I think generally if you have one network like verizon your phone will only connect to that network unless you are in an area with low coverage they may have a roaming agreement with another network,that will function regardless of lock state of your phone. Generally they don't utilize each other's networks and I suspect if they lost all of the towers in your area you would be without service except 911 may roam to another carrier.
I'm using NXTL mobile as a second data only SIM card, it's like $1.50/gb with no monthly fees and it is a true 3 carrier sim , it's nice because if my Verizon doesn't have coverage it will use backup calling which is basically Wi-Fi calling internal to the phone On Tue, Aug 12, 2025, 1:28 PM Dennis Burgess - LTI Support via AF < [email protected]> wrote: > Did you buy the phone from the vendor? then its most likely locked. I > purchased a Pixel 8 pro and its unlocked, when the home Verizon tower went > down, it will search and get onto something, the way I understand it, they > all have roaming agreements, but if its locked the goal is to be on their > tower unless there is NOTHING else available. As long as you have JUST A > WEE BIT of Verizon, it will stay on Verizon. > > > Think, the same thing happens when I goto Canada or EU, it will roam onto > another network cause there is no Verizon towers out there. > > > A simple phone call sure, massive amounts of data/hot spotting, not so > much. When I went to the EU, I have to pay 5 bucks a day for > international roaming, and that includes up to 1gig of ultra fast data, > after that, it is painfully slow. Kinda the same thing within the US. > > > But if you purchased a ATT iphone or a Verizon Droid, it SHOULD, roam a > bit, when there is NOTHING with the vendors signal, but don't expect more > than texting and voice calls. > > > > > *Dennis Burgess* > > > * Mikrotik : **Trainer, Network Associate, Routing Engineer, Wireless > Engineer, Traffic Control Engineer, Inter-Networking Engineer, Security > Engineer, Enterprise Wireless Engineer* > > *Hurricane Electric: **IPv6 Sage Level* > > *Cambium: **ePMP* > > > > Author of "Learn RouterOS- Second Edition” > > *Link Technologies, Inc* -- Mikrotik & WISP Support Services > > *Office*: 314-735-0270 Website: http://www.linktechs.net > > Create Wireless Coverage’s with www.towercoverage.com > > > > <https://mail.linktechs.net/owa/redir.aspx?C=AWq0kPmLomFxbshE65wWiGsm9JYjRq7NfAx66HZMGnN2I3lAPi_UCA..&URL=mailto%3admburgess%40linktechs.net> > > > ------------------------------ > *From:* AF <[email protected]> on behalf of Adam Moffett < > [email protected]> > *Sent:* Tuesday, August 12, 2025 2:17 PM > *To:* 'AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group' > *Subject:* Re: [AFMUG] mobile and 5G Home Internet when a cell tower is > offline > > Some, like Tracphone, can ride multiple networks. > > I have always assumed that the underlying network is going to prioritize > its own customers over the third parties roaming on their system. That's > an assumption, but if I'm paying a premium for Verizon I'd actually be more > upset if they didn't give me priority over the Cricket wireless guy paying > $19.99/month. > > So I know you could get a phone that would give you hotspot data on > multiple networks, but I'd *assume* it sucks a little bit. I have no > empirical testing of this. Maybe Consumer Reports has something. Are they > still around? > > -Adam > > > > > ------------------------------ > *From:* AF <[email protected]> on behalf of Ken Hohhof < > [email protected]> > *Sent:* Tuesday, August 12, 2025 2:56 PM > *To:* 'AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group' <[email protected]> > *Subject:* Re: [AFMUG] mobile and 5G Home Internet when a cell tower is > offline > > > Well, that kinda sucks. If you’re a prepper, do you need to have 3 > cellphones then? > > > > *From:* AF <[email protected]> *On Behalf Of * > [email protected] > *Sent:* Tuesday, August 12, 2025 1:43 PM > *To:* 'AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group' <[email protected]> > *Subject:* Re: [AFMUG] mobile and 5G Home Internet when a cell tower is > offline > > > > No your Vz phone would not roam to a T-Mobile or AT&T tower. Now that > they are not CDMA voice 3G it is theoretically possible but not their > business model. Then there is the matter of frequency / bands. Think “in > network” all the time. > > > > > > *From:* AF <*[email protected] <[email protected]>*> *On > Behalf Of *Ken Hohhof > *Sent:* Tuesday, August 12, 2025 2:37 PM > *To:* 'AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group' <*[email protected] > <[email protected]>*> > *Subject:* [AFMUG] mobile and 5G Home Internet when a celltower is offline > > > > Who here knows more than I do about how cellular networks work during a > celltower outage? > > > > Would I be correct to assume that if, for example, a Verizon tower is > offline, your mobile phone would connect to another nearby Verizon tower? > And that you could not only make voice calls and send text messages, but > also use your phone as a hotspot for Internet? > > > > And that if there was no other Verizon tower in range, your phone would > roam to a T-Mobile or AT&T tower? And in that case, could you still use > the hotspot feature? > > > > Now, what about Home Internet service? Would I be correct to assume no > roaming and probably not even another Verizon tower? If your designated > tower is down, no home Internet? > > > > One last question, if the tower has power and all the electronics is > running but the backhaul to the tower is down (like a fiber cut), do phones > still connect to the tower but have no service? Or will they move to > another tower? > -- > AF mailing list > [email protected] > http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com >
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