I thought it would be interesting to see what MR folks familiar with all this have decided and why -- a good discussion without biases and "[carrier] sucks lol" comments.
Over the years, I've found myself back and forth between the carriers. I am on FirstNet with DHS WPS provisioned in a role unlikely to require EP services as much as in-field folks would, and I waffle between:
FirstNet and its 24/7 priority, preemption, truly unlimited everything including tethering at a ~$50/month subscriber-paid price tag, and its mission, versus;
Verizon and its legacy in emergency services, its network footprint, versus its higher monthly price tag and lack of preemption on a consumer line (a battle I've fought before, though this is largely obviated by WPS when needed), not to mention Frontline and its services are seen as a business account, unlike the subscriber-paid model FirstNet has.
In my locations, overall performance slightly favors Verizon, though with Wi-Fi calling as a crutch, it's unclear to me that this is worth the negligible ~$13-$28/mo monthly premium (i.e., FirstNet plus Apple One, ~$67/mo; Verizon Unlimited with discounted Apple One, ~$80/mo, then ~$95/mo after promo). A small number but something.
I'm familiar with the technical arguments (e.g., separate physical core versus virtualization; FirstNet's band 14 and what it entails). I understand Verizon has a leg up on C-band spectrum, bandwidth, and ongoing rollout with early clearance recently.
I see that Verizon continues to hold a lead on RootMetrics and OpenSignal consumer reports. As a surrogate marker for network footprint and service, I'm unsure which carrier has more of a connected car presence.
What do you use these days and why, especially if you're in a location where either would be viable? How do you see all this?
Over the years, I've found myself back and forth between the carriers. I am on FirstNet with DHS WPS provisioned in a role unlikely to require EP services as much as in-field folks would, and I waffle between:
FirstNet and its 24/7 priority, preemption, truly unlimited everything including tethering at a ~$50/month subscriber-paid price tag, and its mission, versus;
Verizon and its legacy in emergency services, its network footprint, versus its higher monthly price tag and lack of preemption on a consumer line (a battle I've fought before, though this is largely obviated by WPS when needed), not to mention Frontline and its services are seen as a business account, unlike the subscriber-paid model FirstNet has.
In my locations, overall performance slightly favors Verizon, though with Wi-Fi calling as a crutch, it's unclear to me that this is worth the negligible ~$13-$28/mo monthly premium (i.e., FirstNet plus Apple One, ~$67/mo; Verizon Unlimited with discounted Apple One, ~$80/mo, then ~$95/mo after promo). A small number but something.
I'm familiar with the technical arguments (e.g., separate physical core versus virtualization; FirstNet's band 14 and what it entails). I understand Verizon has a leg up on C-band spectrum, bandwidth, and ongoing rollout with early clearance recently.
I see that Verizon continues to hold a lead on RootMetrics and OpenSignal consumer reports. As a surrogate marker for network footprint and service, I'm unsure which carrier has more of a connected car presence.
What do you use these days and why, especially if you're in a location where either would be viable? How do you see all this?
