Just heard that Charter Communications expects to have a cell phone on the market in the near future. The towers are already up.

My two trips this summer (2007) to Hubbard Lake have been *very* disappointing for cellphone coverage. My phone and my mother's Treo 700P had *no* coverage, almost in the entire area. In Alpena, I had limited connectivity (maybe 3 bars), but only for the brief period that I was "downtown". Even in Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island, where in 2006 I was able to make a phone call, nothing this year! My brother brought his AT and T phone, and he had coverage in Ossineke, Alpena, multiple places around Hubbard Lake. I've been with Verizon for at least 6 years, and they are supposed to have the best overall coverage of the US, but since we are "Up North" every summer, I am seriously considering switching, if I can get coverage with AT and T. Hope to see more feedback here so I can make a decision.

Sinc updating my PRL I lost the RBL (who was bought out by Dobson, who does not allow VZW to use their towers) I am now stuck with Alltel as the extended network. Most calls are dropped IF you can place them. The drop rate is 98%. Alpena and Harrisville are spotty. I was stunned when a Nokia Cingular GSM phone worked in the cabin. Where as I am up on Mt. Maria Road. Turning my head, car passing, wind stopping, starting, taking a step, all can cause a dropped call. VZW caught 3 of them acording to the tech, but I saw about 5 more on my bill. I used to be off Barton City (analog 8 miles line of sight not crossing the lake) (City listed on bill) this year is Ossenike (7 miles crossing some lake 1x Digital, most times can never use it), and Harisville (analog 20.x miles away). No wonder why my calls drop a tower crossing most the lake going to up to 20 miles away.

I was able to get a couple bars on the west and south sides of the lake... absolutely nothing on the east side. Coverage all around is very spotty, and I never got more than one to two bars. My phone continually bounced between two bars... totally draining my battery constantly!