Sprint Coverage - Alaska (ANC and passage)

According to the Sprint Coverage map on their website, almost the entire anchorage/ seward area as well as all the major ports on the inside passage are covered by their "additional coverage" areas. Below is an excerpt from their website

 

"Additional Voice Coverage"

 

These coverage areas give you expanded voice coverage with digital dual-band or dual-band/tri-mode phones.

All of this coverage is available to you at no additional charge with current National Sprint rate plans.

 

* I see a lot of talk about people adding roaming and what not to their phone and that doesnt seem necessary.

 

Does anyone know for sure? Someone here must live in Anchorage and know what the coverage is like. Thanks!

 

Tony

We have Sprint coverage - so I'm also interested in if any additional fees are accessed in Vancouver-Juneau-Skagway.

 

"Additional Voice Coverage"

 

These coverage areas give you expanded voice coverage with digital dual-band or dual-band/tri-mode phones.

All of this coverage is available to you at no additional charge with current National Sprint rate plans.

 

 

Tony

 

Is there an easy way to tell what band your phone is?

First - I don't believe anything on their website - that said - It is not that expensive to add the roaming - I believe it was $5.00 to add US and $4.00 to add International (for Vancouver). So for around $9 you will have the piece of mind that you are covered. We are going to have the service added to my sons phone as he has unlimited text and web browser - so that way he can still keep in touch with his GF and we can check weather, email, and pull up maps. If you browse without the roaming added you run the risk of being charged more.

 

When I called and spoke to someone at Sprint they were CLUELESS about whether I would get hit with roaming charges or not.

 

A friend of mine has a different carrier and she was SHOCKED that a less than 2 minute phone call she made last year from Vancouver to DFW cost her just over $50. - so for piece of mind I'm getting it.

A friend of mine has a different carrier and she was SHOCKED that a less than 2 minute phone call she made last year from Vancouver to DFW cost her just over $50. - so for piece of mind I'm getting it.

 

What company was that?!?!

What company was that?!?!

I think it was Cingular. Her husband was fit to be tied. She just called home to tell them they were at the airport ready to leave.

Sprint doesnt have an international roam but they do have a Canadian Roam.

 

However , the canadian roam just discounts the roam charge from 60 cents per minute to 30 cents per minute and costs $3.00

 

The standard US roaming is $5.00 and should cover you in most of alaska and those minutes are just deducted from your monthly allowance

 

So.....I guess it makes says to just pay 8 bucks for a month just to make sure. I mean, we are going to Alaska....whats 8 bucks!

 

Tony

Sprint doesnt have an international roam but they do have a Canadian Roam.

 

However , the canadian roam just discounts the roam charge from 60 cents per minute to 30 cents per minute and costs $3.00

You are correct - I stated that incorrectly.

 

On your second point - they didn't tell we there would still be a roam charge - just about the additional per minute rate. And I couldn't remeber if it was 3 or 4 for Canada and didn't have the info in front of me and was trying to do it from memory.

 

Still - all in all worth the extra if you think there is the possiblity that you'll need your phone - or in our case want to use it for web browsing or text.

 

Got to love these boards.

Thanks for the tip - this is definitely worth the cost!

 

Tony

I just got off the phone with Sprint to check on coverage for the places we are going in Alaska - Ketchikan, Juneau, and Icy Strait Point/Hoonah.

 

Sprint said there wasn't any covereage, digital or analog in any of those areas. They did say, I might be able to pick up analog in Juneau but it would be close.

 

They said international rates would apply in Vancouver. We are on Celebrity for this cruise but our last cruise on the Carnival Ecstasy had international cell phone coverage active all the time while we were on the ship. I don't know if that will be true on the Celebrity Infinity.

 

We bring 10 mile walkie talkies with us on cruises. They don't help when trying to call home but work well on the ship and in ports.

I just got off the phone with Sprint to check on coverage for the places we are going in Alaska - Ketchikan, Juneau, and Icy Strait Point/Hoonah.

 

Sprint said there wasn't any covereage, digital or analog in any of those areas. They did say, I might be able to pick up analog in Juneau but it would be close.

Do a search of the Alaska boards - the reps talking to you on the phone can only go by what is in their system - which isn't real life. SEVERAL people have reported using Sprint in some of the ports you mention without issues. Although they did say that it is hard sometimes to get a line out as EVERYONE is trying to call out on limited tower coverage.

If you call back and talk to 5 people - you will get 5 different stories. Sprint reps are pretty clueless. Their coverage map shows extended network in all of southeast alaska so you should get a roaming signal at least.

