Rural phone dilemma

[plowhog]

I'm living at our ranch property for the next year, and trying to figure out reliable phone communication.

Cell service does not work here. Zero bars. Cell phone amplifiers don't work.

ATT used to offer landline and DSL. Several years ago they stopped doing any new DSL connections. Now, they have stopped doing any new landline connections. We had an ATT phone at the location for decades, but it was turned off a year ago and they won't connect it back up. I've done some web searches and cannot find any option for a land line.

I have a satellite internet system, and activated Advanced Calling on my Verizon phone. That works OK when it works, but it's hit and miss. Email always works through the satellite, phone sometimes, and text sometimes.

I know Vonage offers an IP phone system, but am not sure how that would work with the latency of a satellite system. When my Verizon Advanced Calling (occasionally) works using my smartphone, there is definitely latency, but I could live with that. But I can't go long periods where the phone doesn't work, and I can't receive calls or make calls. That is the situation now.

Any ideas?

 

[oosik]

See - now that's how it is here at my place and because I'm retired - it pleases me to no end. I have absolutely no land line service, my cell phone service is weather dependent and sporadic at best. Now my satellite internet service is top notch.

I've heard that some companies are providing satellite internet phone service and there is always direct satellite phone service ( Iridium ).

 

[plowhog]

Had not considered Iridium, thanks! Which satellite system do you have?

I demolished our main residence and it is being rebuilt over the next year. So I need reliable communication with the general contractor.

 

[dodge man]

My wife works for a phone co-op. Like electric co-ops, they serve rural areas. Have you checked to see if there is one in your area? I think in Illinois everyone can get some kind of service. At least in theory anyway.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I guess Iridium is the sat phone service. Can't think of any other options. Expensive, but you say it's only short term and it could save major problems and money.

 

[oosik]

Plowhog - my internet provider is HughesNet. They are great, service is great - as long as the weather is half way descent. Actually the toughest weather for my IP is a high overcast - rain, fog, snow don't seem to bother service too much.

My cell phone service is thru AT&T. They are a good system - I'm just so dang far away from their closest tower.

 

[skipperbrown]

VHF ham radio and a phone patch with a local repeater would work for outgoing non business phone calls. You will need a FCC tech license, a 2 meter radio, a directional antenna, and a radio club with a repeater/phone patch within 25 or so miles. Before cell phone coverage became so good, we used this for off shore phone communication on the gulf coast. A ham friend with better phone coverage could call you on the radio for incoming calls. When all else fails, there is always ham radio.

 

[Einthewoods]

Not sure what sat internet provider you have, but Excede (Viasat) and Hughesnet both have phone service. If you have one of those, you should be all set without going to a third party.

 

[vvanders]

VHF ham radio and a phone patch with a local repeater would work for outgoing non business phone calls. You will need a FCC tech license, a 2 meter radio, a directional antenna, and a radio club with a repeater/phone patch within 25 or so miles. Before cell phone coverage became so good, we used this for off shore phone communication on the gulf coast. A ham friend with better phone coverage could call you on the radio for incoming calls. When all else fails, there is always ham radio.

I was going to jokinly suggest that as well, downside is everyone esle on the repeater gets to hear your phone call as well.

 

[Doofy]

I remember having a party-line way back in 1966. Not long after we got our very own line. We have had good to excellent cellular service for over 20 years. I live in a rural area. My internet speed is 50Mbps/10 Mbps and next year they will be installing fiber optics to double those speeds. Not sure why since population is in a rapid decline.

I would think everyone in America would have access to decent phone and internet service. Very sad and disturbing.

 

[Stimw]

I have had Verizon Wireless Home Phone for maybe 10 years and love it!!
It costs $20. a month plus taxes and is unlimited with all the features.
If I travel I can take it with me and have my home phone where ever I go.
I would check with a Verizon store and see if you could borrow/rent one first to see if it will work at your location.

 

[vvanders]

I remember having a party-line way back in 1966. Not long after we got our very own line. We have had good to excellent cellular service for over 20 years. I live in a rural area. My internet speed is 50Mbps/10 Mbps and next year they will be installing fiber optics to double those speeds. Not sure why since population is in a rapid decline.

I would think everyone in America would have access to decent phone and internet service. Very sad and disturbing.

Yeah, despite developing the internet(ARPANET) and modern cellphone tech(Qualcomm, etc) the US is behind most of the developed world in terms of internet and cellphone options/speeds/price. There's some stuff on the horizon that looks promising but it's staggering how few people have access to fast/reliable internet.

Coming back to the OP, T-Mobile used to offer wifi-calling, although it'll probably eat a fair bit of you sat-internet plan.

 

[plowhog]

I do use wifi-calling now. It's "advanced calling" on my Verizon smartphone routed through my ASUS wifi router and Viasat satellite internet. But it sometimes works, sometimes does not. If I could hardwire a phone to the satellite it would at least eliminate the wifi aspect.

