Review by jameswade 
UPDATED: 248 days ago
member for 6.7 years, 1471 visits, last login: a few hours ago
 Marshall,Madison,NC
 $45 per month (12 month contract)
 "Available in most places in the US"
 "High latency, slow, expensive, no recourse to poor service if roaming"
 "I'd stick with DSL if possible"
| Pre Sales Information:
Install process:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings below consensus)
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We are located a little North of Hot Springs, NC. Only choices for Internet access are dialup (except dialup in this area is very limited, it's usually a long distance call, and only runs at about 21k), satellite (POOR service, unreliable, latency makes VOIP and VPN unworkable), and cell phone.
We are using cell phone. Until recently we had to climb up the side of a mountain and plug in a high gain Yagi antenna to make a call or get Internet access (1xRTT - slow) . Barely! This only worked with Verizon or US Cellular. After years of requests Verizon still isn't covering the area, but US Cellular put a site in Hot Springs last year.
Fortunately Verizon roams on US Cellular because Verizon won't put in a site and US Cellular wouldn't sell me a data plan.
So now we can make phone calls and get Internet access in the cabin. Unfortunately the latency is worse than satellite Internet access! It's at about .9 to 1 second! This kills VPN and VOIP.
If you read the Terms Of Service VOIP, streaming audio or video, almost anything but email and light web surfing seems to be forbidden in the TOS.
I can only get about 80kbps up and down, I could actually live with that, but not the latency.
I can't call and complain to US Cellular because I'm with Verizon and Verizon won't cause US Cellular to fix the problem.
There are other problems:
I'm paying for EVDO, but it's not available.
While I'm using Internet access I can't use the phone, nor will it ring. I could do this with a card, but then I would have to pay another $45 for email on my phone.
While traveling I can get EVDO, but it's not all that great either - I can get around 120k, but the latency is still high.
I'm using a tethered Palm Treo 700w. Verizon told me that I could tether the phone until I bought it. Then they told me that I couldn't . I had to buy third party software to make tethering work. The phone crashes and locks up often, forcing reboots and multiple attempts to troubleshoot.
In summary, this works, but just barely, and it's expensive...
Followup comments:  astiyosti
join:2005-11-10
Asheville, NC
| why every one knows that u cant run an voip over wireless or satellite connection due to the latency before you put down an isp you need to review the product and what it capability's are before you buy.From the location you are at you will have to live with what you can get. | |
|  | | 
Jayp0411
@amlaw.com
| re: notin but trouble started an acct w/ Verizon since March. was not too bad except that its very slow. then comes April, started to get dropped constantly... been calling Tech Support at least once a month. W/ the same bull shit every time. But i thought, its temporary. Until last month, the service just went dead.
Called again, and finally scheduled a tech guy to come check out my line. Only to find out (from their own tech) that at my location, i can only get the worse than slower speed which they never bother to let me know. Anyway, after he "fixed" it, w/ everything supposedly working fine. comes later in the evening, the dsl doesn't work again!!!
Wasted half a day of my time, my pay, and all they can say is perhaps we can schedule another appointment for a tech guy to check out your line. I wonder if these people can only say whats they were told to say. After that, i just canceled the service. If i knew this is how Verizon is in the first place, i would've never bothered with it even if they only charge $5.00 per month.
Not able to provide service they promise is bad enough, having your customer call to complain for no less than 10 times and say that there is nothing they can do and there is nothing anyone else in the company can help you! man, I've got to say, they got some "top class" Customer Rep. working for them. | |
| cwire
join:2007-06-07
Bedford, KY | why is this review on dsl? your review is on verizon wireless cell service, why did you put it in as a dsl review? | |
| ydoucare
join:2003-03-12
Rensselaer, IN
edit:
September 10th, @06:37PM
| ... Where exactly is your logic behind posting this review? You're roaming on US Celluar, what part of Verizon's network are you reviewing? lol | |
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