 

Many people have even had luck gettng on the sprint PCS network in Juneau and Anchorage.

I posted the same question earlier. I read so many different replies. Just got off the phone with Sprint. I gave them the zip codes for Skagway, Juneau & Ketchican. Sprint does NOt have coverage. The rep. was sooo surprised, he necer had anyone give three zip codes & no service. He tried to research it other ways...no luck. I told him I read some have posted they had service in Juneau. Said it was a raoming signal they lucked out on.

Keep in mind that what they are probably searching is for digital areas - MOST LIKELY you are not going to get digital - therefore you need the roaming added so you can pick up on other towers in the area (non-Sprint) without getting binged extra for going off network.

 

At least that is the way I understand it. Maybe we can get somone who know more about this to respond.

If anyone needs to reach me they can leave a voicemail at my home and I'll just check for messages everyday using the prepaid phone card on a good ol' pay phone if I can't use my Sprint Treo

If anyone needs to reach me they can leave a voicemail at my home and I'll just check for messages everyday using the prepaid phone card on a good ol' pay phone if I can't use my Sprint Treo

 

 

I'm bringing my phone card, too! Imagine - we used to get by in life without cell phones!

I remember making quite a few phone calls during our May/June 2004 Alaska Cruise using my Sprint phone, so I pulled out the old bill (needed it for taxes this year!)

 

We have the roaming plan with Sprint. The call detail says "Roaming Call Detail While in Juneau AK" with six calls on 5/30 in Ketchikan (my uncle lives there), one call on 5/31 in Sitka, one call on 6/1 in Juneau, and six calls on 6/2 in Haines.

 

In addition, there was one call in Juneau and two calls in Anchorage on the Sprint network.

 

I'll be able to update this next Saturday when we leave for Anchorage for back-to-back cruises on the Statendam. Whee! Whales here we come.

Our main purpose in taking the phone is to use the browser for maps and weather, and to check in to the airline the night before (this one I have to check out). I don't plan to make any calls and the phone will be off (not receiving any calls. People will have to leave messages and it better be an emergency.

Our main purpose in taking the phone is to use the browser for maps and weather, and to check in to the airline the night before (this one I have to check out). I don't plan to make any calls and the phone will be off (not receiving any calls. People will have to leave messages and it better be an emergency.

++

 

I'm told that with Sprint we may be able to make/receive calls in certain areas (roaming or not), but the data service will not work as it's on a different network. So much for maps, weather, email, etc. :(

++

 

I'm told that with Sprint we may be able to make/receive calls in certain areas (roaming or not), but the data service will not work as it's on a different network. So much for maps, weather, email, etc. :(

Really - well you know I've said it before and I'll say it again - tlak to 5 different people get 5 different answers (I'm not doubting that was what you were told). I guess it is going to be a game of wait and see.

Checking the Sprint Coverage maps these days, it looks like Sprint has voice and broadband coverage in Juneau and Anchorage.

 

http://coverage.sprintpcs.com/IMPACT.jsp?PCode=vanity:coverage

I have the Sprint HTC EVO with the Mobile Hot Spot service, which, for those not familiar, allows my phone to act as a server for up to 8 devices. It will be interesting to see if it can connect to whatever satellites they have up there. If it does work, I probably can expect to have 6 best new friends. If not, well, at least we will learn something new.

 

Will be sailing on the Coral Princess July 30. I will come back and let everyone know.

I have the Sprint HTC EVO with the Mobile Hot Spot service, which, for those not familiar, allows my phone to act as a server for up to 8 devices.

 

I sailed from Seward to Vancouver a few weeks ago, and here's what I found with my Sprint Epic 4G:

Anchorage: Full Sprint phone and data coverage (3G only - there's no Sprint 4G to be had in Alaska!)

Seward: Full Sprint phone and data coverage (no Sprint coverage between Girdwood and Seward, but for some reason there is a lone AT&T tower in Moose Pass.)

Juneau: Roaming phone and data, but could connect (we have the Everything Data plan, so no worries on data roaming)

Skagway: Phone roaming. Roaming data, but couldn't connect.

Hoonah/Icy Strait Point: No coverage

Ketchikan: Roaming phone and data, but could connect

 

As an additional note: data coverage on the Amtrak train from Vancouver to Seattle was spotty between Bellingham and Everett. Amtrak's onboard wi-fi was borked and blocked all connections on port 80 (i.e. most websites).