I do have the Verizon land line gizmo, but it uses a cell signal which is non existent in this area.

I have a Ham Radio License, General category. I have a Rohn 70 foot tower I have not yet installed, but I could put a 2 meter antenna up on the roof and see if I could hit a repeater that has phone patch capability. I, for some reason, didn't consider that. Thanks for the suggestion.

I also have a Delorme Inreach satellite communicator. That, coupled with my smartphone, does worldwide satellite text messages. I forgot all about this as I typically only use it when hiking in the remote Sierra Nevada mountains as an emergency beacon-- just in case. I have a very limited plan right now but if I went to unlimited text messages it would be a great alternative when all else is not working.

And I just learned today that ... supposedly ... viasat has some sort of gizmo to do voice calls via their satellite system. I will check that out tomorrow.

Thank you all for the replies. Seems there are numerous things to try.

 

[k0ua]

You didn't explain why the cell phone repeater will not work. Cell phone repeaters WILL work. It is a matter of how big of a yagi you put on them how high above average terrain you mount it, and how low is the loss in the feedline. It WILL work. It is simply a matter of how much time effort and money you want to put in to it to get 100% operation.

 

[plowhog]

I have a Wilson cell amplifier and one from another company. I've tried it and it does not work, even with hard line low loss cable. I think it was LMR400. I added a yagi and spent quite a bit of time aiming it looking for a signal, but no go.

If you read their manuals regarding the cell amplifiers, it clearly says it will not work if there are zero bars. I have zero bars. They can't amplify zero.

I've also examined the property, in various areas, watching the -db rating on the phone. It's a no go.

To be fair, I have ... very .... occasionally gotten a blip here and there of a cell phone signal. But it's even much worse than the advanced calling/satellite combo. We have a beautiful property-- nicely ringed by mountains, dense forest, and trees over 100 feet tall.

 

[vvanders]

I'd be surprised if wifi was your problem if you're out in the middle of nowhere. Usually wifi falls over if you've got a lot of channel congestion, I'd think something mounted up high is going to do pretty well in a rural location.

That said T-Mobile also offers a femtocell which would eliminate wifi(it goes direct from wired -> GSM/LTE bands). I've had one and they work really well when we had coverage issues in the basement.

 

[k0ua]

I have a Wilson cell amplifier and one from another company. I've tried it and it does not work, even with hard line low loss cable. I think it was LMR400. I added a yagi and spent quite a bit of time aiming it looking for a signal, but no go.

If you read their manuals regarding the cell amplifiers, it clearly says it will not work if there are zero bars. I have zero bars. They can't amplify zero.

I've also examined the property, in various areas, watching the -db rating on the phone. It's a no go.

To be fair, I have ... very .... occasionally gotten a blip here and there of a cell phone signal. But it's even much worse than the advanced calling/satellite combo. We have a beautiful property-- nicely ringed by mountains, dense forest, and trees over 100 feet tall.

How high was the tower you didn't put up? IT WILL WORK. Whether you have enough money and the will to make it work is another matter. How many elements was the yagi or stacked yagis you didn't use? And how did you aim the array. If you got a "blip" here and there on a cell phone by itself, Note the position where you got the signal and build your tower there. I realize these things are out of the average persons realm. Hire a good smart Amateur radio operator that works VHF and UHF and has large arrays up and they will tell you what you need. IT CAN BE DONE. Do you want to do it? It may take from a few hundred to even a few thousand bucks, the question is what is your budget.? How bad do you want this.

I would start with finding my nearest cell tower and what carrier is using it.

How to Find Cell Tower Locations | weBoost | weBoost

If you are serious about it , I can take some time and find nearby Amateur radio operators and then we need to narrow that down to those with vhf/uhf experience, and further narrow that down to those that might be willing to help you construct your tower and antenna system. I have the experience and knowledge to assist you, but I am a bit far away.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

How good is your internet service? Several cell phone companies have a unit that brings your cell calls in over the internet. I lived in a riral area and Verizon provided the system. It has a radius of 50' I beleive. I ran a business that way. There are other internet solutions also; I not an expert on this subjuct.

Ron

 

[TheMan419]

How good is your internet service? Several cell phone companies have a unit that brings your cell calls in over the internet. I lived in a riral area and Verizon provided the system. It has a radius of 50' I beleive. I ran a business that way. There are other internet solutions also; I not an expert on this subjuct.

Ron

Yep. My folks live in town and get poor cell service. They got a thing-a-ma-bob. It routes the call over their internet.

Viasat offers phone service for $20/mo. The latency will be bothersome.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

Check with your Public Utilities Commission. Every phone customer in America pays a fee every month to the Universal Service Fund, its purpose is to provide service to customers who wouldn't otherwise be profitable to the phone companies.