Cell Signal

[Mrbubblemaker]

Hey all. I'd like to here everyone's opinion on what cell phone company has the strongest signal while sailing the east coast and Bahamas. The company I have now is horrible on land, I can't imagine us using it off shore.. Any constructive input will be greatly appreciated.

[Cormorant]

Verizon probably has the best coverage going down the east coast, with AT&T a close second.

But for the Bahamas you'll want a GSM phone (AT&T compatible, not Verizon CDMA). So you could either buy a cheap second phone for that, or go with AT&T and a removable SIM card so you can switch over to Batelco in the Bahamas.

[AnchorageGuy]

We use Verizon along the U.S. east coast. The only place we didn't have coverage is the south end of the Alligator River and Little Shark River on the Gulf coast. For Bahamas, BTC sim card with an unlocked GSM phone. If you don't have access to one, you can buy it on Amazon or Ebay, or even at a BTC store in the Bahamas when you buy your sim card. If your going over often, keep it. If this is your only trip, sell it to another cruiser just before you return to the states. Chuck

[El Rubio]

How far offshore do you intend to be along the coast? Cell phone carriers don't have license to operate offshore and don't try. There will no doubt be some coverage out to several miles, but will likely be worse in sparsely populated areas.

[Wyoming pirate]

Ditto advise on verizon. Good on entire east coast and gulf other than a few little pockets. Ditto an Bahamas! We use StraightTalk on the cdma (Verizon) on the east coast. Cheap! have more rum money!