not sure it's fair to rate a cellular service harshly because of industry-wide limitations in technology.
The price noted on this review also includes my wife's wireless service; we're on the same contract.
I've also been pleased with the limited encounters I've had with Verizon's technical support and customer service. Billing errors are quickly taken care of, and technical or phone setup questions are answered without too much hassle.
Overall, I have to say that, given the technological limitations, I'm very pleased with Verizon Wireless in the Houston area so far. But what do you guys think? Am I being too easy on Verizon? Comments, please.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 130/month
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Epinions.com ID:
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 - Top 1000 |
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Member: Dwight
Location: Houston
Reviews written: 117
Trusted by: 499 members
About Me:
If I smell flowers, I start looking around for a coffin.
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