My question for today...

Last year only those with Verizon Cell Phones had reception at Fontana, correct? Does anyone know if that is still the provider of choice? Would a pay as you go Verizon phone get reception at Fontana?


The reason I am asking is I am wondering how our house sitter would get in contact with us if needed while we are at MOTD. I hope to be able to get up to the lodge and check email once a day but I would love her to be able to phone us if necessary. I believe I read that the cabins didnt have phones. (Am I remembering that wrong?) If our sitter called the front desk, how would the staff at Fontana get a message to us?



I figure since this is the largest MOTD ever there has to be a few others that might benefit from this information too!

 

I don't know if they will have any other service at Fontana this year but the VZW is working because of a router type thing they are using. I think a pay as you go will work but the router is only for a small square footage and can only handle about 3 voice calls at a time at the lodge so it may not be worth it.

 

I stayed in Robinsville last year, but noticed in the lobby of Fontana people were on the Internet. If it is fast enough you could use Skype or Google Voice if you have a laptop (or smart phone) to call your home phone line. With that many people there, the Internet may be dog slow. I never used it last year, always went back to Robinsville for Internet/Phone.

 

I wasn't there last year, but in 2009, I had AT&T reception from the top of the dam.

 

I lived in that area for 3 years.
Verizon has the best coverage in the mountians, hands down.
That said, it's the mountians, no coverage here, around the corner, great signal, top of the hill = good, bottom of the hill = bad. You really can't predict coverage in any particular spot, but again, Verizon is best overall, hands down.
ATT would be second best and Sprint, well, you might as well leave it home .....

There are even places where On-Star Sat-phone wont work.

 

On a clear day, I could get 1 bar of coverage from the parking lot at the top of the dam on AT&T... in the rain or fog I got nothing. I'm taking my corporate Verizon blackberry to try that this year.

 

verizon for sure has the best coverage..at least over AT&T. However at Fontana my experience was you only get coverage around the lodge. (Maybe they've expanded by now or my memory is fuzzy) So you would only get service around the vendors.

 

Most cabins have land line phones in them.

 

It's the top of the Dam for us AT&T users. The first parking lot on the right as you approach the dam overlooking the lake.

 

Thanks for all the tips!

 

Smurfette: Verizon VOICE coverage stinks at Fontana, as others have said it's hit or miss as they only had 3-4 lines available, but TEXT coverage works reasonably. The text data packets are so small that in-between the voice calls the texts can come in, so that may be an option. No, not as immediate as calling, but it's something. They can also leave messages at the Fontana desk, I suppose.

 

U can use my Verizon phone for some calls as I have 2000 min and normally have 500 min leftover. Just call me at 812-483-7117 befroe you get out of working range on your cell to coordinate a meeting place.
I'm partial to Smurfetts anyway.
Lee from IN