I already knew from 5 years ago that T-Mobile had none-to-poor service in the UP, but I figured I should check again. But when a company representative admits that they don’t have coverage in an area, no roaming deals, and no plans to add it, that’s a pretty good clue to look for alternatives. 🙂
Both AT&T and Verizon claim adequate service in the US areas around Lake Superior, and a cheap option for roaming with barely adequate service in that part of Ontario on one of the Canadian networks. AT&T’s coverage looks a little better (they were my barely adequate carrier on my first ride through the UP in 2009) and they offer a pre-paid plan with more data than Verizon, so I’m going to swap in a month of AT&T service for $50, then cancel it afterward. This means my regular number won’t work, but my secondary VOIP number (which works over any internet connection) should still work (at times) if anyone needs to contact me.