Alltel Cellular Service

[Simba&Nala]

Okay - I know this isn't the correct place to post this but I tried on the community board and couldn't get any respones. Hoping someone here can help.

Has anyone who has Alltel Cellular service recently been to Orlando. We currently have the Total Freedom plan which allows us to call to/from anywhere with no long distance or roaming fees. We were considering changing to the National Freedom plan but we can't tell by looking at the coverage map if we would incur roaming fees in Orlando.

Also - anyway have the new 2-way feature and does it work in Orlando/Disney area.

Thanks

 

[Tina]

Wow. I've never even heard of that company. Is it a small local company or nationwide? They may have a coverage map (or info) on their website.

 

[Disney Debbie]

I haven't been to Orlando since being on Alltel - but I have been to Ocala and there is no roaming charge. I'm going to Blizzard Beach for the day on April 5th so I'll find out then!

Don't know what the 2 way feature is!

 

[kbkids]

We've got Alltel, but we use the Local Freedom plan (and we live in Florida) - but I would really think it would cover Orlando, with it being a large city. The only thing you can do is just simply check with Alltel - and definitely get a name, date, time of who you talked to. I have called customer service to inquire about similar things and received the wrong information and ended up getting charged more based on going off of the wrong info.

 

[Disney Debbie]

Oh - and I do have the National Freedom plan.

 

[Luv2Roam]

Now what a coincidence!
We have used Alltel for years.
We live in the Orlando area now, but still have our Nebraska cell numbers. (Really confuses people since NE area code is 402 and Orlando's is 407.)
We have one of the plans where we have x-amount of minutes for the month, free weekend minutes, etc. Must be the National Freedom plan or something. ?
The ONLY time I have been charged roaming fees was when we were actually driving to FL from NE.
Passing through Missouri, I was hit with roaming fees when I made calls to IN, MI & IA. Luckily I did not talk long.
I am guessing it was because we were literally roaming across MO, and using various towers.
Alltel told us in Omaha that they were just starting to come in this area. At first the gal didn't think they were here at all. But they apparently have a very small segment.

 

[hyzdufan]

I have Alltel and the coverage was kind of spotty in and around Disney World. I experienced trouble getting a connection at Port Orleans Riverside, and some places in the parks.

 

[Luv2Roam]

Have to say our cell phones are our only phones. I have used them all over this area.
The only time I really had problems was when DH was down here and I was still in Omaha.
I had him call me one day when he was inside the Disney Premier Outlet store. His phone kept cutting out and we finally gave up.
Since then I have talked to people from CA over my cell in that store with no problem.
DH and I have the same model, although mine is a year newer and has a few more features.
But I do recall something just last weekend when we were driving to DAK. All of a sudden I was getting a beep that a message was left. Someone had called me and left a message. My phone did not ring in, and there wasn't any reason I know of that it should not have. We were coming off 192 towards the parks.
So I guess it's not foolproof.
We don't use our phones all that much. but have in the parks with no problem that I am aware.
Of course in some office buildings the phones don't like to work. I remember in Omaha in our underground parking, no one's cell phones would work.
My one sister lives in CA. When she gets inbetween mountains, her cell phone is worthless. So at least we don't have that problem.

Oh yes -- Another place! Last August we stayed in WL. We could not use our cell phones in the room. And we noticed other guests hanging their cell phones over their deck area to get a reception. We assumed it was due to the metal roof.

 

[CindyKansas]

We have Alltel's Total Freedom Plan and we have been to Florida three times since having that plan. We had no problems with our phone service while vacationing in Florida. We have a family plan with the 600 minutes, unlimited nights and weekends, and unlimted mobile to mobile. We had in previous years used the 2 way radios but last summer we just used our cell phones. My biggest complaint is that there is a "Dead Zone" not more than 20 miles from my house between here and Wichita and the cell phone will not work. We drove to California 2 months ago and I had called DH when we were in the desert of New Mexico and it sounded like it he was next door. Just doesn't make sense.

 

[Luv2Roam]

I think we have the same plan.
There is a catch -- that I didn't realize until we moved here. IF I recall correctly the free mobile to mobile is for within your state only.
The reason I remember this is I recall asking Alltel why we our mobile to mobile minutes were being charged against our 600 minutes. That was their answer. IN STATE mobile to mobile.

 

[Candace]

I have the Alltel Total Freedom plan also. It works fine in WDW. However, like someone else posted, the free mobile to mobile, and free night/weekend minutes are good in my home area *only*. NOW, that being said, one of my sons is on National Freedom, and his night/weekend minutes and mobile-to-mobile minutes follow him whereever he goes, so long as he is not roaming. He just watches his little flashing triangle, and he does not use it if he's roaming. HTH.

 

[tink2dw]

Isn't Alltel a part of Nextel? Sounds like the phones work the same but Nextel but they just changed the name here in Oregon and I'm sure I was told it was Alltel now.

 

[Luv2Roam]

Last night I just happened to find my Alltel plan info.
we have National Freedom. It does read, "NO Roaming or Long Distance Charges". However.... this did not work for us. Even after I questioned them about it.
Ther is all sorts of fine print that may be what applied.